A New Player in the Force (SW/Lite Gamer)

USSExplorer · Apr 16, 2023

A/N:
As always, thanks to those helping me write and plan out this story and checking it for continuality and logic errors.

This chapter was released at least 2 weeks ago to my Patreons (with them seeing a draft version around 2 months ago) and on the story's Discord server (in GDoc form) about a week ago.
Links for both are at the end of the chapter.
Hopefully, all the little mistakes have been found and removed.

Current Date: 1 year until the Invasion of Naboo

Knightly Diplomacy 1
… …

"Ah, there you are Cameron. I was beginning to fear you'd gotten lost somewhere in the Temple."

Master Giiett's words made the others in the room with him turn toward me and scattered chuckles echoed across the room as I entered. We were all here for a lesson with the Council Master and I was the last to arrive.

When I first arrived at the Temple eight years ago, I'd thought that all the training of a Padawan was handled by their Master. However, I'd soon learnt that this wasn't the case. Many Knights and Masters, while capable of handling the majority of a Padawan's teachings, couldn't explain everything about every subject. Thus, classes with other Jedi Masters took place wherein any Padawan was free to join a lesson, though the sizes were kept low and the Padawan's Master needed to be informed before they joined the class.

Currently, apart from time spent with Battlemaster Drallig in the training area as one of his assistants, I attended lessons with around eight other Jedi. Three of those eight stood out as they sat on the High Council; Saesee Tiin, Plo Koon and Micah Giiett.

Master Tiin's were focused on piloting smaller craft, with a focus on the few starfighter models the Order currently had. Of the group of eight, I was by far and away the weakest pilot, lacking the natural inclination toward it that most of the others had. However, Master Tiin had explained privately that he'd asked for me to be assigned to this class because of the bond I shared with Raven. That would, he felt, grant me an edge in piloting that few others in the Order could match; at least not those with a natural inclination toward flying.

While all that made sense, and I'd seen a big improvement in my piloting skills, I suspected one reason he'd made sure I was assigned to his class was to gain more access to Raven. He'd even had me pilot the ship several times for the class to show them what a bond between ship and pilot could look in a way they'd never considered before.

Oddly, Tiin wasn't the only Council member who enjoyed flying on Raven and as such, I'd become something of the de-facto pilot for the Council whenever one or more of them needed to travel somewhere on the planet. Usually, that was just to the Senate building, but I enjoyed getting to fly with Raven and she adored being airborne. Hell, each time we flew I could feel her wanting to go higher, to leave the atmosphere, and feel the unfiltered solar rays of the stars upon her skin once again.

While I'd only been able to do that a few times, mainly when Tiin was onboard as he seemed able to sense Raven's delight at entering space, I'd made so many trips to the Senate building over the last few months that the guard there knew me by name. Still, while waiting around in Raven for whichever Council member I was ferrying was boring, it still gave me time with her, and it was better than about sixty per cent of the things I did in the Temple.

Of the classes I took with other Jedi, Master Koon's were the most normal. At least in the sense of what I'd expect we'd be getting taught if we couldn't use the Force. I'd been asked to join this class by the Council after Zonama Sekot, and at first, I'd wondered why, but the reason had become apparent quite quickly. Master Koon taught classes on the sciences in this universe. What we were learning was far and away beyond anything I could've potentially learnt on Earth, but they were only the equivalent of secondary-school-level science in the Republic.

However, one of the major benefits of the lesson was that they explained, in scientific terms, how my elemental powers, in particular Electrokinesis, worked. It'd also given me new ideas about how to use them, and Force Lightning, though I'd not tried out the ideas for the latter power since using a Dark Side power in the Temple would be beyond stupid.

I also discovered that Master Koon had a form of Electrokinesis himself, which he called Electric Judgement, and through a few private lessons, I'd been shown new ways to use the Force to control the power I was unleashing.

The classes with Master Giiett were odd, though not in a way I didn't enjoy. He seemed to enjoy teaching skills and approaches to problems that were geared towards those who couldn't or wouldn't, use the Force. All in all, the lessons reminded me of some of the base training programs with the SAS for their unorthodoxy. Though Giiett was far nicer and more patient than any of my former instructors had been. Plus, while his lessons all obeyed the Code in how they were to be used, I could see ways to use them that might be used that certainly didn't. Thus, as usual, I was curious about what we'd learn today; at least after whatever little test he'd arranged to start the lesson with.

"I'm sorry, Master, but Master Bestom wished to speak with me regarding Raven. We became a little lost in conversation and I lost track of time," I replied.

Master Bestom was one of the Jedi responsible for maintaining the small fleet of vessels the Order had, and the one most responsible for looking after Raven when I wasn't around. Other than coming to adore her almost as much as I did, he was a fairly nondescript Jedi; only standing out due to his orange skin, which was less common for an Iridonian Zabrak.

"Quite understandable, she is a marvel," Giiett spoke with a wide smile and indicated the cushions set in a semi-circle around a small table that was between him and the Padawans. The table held four cups, though there appeared to be nothing in them.

I moved forward and took a seat next to Sia-Lan Wezz. She was the only person I'd known personally when I'd first started attending these classes as we'd been in Dragon Clan as Initiates. While she was closer to Serra than she was to me, I still considered her a friend; just not a very close one. Of the other four, I'd sparred with three at some point over the last few years. They had all been easy to defeat, much like Sia-Lan – who hated that I was not only better than her but improving faster – but since I'd not gloated about it, and often offered hints to help in later sessions, none seemed to dislike me.

"And here I thought you and Serra had snuck off somewhere," Sia-Lan teased in a voice just loud enough that I was sure the others heard. I rolled my eyes at the girl's behaviour. While she was close with Serra, she did enjoy needling us about how close we seemed. Or at least trying to. Thanks to Darihd among others, I knew that when Serra had first come back to the Temple after her Verd'goten, Sia-Lan and Rachi Sitra had both angered Serra.

That was in the past now though as in my time back in the Temple, and after getting reacquainted with Serra, I knew she could handle the teasing. Hell, she often shot back that the other girls were jealous of our friendship. While that didn't seem to irritate Sia-Lan, I had sensed some interesting emotions from Rachi. Then again, I sensed some from Serra as well, but I'd not acted or asked about them. Mainly as, for the last week or so, I'd been keeping my distance from Serra while she worked through the knowledge that I'd fucked Bo regularly while on Zonama Sekot.

Serra had, much to my surprise, not lashed out upon hearing that. Instead, she'd seemed relieved to know it wasn't just her imagination. Yet even though she seemed outwardly fine, through the emotions I sensed from her through our bond, and with liberal usage of Observe, I knew she was conflicted about things. Hence why I was giving her space to work through her issues privately.

"Why? You thinking of joining us?" I shot back at Sia-Lan, letting my eyes wander over her ample frame. While she was attractive and had some enticing assets, I wasn't that interested in her. Still, I wouldn't stop her if she took her shot, and I enjoyed the rush of blood that came to her face.

"What are the cups for, Master?" The question came from Veeps, a Gran, and cut off anything that Sia-Lan might contemplate saying back.

The question drew a smirk from Giiett which had me interested if not a little apprehensive as some of Giiett's lessons were odd. Enjoyable, but odd. "Just a simple game, Veeps, to pass the time." That did nothing to ease the growing apprehension in me. Giiett picked up one of the cups and held it so we could see there was nothing inside, he then repeated this with the other cups. "As you can see, each cup is identical," he turned each one upside down, which reminded me of an old con game from Earth. One hand slipped into a pocket. "Here I have four pebbles," he continued as he opened his hand. "Three white and one black."

I watched as he showed the stones to us. The game I'd played in my former life had been favoured by Jimmy, one of my former squad mates. He'd often played his game to kill downtime and we'd wager on duties around the base camp or HQ that we didn't want to do. It seemed that Giiett was about to play the same game, but with the Force to help him. While I had little interest in playing anything like Sabacc with any regularity, learning how to subtly use the Force to help my odds wasn't a lesson I was going to turn down.

"Each white stone goes under one cup," Giiett continued as he did exactly as he said, which only increased my curiosity and I began reaching out with the Force, trying to sense what was under the cups. "As does the black one," he added as he slipped the last stone under the last cup. "The object of the game is to keep track of the cup with the black stone."

"That's easy," muttered another of the Padawans, a Human male named Calard Aseld, however, my attention wasn't on him or Giiett. No, it was on the cups. Giiett hadn't started to move them, but I knew he was up to something; likely he hoped to shift our attention away from the cups and then use the Force to distort our ability to track the cup with the black stone.

As much as I wanted to, tracking the stone via its colour was beyond me. Hell, it was beyond my masters and from how they'd phrased it, to use the Force that subtly was an ability that required a connection to and trust in the Force that few ever achieved.

"Then let us see if it is." With that, Giiett started moving the cups. "It may require all of your powers to keep track of the right cup," he added as his hands moved rapidly. The Force was enhancing his reflexes as the cups were all but a blur unless one also drew on the Force - or were from a race with massively superior eyesight than a Human. "This game, among others, is popular in the Outer Rim with gamblers. Often huge sums are wagered on the outcome, even the fate of entire planets on occasion." My brow rose at hearing that, and I almost took my attention from the cups. Surely, he was teasing as the idea that the fate of a world could be determined by a simple back-alley game was… disturbing.

"Of course, as Jedi, it would be unethical to engage in such acts willingly. And certainly not if we were to use our training to help alter an outcome in our favour." My mind instantly recalled Qui-Gon's trick with the chance dice as proof that wasn't true. "However, there is a chance that, on some future mission to some random point far in the Rim, you may be placed in a situation where you are forced to engage in such a game of chance against more ethically-challenged sentients." Yeah, that was a good way to describe Watto I realised as the cups continued to move at incredible speed, though it wasn't anywhere near fast enough that I struggled to track the correct cup. Nor did I think my fellow Padawans were struggling to do so either.

"There! Done!" Giiett called out as the cups suddenly stopped moving and he removed his hands from them. "Where is the…" He couldn't finish the sentence as five hands thrust out, pointing at the cup that held the black stone. "Oh my, it seems I'm losing my touch," he muttered with a smile which set off alarm bells in my head and made me glad I'd held my hand back enough that I wasn't pointing at the cup, though it was clear I thought the cup everyone agreed upon with the correct one.

"N-no, Master," Replied Sia-Lan with uncharacteristic weakness. "You moved the cups quickly. However, as you said, we have training in the ways of the Force to help us."

Giiett smiled, seemingly accepting her words. He moved his hand toward the cup that had the black stone only to stop about halfway there. "Is something the matter, Cameron?"

That had everyone looking at me, making it obvious my hand hadn't fully pointed at the cup where the black stone was. Or should be at any rate.

I took a moment to gather my thoughts before replying. "This is too easy. You used the Force to move the cups faster than any of us could track if we also didn't use the Force to guide us. Yet, you could've gone faster. I'm sure of that. That is the cup you placed the black stone under, yet at the same time, it can't be. It's far too obvious."

Giiett's smile grew wider, though it offered no hint if my thought process was right or wrong. "Then let us see." He picked up the cup, showing that the stone under it was white instead of black.

"How?"

The Council member laughed at the confused comment from Calard and the expressions the other Padawans wore. "As Cameron said, the game was easy," he explained as he started turning over the other cups. "Even for a Padawan, tracking the location of an object moving at great speed and hidden is a relatively simple exercise. Though you cannot track the colour as that is something few Jedi can."

"They're all white!" Sia-Lan spat out as the last cup was overturned, which drew another chuckle from Giiett.

"But where is the black stone?" Veeps asked as confusion radiated off the other Padawans.

"Either he never put it under the cup," I began slowly, once more drawing everyone's attention as I voiced my suspicions, "or he somehow used the Force to trick our senses into believing there was a black stone where there wasn't."

"He used the Force to hide it from us! Most impressive Master!" That came from Shim Pod, who until this point had been quiet, and made me shake my head.

"Did he? Or did we just assume, having seen the black stone earlier and the three white stones go under the other cups clearly, that the last stone must be black?" I reached forward and with my outstretched hand, tapped one of Giiett's. The same one that hadn't turned any of the cups yet had been the one that moved the black cup around most of the time.

Giiett's smile grew wider and he laughed as he turned over his hand and opened his palm, revealing the black stone within. "Well done, Cameron. It's a rare thing when a Padawan sees through the trick," he said as the others all looked on with various expressions of disbelief. He then looked at the others. "Cameron didn't use the Force to determine where the black stone was. He instead questioned his assumptions and expectations of what he thought he knew instead of trusting them blindly." Giiett tossed the black stone up and caught it when he fell. "Sometimes a trick is just a trick."

The other Padawans looked among themselves, taking on board the lesson. As they did that, Giiett collected up the cups and other stones, and after stacking them, placed them slightly behind himself. "Now, for today I'd like you to think about how, like with that game, one can be blinded, whether by the Force, nature, or others, when we assign what we believe should happen to a problem."

I smiled as he spoke. Giiett was different from the other teachers I'd had in the Order, offering lessons that most wouldn't think about yet were critical to surviving the galaxy that existed outside the hallowed walls of the Temple. Yes, he was a devoted follower of the Council's decisions and an ardent believer in the Code as it currently was interpreted, but he was such an out-of-the-box thinker compared to the others, that I couldn't help but enjoy his classes.

Sometimes I did wonder if I'd have been better served by becoming his Padawan. However, when I arrived at the Temple, he'd already taken Bultar Swan. Plus, if I'd somehow been assigned to him, I'd have gone mad at the idea of being stuck in the Temple and unable to do anything.

… …

… …

I scampered back, my lightsaber coming up and tapping away the probing thrust of the blue lightsaber of my opponent. However, they were ready for this and as my blade touched their azure one, they twisted their wrist and slid their blade down mine.

One of my feet shifted, and I turned to ensure the attack slid away from me and then pushed the blade away. That created an opening for me, and I flicked my wrist, redirecting my lightsaber toward them. However, before my blade was even halfway through the move, they leapt high, the Force pushing them upward.

Their blade moved, as even while they were airborne, it attacked, dragging toward my shoulder as its wielder sailed over me. I was forced to drop low and pivot to avoid the tip of their blade, and the shift meant that I wasn't ready to counterattack before they'd landed with a grace few beings could match. Still, there was a small chance I could score a strike against them, which would be my very first, and I thrust forward, aiming low for their legs.

Yet even as my blade moved, so did theirs. It came from higher, aiming toward my exposed head. The velocity it moved meant I barely had time to stop my attack and withdraw, the heat of the blade near my cheek making clear just how close I'd come to getting a minor burn.

The blade came down, hoping to catch me somewhere else, but my lightsaber was back in time to push that probing strike aside. Sparks flew between her blue blade and my dual-cored one. Those almost distracted me with the way they seemed to enhance her beauty, drawing attention to the colour of her skin and the way her robes caught against her skin, hinting at the figure that was under there.

I didn't get lost in the view as she shifted her wrist and her blade stabbed forward. I tapped it away even as I slid back, regaining my stance as I left my crouched position. She stepped forward even as her arm and blade moved as one. My blade came up, deflecting one attack, then gliding around another. Her attacks increased in speed, forcing me to my limit and if not for being able to use the Force to enhance my reactions and body, I'd have been skewered so many times in under a minute I'd look like a pin cushion.

Eventually, I was able to generate some space between us, granting me a moment of reprieve. The only reason I wasn't blinded by sweat was Gamer's Body. Still, it was clear to me, as it had been in each of our previous three dozen spars over the last few weeks, that I was going to lose badly. While I had the technical ability to keep up with her, I lacked the grace, fluidity, and instinctual connection to the Force she, like almost all Jedi Masters, held. Though she was beyond others in that grace, being almost mesmerising as she moved around me, guiding me to where she knew the kill strike would come.

The short reprieve ended when she surged forward, her blade whipping in low to my leg. I slid the leg back, yet as I did so, her blade shifted direction, the tip now bearing down on my gut. My lightsaber came down, applying just enough pressure to ensure the tip of her blade wouldn't land. Her arm and wrist moved, turning the blade, and even as I attempted to guide it away, it slid under my blade.

Left with no choice, I leapt back and spun, using the Force to try and restore the distance between us. My lightsaber trailed behind me, shielding my back from the likely angles of attack, though none came as I landed and whipped my lightsaber around, generating speed. Dooku would likely have disliked my usage of that manoeuvre, but I wasn't staying as a pure Makashi practitioner like him and it'd felt like the right move to use at that point in the spar.

However, before I could bring my lightsaber around for a Djem So strike, my eyes widened. The tip of her blade was sailing toward my face, aimed for the bridge of my nose. I altered the angle of my swing and brought my lightsaber around, slapping away the attack. However, that left me off-balance and all it took was the seemingly simplest of flicks of her wrist for me to feel a burst of pain from my wrist. Having grown used to the stab of pain, I retained control of my lightsaber, but I knew there'd be a slight burn against my skin that I'd need to heal. Along with four others from her earlier strikes.

"And that is the spar," I grunted in annoyance at once more losing to master Shaak Ti. My free hand slipped behind me and I used the Force to push myself forward slightly, preventing me from ending the spar on my arse. Though if she'd used another move with more power behind it, I'd have not been able to prevent that from happening.

Her blade pulled back and she depowered it and I did the same, once more glad for Gamer's Body and the way it altered how I reacted to being tired. Without it, I'd be doubled over panting, however, I was able to remain standing. Even if my breathing was faster and deeper than when the spar had begun.

She stepped closer, a smile spreading across her face. "You are getting more comfortable with adapting velocities into your base form," she said softly. "However, always remember that the best option is often the simplest one. There is little need for anything extravagant unless it is designed to disorient your opponent. Being overly complex or flashy may expose a weakness that an opponent can exploit."

I nodded in acceptance of her words. "Yes, Master." Even as she spoke, my mind was replaying the spar for the first time – though not the last – to see what I could've done better. I picked out one such moment, back when I'd only been losing two-zero – the final score, as always, was five-zero – where I'd chosen to leap over her, twisting as I'd done so. However, unlike her doing that near the end of the fifth point, I'd spun too rapidly and left myself unstable, which had allowed her to score an easy point. Just comparing what I'd done to what she'd done made it clear how I'd fucked up, and how a simpler, more basic slide withdrawal would've left me in a more defensible position.

Shaak's smile grew, and she placed a hand on my shoulder. "There is nothing wrong with attempting something new in the sparring ring. That is, after all, why they exist. You just need time and practice to better feel the flow of the Force in a battle; to sense when to attack, when to feint, or when to defend. That said, your Makashi is, as always, technically flawless. Plus, I saw more hints of the adaption of various Ataru and Djem So stances and velocities in your style today. While you still have some distance to go until they feel as natural as they should, your progress, as always, is nothing short of remarkable." She withdrew her hand and shook her head gently, making her montrals shift. "The only oddity to your form, which you are well aware of, is how you always feel mechanical; as if the Force isn't able to guide you properly. However, like Master Dooku, I am sure this is a simple mental block you will eventually overcome. You know and can complete velocities from the base five forms that almost all Jedi, even Masters on the Council or with decades spent in a sparring ring, struggle to perform. Once you learn to trust in yourself and the Force and add some flair to your movements, I have little doubt you will join the ranks of our greatest lightsaber duellists."

I nodded at her words which, while kind, were the same ones she had been saying since our first spar. And carried the same gist as Dooku when he commented on my lightsaber skill, even if they came in a sweeter tone from a far more attractive visage. However, the fact that even with a maxed Makashi skill, and others in the high Professional range – at least – that I couldn't even score a point against either was driving me to fucking distraction. Now, against other Padawans, or the handful of Knights I'd sparred with, it wasn't obvious. But against anyone on Shaak Ti's or Dooku's level, it was beyond a fucking joke.

Hell, barring Master Donjo Hipato, I'd failed to score a point against any Master in the ring. The only reason I'd managed to do that against Hipato was that he was newly risen to the rank and focused more on his studies than on using a lightsaber. However, of all the Masters I'd sparred with since returning to the Temple, Shaak Ti was the dominant one. Hell, I'd sparred more with her than every other Master put together, which wasn't a surprise since the idea – if one could call it that – to spar with her came from Dooku.

During one of our holocalls, in which he'd spoken with some optimism that Komari Vosa might be approaching a point where she could be of use, he'd insisted I speak with and spar regularly against Shaak Ti. He considered her one of the predominant Makashi practitioners in the Order, which was high praise, and while he disliked her adapting Ataru footwork and velocities into Makashi, he felt she'd be a useful tutor and sparring partner for me to learn more about the style I was developing for myself.

While I hated losing every damn time, I couldn't deny that the sessions were helping; to the point where the only reason to spar a new Padawan was for the small amount of XP that I got from the Training Superiority quest. The only time a Padawan spar had pushed me in any way was when I took on two or more at the same time. Though Battlemaster Drallig wasn't keen on me doing that regularly because it might be seen as arrogance by others in the Order.

"Hmm, perhaps…"

"Master Ti." She was cut off from whatever she was about to say by the new voice. As we turned to them, I saw it was blue-skinned Duros. An earring marked him out as a Padawan, but I couldn't remember meeting him previously. As bad as it sounded, I struggled to differentiate one Duros from the next, save for skin tone, as they had near identical physical features across the entire species. A quick usage of Observe confirmed he was a new Padawan for me to meet, and his name went on the mental list of those I'd yet to spar with. While I could try to get to know him, there were simply too many Padawans, Initiatives, Knights, and Masters in the Order for it to be feasible to become friends with them all. "Forgive the interruption, but the High Council wishes to speak with you when you are free."

"Of course." Shaak turned to me, a smile revealing the sharp teeth of her species. "Until our next spar, Padawan."

I bowed and watched her walk off. Once she was a few steps away, I turned to the Duros, wondering if I could convince him to spar right now. Hopefully, he would as I'd rather not add another name to the nearly thousand-long list of people I'd still had to spar with and defeat; a list I honestly doubted I'd clear before The Clone Wars, or whatever they might be called here if my actions did enough to disrupt what sparked the war, began.

So far, in my time back at the Temple after Zonama Sekot, I'd sparred with a little over a dozen new Padawans, and as expected, defeated them all. Though two older Padawans that should be close to being knighted had taken a second spar to gain the victory. I'd also sparred with a handful of Knights, winning three of those spars. The rest, bar one, had been close enough that I felt I could take them if I sparred them a second time.

While I could've sparred with more Padawans, I'd made sure to keep time set aside for spending with my friends such as Serra, Sia-Lan, Darihd, and Aayla; at least before she'd left with her master on another mission. Often that involved sparring and tutoring them, but it had since moved into discussions on the issues within the Republic. Those had started from a talk with Serra and Darihd about issues they'd seen on Coruscant and beyond. Now our little sessions had about twenty Padawans, with the core coming from Dragon Clan, and we were roughly split in our opinions between seeing a need to do something or following the Council's and Senate's will.

Yet, even without sparring with as many new Padawans as I could, I'd earned nearly 7000XP since returning from Zonama Sekot. When added to the fact I'd passed my sixteenth birthday – and the chunk of XP I regularly got then – and the fact both the Hope of the Borans and Just Don't Get Caught quests had been completed, I'd reached level 29, though only by a few hundred XP.

Reaching level 29 had me curious about what would happen at level 30. Back when the system had updated, it'd told me a final update would take place at level 30 or when I turned eighteen, depending on which came first. It would also be a point when I'd gain a new Player Power Point and I hoped there'd be some new options as while those from last time were interesting, new choices were never a bad thing.

"Padawan Shan," the Duros called out when my mind wandered for a second. "The High Council also wishes to speak with you."

"Huh, ok."

That was a little odd, at least the timing of it. I doubted they wished to speak with me and Shaak Ti at the same time and had merely sent word for both to come to their chamber with Shaak going first due to seniority. The Duros had gotten lucky to find us together in this sparring hall, and as I jogged to catch up with Ti – who'd just reached the doors of the hall – I made a reminder to thank the Duros for this by beating him with ease in a spar.

As I reached the doors and saw Shaak turning back, wondering why I was following, I hoped the Council had a mission for Fay and me. While I was enjoying my time in the Temple, thanks to Shaak and my friends, I knew it wasn't going to be much longer before I started running up the walls wanting something to do. Plus, it'd allow Fenrir a chance to stretch his legs as, ever since we'd left Zonama Sekot, he'd been angsty. To the point that he either spent his time on Raven, with either Simvyl or me. I was growing worried that after the battles with the Vong, he was no longer able to find any sense of peace within the Temple's walls, so a chance to get off-world would do both of us some good.

… …

… …

"Cameron, you were unusually quiet in the Council Chambers," Fay began just after the two of us had followed Shaak Ti into the elevator leading down to the Temple. "Are you comfortable with the mission given to you?"

I looked at her and saw Shaak Ti was also watching me. "I think so. Though given the last few years, and how they've played out, I'm not sure I agree with the Council's choice for it." Instead of, as I'd expected, having different assignments for Shaak Ti and me, they were giving us a joint mission. One on which Fay would not be accompanying us.

In their infinite wisdom, the Council had decided that I was to act as a Senate-approved negotiator for a diplomatic and economic matter deep in the Outer Rim. Shaak Ti was to come along officially to advise me, but I wondered if the Council hadn't sent her to take over if I was unable to handle the assignment. Which given my lack of experience in such matters, was, unfortunately, possible.

Both Jedi Masters smiled at my reply. "The Council often makes choices that can seem, at first, to be perplexing to the Jedi involved. However, I've found that with time to reflect on them afterwards, their choices were generally the correct ones to take." That came from Shaak Ti, though her smile slipped slightly before she continued. "However, I must ask if your companions will be travelling with us as I'm unsure how wise it will be to bring a tuk'ata to diplomatic talks."

I smirked. "He will be coming with us, Master, unless you are entirely set against it. I would prefer not to leave him in the Temple without me as he's been growing agitated ever since our last mission." If Bo was around, I'd happily drop him with her for a few weeks as Bo was the only person outside myself who'd shown any ability to control Fenrir when he didn't want to listen. Thankfully, there'd not been any issues with Fenrir in the Temple, but it was only a matter of time until his patience slipped. Hopefully, he wouldn't try to eat a member of the Order, though if he did, I had a few beings I'd like him to go for simply for the amusement factor.

"It would be best if Fenrir accompanied you, though perhaps exclude him from the talks, if at all possible," Fay offered as the corners of her lips twitched upward. I barely held in a laugh at seeing how a bunch of diplomats would react to Fenrir walking into the room and growling at all of them. "Still, the Force has guided the Council to assign you to this mission, Cameron. While you've shown yourself to be a young man of incredible strength, both physically and mentally, over the last few years, that isn't all there is to being a Jedi. If one's prowess with a lightsaber was what defined a Jedi, I likely wouldn't be considered one." I chuckled at that, though it did bring to mind a discussion I'd had several times with Fay since we'd returned from Zonama Sekot.

I knew she wouldn't pick up a lightsaber again; her reason for lying it down was extremely personal. However, that didn't mean she couldn't take something that wasn't designed to be lethal such as a collapsible baton. Sadly, she'd yet to show any interest in my idea though she wasn't outright dismissive of it.

"It would also do you good to retrain yourself in how you approach this mission," Fay continued. "While I have little doubt that you'll be able to resolve the situation, finding a less antagonistic way to do that would likely please the Council more. It would also show that you can discover solutions that don't require aggressive negotiations."

I smirked at the turn of phrase she'd used there. "I'll try Master, though I worry our hosts won't make that easy." Actually, I was all but sure of it as not only had the Council given me a diplomatic mission, but they'd decided to have me cut my teeth on a real challenge. We were heading to Zygerria; a planet that would, as the Republic slowly unravelled, return to their old ways and attempt to build a slave empire in the Outer Rim.

Just hearing this mission was taking place on Zygerria had me contemplating intentionally torpedoing the talks. However, Fay's words, when coupled with how Windu had phrased the mission as a chance to prove myself, had me wondering if there was more to the Council's choice than I could see. Plus, sending Shaak Ti instead of Fay was a strange play, as with no disrespect to Shaak Ti, Fay was the more renowned diplomat.

Thus, while I disliked the idea of working to help the Zygerrians, I'd do so. At least so long as blame for the failure of the talks couldn't be laid at my doorstep. And if things did require a more aggressive approach… Well, I was sure Fenrir would enjoy the exercise.

… …

… …

I couldn't help but smile as I finally, after over an hour, piloted Raven beyond the range of Coruscanti Planetary Flight Control and she bathed in the solar energy of the planet's star. Because of the sheer number of ships coming, going, and crisscrossing the planet, it took nearly three hours to reach a point where ascending into space was possible. Scarily, if we weren't coming from the Jedi Temple and on Senate business, it may well have taken twice as long to reach a non-reserved climb window.

"This is a truly marvellous vessel," Shaak Ti said warmly with a smile as she sat in the co-pilot's seat. "Not only can one feel the Force flowing through it, but the joy it radiated as we left the atmosphere…" She looked at me, a sense of wonder in her eyes. "Is it true you share a bond with it, similar to the one you share with Fenrir?"

I turned to face her, letting the ship continue on her path. This would take us past the massive Golan Space Defence Platforms (or GSDPs for short) that ringed the capital of the Republic. Those stations dwarfed any ship that approached and, if angered, could reduce anything short of a Star Destroyer to atoms with contemptuous ease. Once we passed the nearest platform, we'd receive our flight path for the system to a point safe for us to enter hyperspace.

While most systems weren't this structured for coming and going within their space, with support for the trillion-plus beings on the planet below having to arrive and depart every hour of every day, it was required here. It was also true in other near-Ecumenopolis worlds such as Corellia which had insanely high population density.

"We do, Master Ti." That made her smile grow, exposing the sharp teeth of her species. I'd seen them on other Togruta and they could look intimidating, but on Shaak, they simply added to her presence; granting her an animalistic beauty. "I had thought the Council had shared that fact with other members of the Order?"

"I was told of it as part of the general information I received concerning you," she chuckled as I felt my brow crease. "Don't worry, there was nothing there that makes me feel you will be unable to complete the assignment given to you. Indeed, hearing of your difficulties on Zonama Sekot, I must congratulate you on how efficiently you did what was needed. It is impressive that you not only survived but also secured the safety of the colonists. However, the report failed to mention the full truth of this wonder of the Force you currently pilot. I was told it was sentient, but I had thought they meant in the way a plant might be. It's clear to me already that it-"

"She. Raven is a she."

Shaak's lips twitched as she inclined her head. "That she is, in many ways, sentient. And that feeling her joy at being free to soar between the stars is something I shall treasure for the rest of my days."

One of my hands stroked the console of the ship, feeling the energy shift underneath in reaction as if Raven was trying to reach out for me. Continual flickers of power caressed my hand, making it clear Raven was overjoyed to have me back piloting her, taking her into the depth of space.

"The inhabitants shared a… unique bond with Sekot," I began slowly, wanting to give Shaak a brief overview of where Raven had come from. "The world they'd found was already connected in ways within the Force that I… cannot describe with words. Even Master Fay had never experienced anything like it, becoming almost giddy with the sensation." Shaak laughed softly at the image I'd painted even as I continued. "We got to understand some of that bond when we began the process that would develop into Raven." Around us, the lights pulsed rapidly, though softly, making clear Raven was just as happy with the outcome as I was. "However, when she was finally ready, not long after she'd first danced among the stars, and I kid you not, the planet jumped to hyperspace."

"I read that in the report, but I admit I'm still struggling to understand how that could even be possible."

I chuckled. "I was there, as was Master Fay, and we still don't fully understand how it worked, so I can understand why the Council struggled to accept this. However, once you eliminate the probable, whatever remains, however impossible, must be the truth."

"Yes, I've heard phrases like that before, though I do believe this is the first time it has ever been applied to a planet."

"Aye. Though when Sekot jumped, Raven… she started to die. The Force, as incredible as it sounds to me even now, guided me to form a bond with her; to save her and us." I shook my head and closed my eyes, letting Raven's presence wash over me. "I mean, it is similar to what I share with Fenrir, and other Jedi share with animals they might have bonded to; yet it's not. It's so much more than…" I sighed and laughed softly, finding a sense of contentment from what I had with Raven. "It's intense, different, and if I had to do it all again, I wouldn't change anything and risk losing this."

Shaak watched me closely, the smile still on her face. "Yes, being here does bring you a sense of peace that I felt was often missing while we were in the Temple." She glanced toward the back of the cockpit, to where Fenrir was happily lounging on the floor in the spot he'd all but claimed as his ever since we'd left Sekot. "And it seems that sense of peace is shared by Fenrir." I couldn't deny that, as the only place Fenrir didn't feel agitated within the Temple was when he was aboard Raven. Hell, even when he was with me in my quarters, whether I was alone or with friends, he was never as relaxed as when he was here.

"I still maintain that there is little need to bring him along; however, I can't deny that it is better that he is here than left behind in the Temple with Master Fay." Shaak's eyes narrowed as she continued, "A legacy of what you experienced on Zonama Sekot?"

"Aye, probably Master." I sighed, and as if knowing I was watching him, Fenrir opened an eye, taking in the room. "The war was difficult on all of us." Fenrir closed his eye and returned to his snooze. I looked away from him and Shaak, gazing out into the void of space. The memories of what we'd endured, what we'd done, came easily to me but I didn't want that; not with Shaak around. I couldn't risk her sensing the well of fury that rested deep inside me. Nor could I consider using Adas' holocron while she was onboard.

It'd been months since I'd last spoken with his gatekeeper, and while I was hesitant to learn too much from him, I knew there were secrets he held that I needed to discover. I didn't plan to turn to the Dark Side – but then again no one ever did – but I knew that to find my path in what was to come, I couldn't limit myself to the teachings of the Jedi. Which I suspected Dooku understood with his comments about me gaining access to holocrons once I was made a Jedi Knight.

Shaak's hand on my shoulder broke me from my thoughts. "War is never easy," she said as I turned to face her. "Still, you should take pride in the fact that not only did you survive when many would not, but you did so while saving your Master and others." Her smile returned as her eyes drifted from me. "Not to mention, you gained a unique vessel that many in the Order are jealous of, as well as a new friend in the Cathar."

"Simvyl is here because of the threat of the Vong," I replied with a frown as I wondered if he was as comfortable as he claimed to be in accompanying me to Zygerria. I could tell he wasn't happy about it, but as he'd said, he'd sworn himself to my side and would go where I did, even if that meant a planet where many of his people had once been enslaved.

Shaak leaned back into the chair; the slight twitching on her face made me suspect she enjoyed as much as I did how the chairs adapted to whoever was sitting in them. "He may have sworn himself to your side because of the Vong, but after what you've shared, it's clear he considers you a friend." She turned back to the viewport. "While he might have little to offer directly to this mission, the Force has guided him to your side. To deny its will and reject the differing voice he can offer in certain situations, would be unwise."

"Yes, Master." I didn't have anything to add, and a comfortable silence fell over the cockpit which was broken by a soft beeping from one of my consoles. "We are cleared to jump," I said as I read the message from Coruscanti Orbital Control.

"Then by all means do so. I am curious to experience how this wonder of the Force reacts to hyperspace."

My smile grew as my hands moved over the consoles. I could feel Raven react as I directed power to the hyperdrive engine. She desired to fly between the stars, to taste the exotic energies as we raced along at faster-than-light velocities. I laughed softly as the engines flared to life and we slipped into hyperspace. While I was apprehensive about the mission, Raven's enjoyment of flying was bleeding into me, and I didn't mind in the least.

… …

… …

I sighed as I leaned back in the pilot's chair of Raven's cockpit. While there was nothing for me to do regarding our flight path as we raced along the Perlimian Trade Route toward Lianna, I had to review the data packet provided by the High Council – via the Senate and Zygerrian government – regarding the situation we were flying into.

In truth, most of the nearly one thousand pages I'd read were completely boring and things that I, quite frankly, didn't give a flying fuck about. After all, why would I want to know the difference between Besh-18 and Dorn-6 power generators, or why two of the parties in these talks were proposing their usage if they won the contract? And what this was, when you boiled it down, was nothing more than a contract offered by the Zygerrians. What made it so important was that instead of offering up hundreds of small contracts for various sectors and interests, the Zygerrians had bundled it all into one massive contract covering everything to do with regenerating their planet, system, and sector.

From building new industrial foundries in certain systems to locating and extracting resources, from regenerating spaceports of various sizes, scopes, and functions across the sector to all but building a self-reliant farming industry; the contract covered it all. Even with my limited understanding of the majority of what the deal entailed, I could see the contract was worth easily northward of a trillion credits a year, spread over ten years, to the winning bid. This explained why the Zygerrians had received over a hundred offers for the contract, which was now filtered down to four.

The length of the contract had caught my attention even before I'd gotten to the players in these talks as ten years would take right up until the eve of the Clone Wars. That meant this contract, while on the surface perfectly fine, was designed to help the Zygerrians regenerate their economy before they moved to re-establish their slave empire. However, as much as I'd like nothing more than to tank the talks simply because of that fact, I couldn't.

With a few more days to think on the matter, I'd become convinced this was a test of some sort from the Council. There were far better choices who were Padawans than me for this, never mind Knights or Masters. Thus, I'd come to two reasons why the Council had given it to me. Either they expected and wanted me to fail, or they wanted proof I could solve issues without resorting to my lightsaber. While I didn't particularly care why they were doing this, Dooku's words about the Holocron vault still rang around my head and were a major driving force in my determination to become a Knight; at least beyond finally getting the freedom to do what I wanted while still being considered a member of the Order.

Therefore, I'd committed myself to somehow finding a solution to these talks. Though after discovering the four players at the final table, I wondered if the Council or the Force was actively trying to fuck with me. Two of them were unknown to me, but the other two were known, although for very different reasons; though both would no doubt be important in the decades to come.

The first, and the one the Council would also be aware I held a tentative connection to, was Mandalmotors. Seeing them at these talks was odd. Not to say that they weren't a powerful company, but compared to the other players, they were a small, regional factor with a very narrow scope of experience and expertise. Outside of being able to help build new starships and atmospheric flyers for the sector, there was little they could handle about the contract.

Of course, what would have concerned the Council was my connection to Mandalmotors, and not just because of my time spent on Mandalore. During the Battle of Keldabe, I'd been the one to end the siege of Mandalmotors headquarters. While I could do nothing about the death of the former CEO of the company, Arde Yomaget, I had avenged his death and that of most of the board of the company. An act that the new head, Dred Yomaget – Arde's son, since the company was controlled by a small number of clans with Clan Yomaget being the dominant one currently – had personally thanked me for.

Dred pushing for this contract had to be a power play. The Mandalore sector was a mess after several years of war, and while there'd be numerous contracts available for Mandalmotors there, Dred was, in my opinion, trying to take the company from a sector-based power into, at the very least, a regional one in the northern arm of the Outer Rim.

While Zygerria was a good distance from Mandalore, the two sectors sat between two of the super-hyperspace lanes of the galaxy: the Hydian Way and the Perlimian Trade Route. Zygerria sat at the northern end of both lanes, connecting to them via the Shaltin Tunnels and the Listehol Run respectfully; with Lianna being the start of the latter. The Mandalore sector sat between them as well, though while there were no official hyperspace routes connecting the sector to the super-hyperspace lanes, I had little doubt the Mandalorians knew of ways to get from one to the other.

Because of my connection to the company, I considered Mandalmotors the most trustworthy of the players, but the least likely to earn the contract. At least if it stayed as one massive one without plans for sub-contracts.

The one company that easily had the financial muscle to take the contract on, and the sub-companies that could likely handle all aspects of it even if I wondered about their quality, was the InterGalactic Banking Clan: or IGBC for short. Since they were, for all intents and purposes, the bank of the entire fucking galaxy, they wouldn't have any issue handling contracts worth as much as this one was. Or bringing in sub-contractors for a fraction of the price they received from the Zygerrians. However, with knowledge of what was to come, the issue with them was obvious.

While they'd been officially neutral in the Clone Wars, IGBC ships had formed a large section of the CIS forces and at least one Muun – who controlled the IGBC – had sat on the Separatist Ruling Council. Having them involved with Zygerria would undoubtedly lead to the pair allying once the war began, which may have been what happened in the canon timeline. However, without the knowledge of what was to come, it was clear the IGBC were the most logical to award the contract to if it couldn't be broken up into smaller parts.

The other two players at these talks were essentially unknown to me, though I'd at least heard of SoroSuub Corporation in passing from reading news feeds. Still, before we'd raced along the Perlemian Trade Route, I'd downloaded everything I could about all four companies from the Holonet, with more focus on SoroSuub and The Adasca BioMechanical Corporation, or Adascorp for short.

SoroSuub was headquartered on Sullust, and given the number of Sullustans they employed, they were likely the unofficial government of the planet and system in all but name, if not the sector. SoroSuub employed somewhere between eighty and ninety per cent of the population of Sullust, and apart from the monopoly that gave them regarding everything in the Sullust system, it made them a well-established mega-corporation. One that was founded before Revan had been born.

Their primary focus was on mineral extraction and refinement, but they held sub-companies that manufactured everything from farming equipment to starships; though those were several steps below those built by Mandalmotors. Still, from what I'd learnt, they'd be able to handle about fifty to sixty per cent of the contract without outside help. The same was true for Adascorp.

Once I'd gotten over the small joke that their shortened name bore a similarity to King Adas – one I knew he wouldn't have liked – I'd dug into their history. They were founded - and still controlled - by the House of Adasca from Arkania with twelve of fifteen senior board members being from the House of Adasca. Though the more interesting element of that was what I'd discovered about the Arkanians.

The Arkanians were heavy into genetic and cybernetic modifications on themselves, with it having reached the point that there were numerous sub-races. Each of them was above a Human baseline, but save for the upper levels of society, most were, in all but name, slaves. However, from what little I could find on the matter those lower classes either weren't aware of this or didn't care, having such dissenting or revolutionary thoughts engineered out of them. The cybernetics they used were always hidden beneath their skin, giving them secret abilities that most wouldn't know about. Thankfully, with Observe, I should be able to determine what implants they – or any delegate at the talks – had, if not the exact nature of those implants.

The race was known throughout the Republic as being incredibly smart, beautiful and graceful with their only psychological weakness, if one could call it that, being the sense of entitlement that came with believing they were superior to every other sentient. While, as a race, they probably were, that wasn't always true on an individual basis. They also had a physical weakness, though they didn't consider it a flaw, in that because their home star was duller than most, they needed to wear blinders in bright light and could easily be blinded by strong flashes. However, the counter was that they could see into the infrared spectrum.

Returning to Adascorp, like SoroSuub, I felt they could handle most of the contract by themselves, though up to perhaps eighty per cent of it. Of course, all players would claim they could manage all of it, but getting an idea of the truth would help me see through the bullshit they will undoubtedly throw around during the talks.

Yet, the more I went over the Zygerrian contract, the more I wondered why they were placing it all in one basket. It would be easy to split it into four, or more, contracts and give each company at the talks one of those. I'd have to speak with the Zygerrians once we arrived about that, but, as HK had put it – while trying to be polite with Shaak around – expecting logic from meatbags was about as wise as expecting a bantha to win a swoop bike race.

I couldn't keep him turned off or hidden in my Inventory as I enjoyed his company far too much, but thankfully he understood that with Shaak onboard, he had to tone down his usual commentary on meatbags. He still used that term though, and Shaak had asked about it. HK had given her a condensed story – omitting names – about it going back to his creator and the creator's assistant, which had been enough for Shaak to accept it, though it was clear she didn't approve of the term. Nor of the fact I had HK, but since he mostly stayed in my quarters and Fay and Dooku were aware of HK, and that it had been a personal gift from Duke Torrhen and that HK had belonged to my family in the past, she accepted the matter. Even if she felt it was a personal possession I shouldn't have.

Simvyl got on with her easier, though he too kept his distance after Shaak had suggested that a peaceful solution with the Vong might have been achievable. That comment, when coupled with others he'd heard around the Temple, had him questioning his choice to become a Ranger. Though it did make him glad he'd sworn himself to the side of one Jedi that knew that sometimes words had no place in a situation.

I'd also spoken with HK to let him know I was almost ready to build him his first new body. That had him excited, even after I explained I wasn't as skilled as Revan when it came to droids. Still, his mood had improved upon hearing that, and he accepted it was wiser to wait until I was knighted and could speak with Bo and Anakin about the plans one final time.

Oddly, HK considered Anakin more useful than Bo, as while the Mandalorian knew her weapons, Anakin was the one who kept suggesting small alterations to improve HK's efficiency. Though it had been some time since I'd discussed the matter with Anakin as I'd rather not do so over the Holonet since I suspected the Sith were monitoring my conversations. While I couldn't cut Anakin out entirely, so long as I kept the topics away from HK and Anakin one day becoming a Jedi, I felt things were as safe as they could be without cutting Anakin out of my life entirely. Which was the last thing I wanted to do. Not least as I couldn't wait until I could hear HK's remarks on the Trade Federation battle droids once he engaged them. Those were going to be priceless.

I chuckled at that thought once more as the doors to the cockpit opened and Shaak Ti entered. I already knew she was coming as the ship was aware of where everyone onboard was. Simvyl was enjoying a quiet meal in his quarters while Fenrir was currently bounding around the cargo bay, burning off some energy.

"How goes the research?" Shaak asked as she moved to the co-pilot's chair, a cup of warm caf in her hand.

My stomach grumbled at the smell. "Slow. On paper, I can see a way to make everyone at least semi-happy, but it would need them to work together and I'm unsure if they'll go for that. Not least, according to the files I've downloaded from the Holonet, it seems there's possibly some bad blood between the IGBC, Adascorp, and SoroSuub. However, I can't find any source of what that might be."

Shaak took a sip of her caf, which irked me as I'd run out about an hour ago and forgotten to grab a fresh cup. "It could be from any of the hundreds of contracts they've competed for over the last few years, or it could go back further. There is little way to know without asking them and somehow drawing an honest answer from them." I groaned and ran a hand through my hair. "However, their issues aren't for you to solve. Your purpose is to find the solution that is most beneficial for the Zygerrians. The Force may offer hints toward how to achieve this, as will I when you require. However, in the end, you are the one who must pass the final judgement on the path Zygerria will take."

That only made me groan again, this time louder and more drawn out. This was going to be a boring as fuck assignment – one I couldn't solve with my lightsaber barring something extraordinary – that I had to endure.

Suddenly leaving the Order and joining Bo on Mandalore didn't sound like such a bad idea.

… …

… …

"How incredibly droll, a threat of violence from a being little better than a thug employed by the Hutts." That harsh comment had come from Hara Adasca, board and House member, and lead negotiator for Adascorp for these negotiations. The delivery made it clear she was far from amused by the previous comment that'd come from Rhork Struur; lead negotiator from Mandalmotors.

Rhork leaned forward, his unarmoured hand slapping the table in annoyance and the vambrace he wore barely avoiding scratching the dark wooden surface. "It was nothing of the sort, though I can't say it is unsurprising that one such as yourself is unaware of how the galaxy works. Have you ever deigned to leave the isolated bubble your house resides in to experience how the galaxy truly works or did you simply believe whatever your family fed you to believe like cin'gaan scripture?" My brow rose at the slip into Mando'a from Rhork as so far, he'd stayed exclusively in Basic. Though I couldn't deny suggesting the Arkanians considered themselves holy didn't have some truth to it.

While Hara, and her two attendants, were undeniably attractive – even the male in the group would put many Holonet actresses to shame – they carried themselves with such disdain for everyone here, including Shaak and myself, that I'd not want to touch any of them with a ten-foot barge pole. Or an ISD if they existed. Their clothes, like those of the other parties, were made of exquisite fabrics that made the robes worn by Shaak and I look little better than rags. Well, bar the cloak I wore that was made of the skin of the greater krayt dragon.

When he'd seen that, and the bracers I wore, Rhork had been pleased and greeted me in Mando'a. The other parties had wondered about that, and Rhork had happily explained who I was, and my role in avenging Mandalmotors after the cowardly attack by Death Watch. Hara had complained to Shaak about this, but the Jedi Master had shut her down elegantly by saying I had her full trust, along with that of the Jedi High Council and Galactic Senate.

"If you could refrain from carrying out this strange mating ritual you appear to be involved in, perhaps we might return to the discussions." That came from Ce Serd, the Muun representative and Director of Negotiations of the IGBC. He looked as disinterested in these talks as I felt, though he always looked that way; as if this entire process was somehow distracting from something more important. "We still have to reach a consensus on how the various elements of the deal shall be discussed."

I barely resisted the urge to slam my face into the table as I listened to the delegates continue to subtly, or not so subtly, insult each other. It'd been three days since we'd begun and so far, we'd only managed to resolve two things. That was, as pathetic as it sounded, the shape of the table we were using and the seating arrangement around it, plus the order in which any party could speak, for how long and the time limits for any rebuttals or challenges from the other delegates. And even that had taken a day of holocalls as they refused to all be in the same room until these matters were resolved.

Force help me, but I was starting to miss the shabyr Vong! At least with them, things were less tedious, and I got to work out my issues by killing them when I saw them.

"Yes, we must reach an understanding on our proposal for the extraction and refinement of minerals and alloys from various celestial bodies in the sector to be given greater importance. If we cannot learn which the Zygerrians desire the most, it will be impossible for that section of the contract to be fulfilled efficiently." I wanted to roll my eyes at Vundu Plast, board member and senior member from SoroSuub responsible for negotiations, for bringing that up again. He'd pushed that topic or one similar to it almost every hour on the hour since we'd begun speaking in the same room yesterday afternoon.

Now, supposedly Vundu was female, but without sounding speciest, I hadn't the faintest idea how you could tell her gender – or that of the two Sullustans with her – simply from looking at them. They all looked the same. At least, thanks to Observe and Eidetic Memory I knew that answer and had avoided causing a scene like one of Hara's adjuncts had when they'd inadvertently called Vundu a male. At least I think it'd been a mistake; it was hard to tell with how disinterested the Arkanians looked. Though at least now that wouldn't happen again as only the direct representative from each delegation, along with myself and Shaak Ti, were allowed to speak in this room.

Hara rolled her eyes at Ce before looking at Vundu. "I find it hard to understand how a species that claims to be intelligent seems more preoccupied with what is in the ground than a common nerf." Vundu sneered, or at least I think she did as it was hard to tell with a Sullustan. "At least show some decorum and let that section of these talks occur when they are scheduled to. That way we will all be saved from seeing your inferior desires."

"Without first establishing how the most basic element of the contract, one that will affect almost every other section, is to be handled, and what the Zygerrian's wishes on the matter are, whatever is discussed before then will be wasted," Vundu shot back, her voice remarkably calm after the insult toward her species. "One cannot build buildings that touch the heavens without first ensuring the foundations are solid, otherwise we end up with fatal flaws in the construction. I had expected someone from the famed House of Adasca to be aware of this."

I could sense there was more to that than a simple barb, but I hadn't seen anything in the files I'd downloaded from the Holonet that mentioned what it could be. Hara's eye twitched, which was the only outward response to the comment, however, within the Force I sensed agitation and some anger from her delegation toward the Sullustans. I couldn't tell if there was more to it than that, as I wasn't as skilled in using the Force like that as many others. Hell, I didn't even have a direct skill to cover it. Still, I would speak with Shaak Ti later about it to see if she'd felt anything more to the moment.

Before anything else could be said, soft wind chimes sounded in the room and I sighed in relief. Those signalled the end of today's third, and final, session, meaning I was saved from any more of this annoying prattle until zero-eight hundred tomorrow.

"On behalf of our hosts, we thank you for your efforts today. While it may seem little has been achieved, every session brings us one step closer to the resolution that the Zygerrians desire," Shaak Ti said as she stepped forward and placed a hand on the back of my chair. While she could've sat beside me, she chose to stand further back, making it clear to all that I was the one they had to convince to gain the contract.

"And we are grateful that members of the esteemed Jedi Order are leading these talks. With your guidance, we can be assured that the outcome will be most beneficial to all," Hara replied, showing once more her oratory skill. "Perhaps it might behove the lead negotiator to review several factors brought up today before we resume tomorrow. I feel that would smooth many of the issues we encountered today and prevent similar moments from occurring in the days ahead."

Force, she was beautiful, but that cruiser up her arse really was a turnoff. Shame I couldn't suggest a suitable method to remove it without causing the talks to descend into anarchy. Instead, I offered a smile that I knew wasn't genuine. While that might not be the best response, it was the only one I was going to give her as Force choking the bitch out of her wasn't something Shaak would allow me to do. No matter how much she shared my dislike of the Arkanian.

Hara's group was the first to leave, as had been agreed on the first day, followed by the SoroSuub and IGBC delegations. Before Rhork led his group out, he lowered his head. While there was no need for him to do so when I'd asked him about it privately on the first evening and he'd explained that apart from being a clan chief – even if it was a clan of one – and allied with Dukes Torrhen and Adonai, Alor Dred had made it clear I was considered a friend of Mandalmotors.

Once even the Mandalorians had left the room and the doors closed behind them, my head sunk to the table and sighed loudly. "Why me?"

Shaak's hand came to rest on my back in support. "The Council assigned this mission to you as they have faith in your abilities to manage it. The Zygerrians accepted your position of leadership in these talks, showing they accept and agree with the Council's judgement. The Force is here to help you, to guide you, to an outcome that benefits the most beings." She removed her hand and started moving around the table I was sitting at. "I suggest you meditate on this and seek clarity in your thoughts. A clear and centred mind will help greatly when dealing with beings only concerned with their own interests."

"Yes, Master," I replied, my head still resting against the table. The words were nice, and I would meditate as she'd suggested, but it was the same basic thing she'd been saying since we'd left Coruscant; and similar to what Fay often offered as support when I needed some. There was wisdom in their words, I didn't deny that. But after years of it, and days of these irritatingly stupid talks, they were starting to lose their effectiveness.

Once Shaak had left the room I stood and offered the empty chairs a resigned sigh. For a moment I considered returning to the room the Zygerrians had assigned me. However, that place was so lavishly decorated that I just didn't feel comfortable there; not when I had a bed big enough for five and my thoughts kept turning to Serra and Bo. Plus, the room was near the royal chamber, which increased the likelihood I'd run into Princess Miraj Scintel, who I'd rather avoid if at all possible.

No, for tonight at least, I'd return to Raven. Fenrir would be there and having him near while I meditated and slept brought me more comfort than however many hundreds of thousands the Zygerrians had spent on my room. Plus, Raven was less likely to be bugged, allowing me to vent some of my distaste at the talks without having to worry about being overheard by one of the damn Zygerrians.

… …

… …

"While this is a different situation than you've faced before, I have faith in you to find a solution that is acceptable not just to the Zygerrians, but to everyone involved in the talks," Fay said as I looked at her hologram from Raven's main gathering area. "The Force, while not able to offer direct intervention, is always an ally that can be looked to for guidance, as is Master Ti. However, the Council trusted you to complete this mission; trust neither I nor Master Dooku feel is misplaced."

"Yes, Master, and thank you for the support." After my reply, and her giving me a final smile of comfort, the call ended and I was left alone once more. I sunk back into the sofa that I was in. Initially, I'd hoped to contact Dooku for advice, however, he'd been unavailable to take the call. I didn't know why, but the most likely reasons were that he was still busy with Komari Vosa, he was asleep, or his Holonet connection had been disabled for some reason.

Therefore, I'd reached out to Fay in the hope she could offer some constructive advice. Sadly, she'd instead given suggestions and general Jedi expressions in line with what Shaak Ti had already offered. While the 'trust in the Force' spiel and its ilk were expected for Jedi, I'd hoped for something more concrete. She should know after centuries of negotiating with far more adversarial individuals that just trusting the Force wouldn't always bring the results you wanted.

I sighed and looked up at the roof of the room, taking in the lights that danced around Raven's frame as she sat patiently in the bay given to us by the Zygerrians. "Why can't these morons get it through their thick skulls that the best path is to work together?" I muttered.

The lights shifted pattern and I felt a mild soothing presence from Raven as she tried to comfort me. That had me wondering if she could sense my mood, or if she had moods of her own. Did she, when not flying, dream? I supposed she might, as she was sentient, even if it was in a different way from anything else I'd ever experienced. She wasn't sentient like Fenrir, but they both shared a connection to the Force that allowed me to sense their feelings.

I shook my head, clearing that string of thought. I wasn't philosophically inclined enough to offer judgement on the matter. Though even so, I'd say she was alive. This, like most things, wasn't a black-or-white issue, but one with shades of grey; a philosophy that guided my actions. The problem at the moment was that, to the delegations, things were starkly black and white. They either got the contract, or they didn't.

Still, at least for the next few days wouldn't have any talks. While that would normally be something I'd enjoy after seven days of mainly fruitless talks, the reason for the temporary cancellation wasn't one I was looking forward to.

Tomorrow was the fifteenth birthday of Princess Miraj Scintel and her official ascension to the position of Heir to the Throne. And ever since arriving on Zygerria and confirming she was present; I'd been doing my level best to avoid the young Zygerrian. And not just because of who she'd one day turn into.

When we'd first arrived on Zygerria, Shaak Ti and I were brought before the royal family, with Fenrir in tow. Simvyl had stayed behind on Raven to ensure the Zygerrians didn't do anything to her while we were away, but also because Simvyl had similar issues with Zygerrians that he had with Mandalorians. Well, except for Bo as he'd grown to accept and trust her on Zonama Sekot.

When Shaak Ti had explained that I'd be the one leading the negotiations, King Medes had stared at me. I'd thought he was going to complain about a Padawan being in-charge, but after a long silence, he'd simply nodded and given his agreement with that. That had caught me off-guard, though not nearly as much as Miraj's behaviour.

The princess had left the side of her mother, Queen Radej, and stepped down toward us. My hand had drifted toward my lightsaber, resting just above the hilt, in a clear sign I didn't approve. However, that only made the young princess smile. She then continued forward, though she did slow when Fenrir's ears had gone back and he'd dropped lower. While she, like Shaak Ti, had descended from a predatory species, she understood Fenrir was the greater threat and had lowered her eyes from him. That had calmed Fenrir slightly, though she'd continued to approach, this time making sure I was between her and Fenrir.

Once she was about three metres away, with her guards just behind her, their hands on their weapons, she'd smiled at me. When she'd commented that I smelt of power and danger, I'd blinked rapidly, trying to process what was happening. Even now, over a week later, I was still struggling to accept that she was interested in me. Though at least I now understood why she was interested, and why her father hadn't minded me leading the negotiations.

As Shaak had pointed out, I'd come back from Zonama Sekot with a more aggressive outlook on life; understandable due to what I'd endured. However, to predatory species, or sentients who'd evolved from such creatures, it made it clear I was a fighter, a predator. One that Medes respected, and Miraj, much to my embarrassment, was intrigued by.

Still, even though King Medes had accepted me, he'd insisted that Fenrir remain on Raven, claiming that having such a dangerous beast in a room where people would likely be agitated and temperamental was a risk he was unwilling to take. While I'd have enjoyed seeing the delegations react to a tuk'ata standing behind me, I knew it was better if Fenrir wasn't around, thus he'd returned to Raven with Simvyl. Though that was also because I was concerned about someone trying to acquire him for their collection.

Throughout the royal palace, servants were moving around. Almost none of them were Zygerrians, and all did their absolute best to stay out of sight unless called for. I'd complained to Shaak that these servants were clearly slaves and railed at how the Republic and the Jedi could allow this to exist. However, while Shaak had shared my distaste for the situation since the servants were classed as indentured workers and not slaves, there was nothing within the framework of the Republic we could do about it. She'd even explained that any complaint to the Senate would be about as effective as tossing a bottle into a river to stop it from overflowing in a storm.

One of the doors to the central area opened and Fenrir came walking in. He seemed happy about something, likely as he'd likely just had his evening meal, though this faded as he saw me. "Hey, boy." He lowered his head and turned it slightly to one side as if trying to read me. Then, before I knew it, he rushed forward.

"Oof! Fenrir!" I called out as he pushed up against me. Still, his action made me smile and I patted his head between his ears. However, that wasn't the end of things as he turned and swatted me with one massive paw. Not expecting it, I'd fallen onto my side which was when he'd decided to leap onto the sofa. "Get off!" I called out as I struggled to shift his bulk from trapping me against the sofa. While he'd not be able to break the sofa, I hoped he didn't use his claws as the thing was expensive. The Sekotans didn't use simple or cheap materials in outfitting their vessels.

Eventually, he was able to roll us off the sofa, where he promptly crashed against the table with the holocall projector. Still, it only took him a few moments to pin me to the ground. While I was older, he was larger and stronger, so there was little I'd be able to do to escape. And as his maw came over my face, his tongue hanging out, a sense of dread washed over me. "Fenrir! No!" He ignored me and ran his tongue over my face, covering me in drool "Ugh, fucking gross!"

He pulled back, snorted, and then climbed off me. As I pushed myself to my elbows and began wiping his slobber off my face, he leapt onto the sofa I'd formerly been on and settled in. "Oh, so that's why you did it?" I asked with a chuckle as I continued wiping my face. His head turned my way and he snorted and exposed his teeth. That was his version of a grin. "Cheeky bastard." His head came to rest on his crossed paws and his eyes sparkled with mirth as he watched me clean my face.

Laughter slipped from me as I looked at him. He'd done this to distract me, sensing the mood I'd been in when he'd arrived. I stood, most of his slobber now soaked into my robes and then scratched him behind an ear. "Thanks, boy." Fenrir leaned into my touch, which was when I pulled my hand away. He slipped on the sofa, one leg sliding off, and as he glared up at me, I laughed. "That's for the drool." He grunted out a huff and resettled onto the sofa.

I turned and took a step away, only for a random idea to form in my mind. "Huh, why not," I muttered. I turned back to the Holonet console and sent off a request for communication with someone I'd have not thought of if Fenrir hadn't distracted me. While it was unlikely that she'd be able to respond any time soon or offer anything useful, it was probably a good idea to check in with Padmé and see how she was doing in her new job.

… …

… …

I jerked awake in my seat as a loud beeping echoed in my skull. After blinking to figure out where it'd come from, and then groaning as I shifted in my seat, I stood and walked toward the Holocall display. Before answering it, I turned the display away from Fenrir, who looked unamused to be woken by the call and settled into a sofa on the other side of the table. After that, and reading where the call was coming from, I opened the channel.

"Cam!" I winced at how loud Padmé was. "Oh, sorry. Um, what time is it there? Also, where are you?"

I looked down at the console to see the time. "It's about oh-two-thirty locally, and I'm currently on Zygerria." She frowned, struggling to work out where Zygerria was, which made me smirk. "It's a long way from Naboo, out near the corporate sector. Also, nice to see you too, princess," I added with a chuckle, enjoying her reaction.

Even though I couldn't see any pigment change through the hologram, the way she looked away from me made it clear she was embarrassed about it. "Don't call me that."

"Why not? Aren't you a princess now?" I shot back, knowing full well she was. In a message to me just before the turn of the year, she'd explained she'd been elected governor of Theed, which carried the honorary title of Prince or Princess depending on the holder's gender.

"I-it's not like I'm someone important," she replied, seemingly unsure of herself and wanting to deflect the attention to her new role. That drew a snort of laughter from me, which Fenrir did not like if the glare he sent me was any indication.

"Padmé, you're governor of the capital of Naboo at twelve. That's beyond impressive and something to be proud of." She looked down and away again, which made me shake my head. "Oh, did you get my gift?" After learning of her position, I'd gone hunting for something practical and useful for her. In the end, after talking with Dooku about a suitable gift for a noble, I'd managed to find a lightfoil.

While not on par with a lightsaber, they shared similar roots, though now lightfoils were used by nobles throughout the Republic. A normal one, even with a discount due to Dooku's connections, would've cost about three thousand credits, however, I'd ended up paying around triple that.

The reason for that was that I'd had very specific and expensive changes I wanted made to the hilt of the lightfoil. Instead of a gold or electrum finish, I'd asked for one done in silver with a tree engraved of white gold placed upon it. That tree was styled after the tree of Gondor, which I knew Padmé would love as she adored her copies of Lord of the Rings, and it was circled by small gemstones to make the hilt even more unique.

"I love it!" Padmé all but shouted, her face breaking into a wide smile. A second later she was holding it in her hand, the tree of Gondor clear to see even through the holocall. "I… Thank you!" Yeah, even if I couldn't see it, I knew she was blushing. The gift was an impressive one, but apart from wanting to congratulate her, I'd wanted something she'd keep with her for when Naboo was invaded.

Lightfoils couldn't stand up to a lightsaber for long, but critically, they didn't require a strong connection to the Force to use. They were designed for duelling, meaning there were similarities in the fighting style to Makashi, which would allow me time, if I could find it, to tutor her in its use. And if I kept my lightsaber on a low power setting, she'd be able to spar with me.

Her smile fell slightly. "My father doesn't like it though. He says it's not something I should have, but he's allowing it because it came from you." She smirked as she turned it on, and while I couldn't see the colour of it through the holocall, I knew the blade was red. While it might cause an issue if the Council ever found out, I'd swapped the cheap focusing crystal for one designed for a lightsaber and gone with red simply because it would go well with her future clothing as Queen. "He's even arranged for a tutor to come to Naboo and teach me how to use it!"

I laughed as she moved the blade around slowly in front of her face. "Good. I'd hate to think that something I'd picked out wasn't something you'd like or use."

"I'd love anything from you," she blurted out. A second later she blinked, the lightfoil disappeared and she looked down again. "I, uh, I, um, I mean… thank you."

I kept the laughter inside as I didn't want to embarrass the girl anymore. "You're welcome," I replied, pretending not to catch her slipping up. "When we next meet, you'll have to show me how good you've gotten with it," I added with a smirk; one she quickly matched.

"I will, and when I defeat you what will I gain?"

That made me chuckle. "My eternal respect, princess," I bowed extravagantly, which made her laugh, though she sounded nervous. "Anyway, while I wish I'd simply called to ask about that, I need your help."

Her brow creased and she leaned closer to her display. "Does this have to do with why you're on Zygerria?"

"Yes. The High Council has assigned me a mission here, and frankly, I'm out of my depth."

Padmé's frown deepened. "Then why not ask them to assign it to someone else?"

"Because I think it's a test of some sort; one they'll consider failed if I pull out." I chuckled and lifted my lightsaber into view. "One that, sadly, doesn't require me to use this, but my words to solve."

A second later, Padmé was laughing loudly. While I was a little offended at that, I'd wait until she stopped and explained things before commenting on it. "Yeah, that sounds like what I've heard." My brow rose, wondering who she'd been talking to. "Serra's told me bits and pieces about your adventures. Something about preferring the direct approach to problems."

"Aye, that sounds about right." Still, I'd have to thank Serra for this when I got back to the Temple; perhaps even be direct with her about certain things and see how she reacted. "But anyway, this mission is this…"

I leaned back in the sofas as I detailed the mission, and everything I felt safe stating over a Holonet call; even one that was meant to be secure.

"And that sums things up as well as I can. Sadly, I can't reveal exact details of the negotiations, such as they are, as it would violate the temporary NDA contracts we were forced to sign before we began." I added once I'd given her a reasonably short – about thirty minutes with most of it being ranting about the delegations and their stubbornness – explanation of the situation.

Padmé had sat quietly throughout, not interrupting once, which was a sign she would be a good ruler. One should listen to all that was said before offering a judgement. Though just because I knew this didn't mean I was good at it. At least, not all the time, and certainly not with how mind-numbingly boring these negotiations were.

"From what I can understand, I'd have to agree that each party can't cover the entire contract. They have to know this as well. Yet, they're not going to come out and state that, and will be hoping, maybe, to use the contract to show their company can handle sections of the contract that they're not normally known for, or to open new markets up for them." She shrugged and looked away. "I can't guess more without knowing who they are, or the details of the contract on offer."

That was about as useful as the Jedi platitudes Fay and Shaak Ti had offered, and I wondered if this call had been a waste of time. However, she then looked back and appeared to lean closer.

"You have to get them to understand, without threatening them, that it'd be better for them all to work together instead of fighting amongst themselves. Perhaps talk with them privately, though not too privately that the other parties think you're trying to make a side deal, to learn about what their base-lines are for the negotiations. That will give you starting points to work from, as well as learning if you can, what exactly they hope to gain from the contract. Now, it's likely there'll be some overlap in their red lines and the wants of others, but that's good. It means there are places for real negotiations to take place instead of, and I'm sorry to say this, the dancing around nothing you've so far done." I grunted in annoyance even if I couldn't deny the last week or so of talks had been nothing more than a waste of time and a test of my frayed patience. "I know it's not what you want to hear, but it's what, I think, you need to hear. No matter how much you'd like to, you can't go around negotiating aggressively with everyone you want."

"But it's oh so tempting," I replied with a smirk. One that drew on images of the reactions most of the delegates would have to finding a lightsaber pressed against their throats, and at Padmé making an unintentional reference to something she'd said herself in another timeline. It seemed she understood that you did sometimes have to fight for what you wanted even if you'd prefer not to already. That fire would serve her well with what was to come.

Padmé laughed. "I understand that and know how it feels." Hmm, so it seemed she was dealing with issues on Naboo of her own. Interesting. "However, if you use the same approach, be it a passive or aggressive one, then people will begin to expect it from you. They'll learn to plan and adapt to your tendencies, making it even harder for you to gain what you want from any talk."

"I'm sure I can find other ways to make them talk," I commented with a dark chuckle.

"Cam! You're a Jedi! You can't go around threatening people!" She shot back, which made us both laugh. That said, the idea of Force choking the delegations, or roasting them alive with Force Lightning held a certain appeal. "What you also need to understand is that everyone expects to be disappointed. They have to know they can't handle the contract themselves, but to give up even a centimetre of ground in public will make them act as if they've lost a loved one." I'd debate if some of them even understood what love was. "However, you've got to make it seem that even when they lose ground in one place, they gain it in another way. Overall, they'll come out ahead. Of course, for that, you need to understand their needs and wants better."

I nodded as she spoke and, much to my annoyance when I realised I was doing it, started tapping my chin. After removing the offending finger, I gave her a wide smile. "Thanks, Padmé. While this isn't what I'd hoped for, and it'll more than likely make these talks even more boring," she giggled at that, "I know it'll help."

"No problem, but I'd better let you get some sleep. It won't do for you to turn up at the negotiating table tired because we spent all night talking."

"And here I thought you wanted to talk with me," I mock-huffed, making her giggle again.

"I do, I… You need to sleep." She changed her line of thought quickly, which made me smirk. "And when you have time, we can talk again. I… I've missed talking with you." She smiled and looked away again.

"Same here." That seemed to bring a light to her face. "And once this mission is over, I'll call you and thank you profusely for your help."

She rolled her eyes even as the smile on her face grew. "Fine, be that way."

I leaned forward, annoyed that I couldn't hug her in thanks; and see how flustered it'd make her. "Seriously, Padmé, thank you. I… I needed someone to talk to outside the Order about this. And when we next meet, I'll make sure to thank you properly."

That may well be when Naboo was invaded, but she didn't know that. And clearly, she had some ideas about how she wanted me to thank her and her mouth bopped like a fish before she looked away from the camera. "Y… you don't have to."

"Padmé, you're my friend. If I didn't thank you personally, I'd be a shit friend," I shot back with a wide smile. "Still, I do need to sleep. Tomorrow's going to be a long, long day." That made her giggle.

"OK, bye."

"Bye Padmé. Take care." With that, I closed the channel and leaned back into the sofa. It was odd that I'd turned to a twelve-year-old for help. But outside of Palpatine, there wasn't anyone from outside the Order that I could've asked. Plus, this was another little moment in building a bond with Padmé that would be very helpful with events to come in the next year or so.

Though, even with her ideas being sound and logical, it didn't make my more aggressive approach – as she'd put it – any less appealing. Even if I knew, deep down, that it was utterly the wrong approach to take.

… …

… …

As the music in the hall died down, I bit down on the sigh of relief I felt. Instead, I took a small step back from my dance partner for the song, and the previous four, Miraj Scintel. "I'm honoured that you've allowed me this dance, princess, however, I feel it may be wise to not monopolise your time. Otherwise, people may begin to wonder and those also wishing to dance with you may feel aggrieved." I spoke as quickly as I could without making it too obvious that I wanted away and after I'd finished, I bowed and kissed the back of her hand just above the knuckles. While I'd not seen anyone else do that here, it was something I felt might help ease any annoyance at me all but abandoning her on the dance floor.

When I came up from the kiss, she stepped into my personal space. A single claw from her other hand came up and traced my jawline. "I will allow this for now. However, I expect further dances with you before the night is through, and perhaps, more of your company during the celebrations." There was some different colouration under the fur on her cheeks, and her eyes seemed worryingly alive with desire, but I'd take it if it meant getting away from her for now.

"If the Force wills it." Normally I was against using such bland Jedi platitudes, but in this case, it was the ideal way to set up why I'd not be around for the later dances she wanted. Or anything else she desired from me. Hell, if I could manage it, I'd cause an incident – one I couldn't be tied to – to ensure I'd be unavailable for her for the rest of the celebrations this week.

Before she could make any comment in response, I slipped to one side, giving a Zygerrian male near me a gentle shove with the Force so he slipped between me and Miraj. It couldn't be denied that the princess was an exotic beauty. However, after a week of boring-arsed talks, the last thing I wanted to deal with was a love-struck princess. Or at least another one since I supposed Padmé qualified as one now.

Now, I did understand that perhaps there was a chance while I was here that I could work on, if not turning her away from following her father in restarting the slave empire – if it was him that began the moves to return to their old ways – then at least make her more open-minded about the topic. However, I wasn't in the mood to deal with it now, not after five straight dances with her. And the sense of superiority that she had, enhanced past that of other Zygerrians due to her status, making it even harder to want to be in her presence for more than a few minutes at a time.

Sadly, for me, it seemed I was still the thing that caught her eye. Though at least I'd managed to escape her clutches before the next song, one far slower that would involve standing closer to your dance partner, began. I smirked at the timing of that as I slipped from the dance floor. At a table near the Royal table, Shaak Ti was sitting, sipping on some Zygerrian nectar wine while some random Zygerrian male spoke to her. I couldn't help but chuckle that she was facing a similar issue to me, though judging by her expression, she was doing a far better job of hiding her distaste for her potential suitor than I'd done.

Passing by the tables with the delegations, I gave each a nod. Rhork gave me a knowing smirk, seemingly enjoying the fact that Miraj was enamoured with me. Hara smiled back, some of the distaste she'd displayed for me during the talks not evident in her body language. Vundu and Ce returned my nod with one of their own, but neither seemed in the least bit interested in the goings-on. Heck, Ce was distracted, though he hid it well. If not for the Force, I'd have likely missed the subtle signs in his body language.

"Ah, Cameron. I see the princess has finally decided to offer her hand for a dance to others," Shaak commented as I reached our table. The Zygerrian who'd been talking to her looked offended and glared up. I glared back at him, my hand sitting near my lightsaber and a moment later, the Zygerrian, after offering Shaak a mumbled apology, slipped away. "Did you really have to scare him away; I was enjoying his rambling."

"I'm sorry, Master. If you'd like, I could ask him to return." I chuckled as I sat down and picked up my goblet. The sickly-sweet smell of the wine assaulted my senses, though I still took a sip. Since this came from the king's private winery – no doubt made by indentured workers – it would be rude to not have some. The taste was pleasant enough, but not something I particularly enjoyed.

"That won't be necessary." Shaak smiled and tilted her glass toward the dance floor. "Though I believe your time here may be short." I followed her glass and almost groaned as I saw Miraj. While her partner was holding her close – though not too close nor placing his hands anywhere that might offend – her gaze was constantly on me. "It appears another has fallen into your web."

"What?"

Shaak laughed softly, and before explaining, took another sip of her wine. "It hasn't gone unnoticed that many of your friends, inside and out of the Order are female, Cameron. Indeed, I recall a few whispers that you'd grown attached to the Mandalorian female you'd travelled with. I, and others, were glad to see you proved that rumour wrong by allowing her to leave; though I believe Master Drallig was entirely unamused by the commotion that she caused at the Temple entrance."

"I have little control over how Bo behaves, Master," I replied with a laugh and took another sip of my wine.

"No, you don't. Nor can you control the princess, or simply ignore her interest in you." I looked at Shaak, figuring she was making a point. "She has spent her life isolated here in Zygerria; surrounded by the same potential suitors since she was but a child. Now, barely a week before her ascension to adulthood and the position of heir arrives a young man from a mysterious Order. One who carries himself with a hunter's confidence and bares the scars of battle proudly." I felt the heat build in my cheeks as Shaak said that with her eyes locked on mine. "You have a beast of legend at your side, one that is, like you, battle-hardened. With all that, is it any wonder that the princess, and those from species who are, like hers and mine, descended from hunters, would be attracted to you?"

I looked away, unsure of how to answer her. Everything she'd said was true, yet I dearly wished the parts about Miraj being attracted to me weren't. "Thank you, Azen'Zode," I said as a young Twi'lek female arrived to refill my glass after using Observe to learn her name and more details about her status. She was another one enslaved by the Zygerrians but was too scared to say anything to me, to us, as she'd been warned and – in a move that made my blood boil – beaten to ensure she didn't speak to us. Still, the green skin of her cheeks darkened, and she looked down before moving over to refill Shaak's glass.

My eyes followed her as she walked away, burning her face, along with that of the other 'servants' into my mind. One day, I swore to myself, I'd return here and end their slavery. Even if I had to kill every Zygerrian to do it.

"When you first mentioned and demonstrated this ability of yours to gain an insight into others, I thought perhaps you were just naturally attuned to the Living Force. I know now that isn't the case, but it is clear you find certain details about this planet as uncomfortable as I do."

I nodded as I took a sip of my now-refilled goblet, noting how a Zygerrian observer leaned in close and whispered aggressively to Azen'Zode. She shrunk in on herself as she shook her head, and when the Zygerrian let go of her elbow, she scampered off. "Yes, Master. And while I understand there is little we can do about it, it's… difficult to not act to correct the issue."

"As it should be, but we must trust in the Force that there is a plan for why these things exist," Shaak leaned closer, drawing my attention from the servant and her boss. "Has this ability of yours led to any new insights into the various delegations?"

"Not yet Master, though I may have an idea that I hope will help smooth things out going forward." Well, Padmé had given me the plan, I was just going to run with it as it's not like things could get much worse and still have the negotiations continue.

"That is pleasing to hear, but don't become disheartened if this new approach is slow to bear fruit. One doesn't catch their prey in the first hour of the hunt after all."

"Yes, Master." It was an odd metaphor to use for a Jedi, but Shaak Ti had never shied away from being a Togruta, and the way her species saw the universe. Even if the metaphor failed to land, at least it was just different enough from the usual Jedi speeches to feel fresh.

"Ah, Jedi Shan, I do hope I'm not interrupting anything?" I smiled as sincerely as I could as I turned my head and looked up at Hara Adasca. The dress she wore gave just enough hint to the figure she had without coming close to being anything but classy, though my eyes went straight to her face, avoiding the rather tempting curves on her chest.

"Not in the slightest, Justicar Adasca. How are you enjoying the festivities?" I asked back, being as polite as I could. While I'd prefer to sit back and relax, preferably as far away from Miraj as I could, I was curious as to why the Adascorp representative had approached. Perhaps this might be the chance to learn more about what her company wanted from the negotiations.

Hara's eye twitched and she looked over the dance floor where, even as Miraj pushed away her dance partner, another Zygerrian took his place before she could get more than two steps toward me. "It is… quaint. However, now that the princess has allowed you to slip from her clutches, oh, and well played with how you ensured another would take your place before she could protest. I was hoping we might speak more socially. It may allow us to reach an agreement that benefits both of us." She leaned down, lowering her head to whisper in my ear. "The Adasca BioMechanical Corporation is a very powerful entity within the Republic. With the support of us and other Arkanian companies, your goals would be far easier to achieve." As she spoke there was little I could do but look at her dress. Or more specifically, down it. The view on offer was tempting, but since Hara's attitude was somehow worse than Miraj's, I had little interest in pursuing whatever she was possibly offering.

To be sure she wasn't actually trying to seduce me within earshot of Shaak Ti, I used Observe as she stood up. I was relieved to discover this wasn't the case, though it seemed she was impressed with how I carried myself when out of the negotiations; at least for an inferior Human. And while she felt bedding me was beneath her, she was more than willing to throw her adjuncts at me if that would work.

"That sounds like a good idea, Justicar, however, it would be wise if we stayed within sight of the other delegates, lest they believe we're engaging in actions detrimental to the negotiations." Her lips twitched upward, suggesting she was glad I was turning down her seduction ploy.

"Of course. Would you and your Master be willing to join me at the Adascorp table?"

"Certainly," I got out quickly before Shaak could try and weasel out of this. "Shall we Master?" I asked as I turned to her. While I did want to speak with Hara privately to gain insight into what she and Adascorp wanted, there was no way I wanted to sit there and listen to her full speech about why Adascorp deserved the full contract alone. Plus, Shaak may hear something that I'd miss about what they were willing to accept as a bare minimum and likely make them less likely to try any obvious attempts at bribery or coercion.

As Shaak and I stood, I saw the other delegations looking our way, and I had to suppress a sigh. Once we were finished with Adascorp, it would be a safe bet the others would want to talk with us semi-privately as well. Still, at least this would be a more constructive use of my time than dancing the night away with a love-struck princess.

If only barely.

… …

… …

"Bah! Enough about these talks and the boring debates," Rhork stated, swirling around his goblet with his hand. He looked around, as if checking no one not at the Mandalmotors table was listening, before leaning in close. "I've heard rumours that the reason Alor Adonai's youngest was absent from the war was that she'd sought out a mate in her travels." He pulled back a little, a smirk coming to his face. While I'd rather not deal with gossip and innuendo, especially when it involved me, it was still a far better topic than the negotiations. That might be why I'd gone to the Mandalmotors table last, as I knew I'd enjoy sitting here as I'd be in the company of warriors instead of bureaucrats.

I chuckled as he watched me, waiting for an answer and took a sip from my goblet. The wine wasn't growing on me, but it would do for tonight, and thanks to Negate Poison, I didn't have any risk of getting drunk – or worse – from it. Unlike almost everyone else in attendance. "She's not my mate, though Adonai did allow her to travel with me for a time."

"Ah, so she's unmatched, interesting," Rhork rubbed his chin. I let a low growl escape through my exhale and Rhork held up his hands. "Perhaps not for long, eh?" He laughed and waved off the topic. "Still, what about the tales she has told of your duelling an enemy to determine the fate of an entire world?"

He said that just loud enough that I saw heads turn our way at the Adascorp and IGBC tables. Which may well have been his intention. I took another sip of my wine, milking the moment to see if they'd continue listening in. While I'd have preferred Bo kept the tales of our adventures private, I'd known that was unlikely. However, I'd not expected the topic to come up on my first mission after Zonama Sekot. Still, this might allow me to get a general warning about the Vong to other parties around the galaxy, ones with greater reach than I had, and it was at least an enjoyable way to wind down the banquet, which was still going strong after five hours with the sun having set about an hour ago.

Between my stops at the various delegation tables, Miraj had dragged me back onto the dance floor for a handful of dances and even made me sit with her during dinner. However, her presence was now at least a distraction from boring discussions about what each delegation wanted and hoped for from the contract. Plus, King Medes made sure she didn't monopolise my time. And speaking of Miraj, I could see her drifting closer, her eyes tracking me as she tried, and failed, to slip through the crowd of Zygerrian suitors.

"That's about right, though there are a few reasons why that came about," I finally replied, having dragged the moment out long enough. I leaned forward, seeing his face – and that of his assistants – light up in interest. However, before I could regale them with the tale of my defeat of Feir Kr'Lenah, the Vong commander on Zonama Sekot, a loud high-pitched chime sounded three times. That signalled the King wished to speak to us all, and so as one, the room turned his way.

I leaned forward, slightly disbelieving who I saw standing with King Medes and beside me, Rhork inhaled sharply. For some reason, Dred Yomaget, CEO of Mandalmotors and chief of Clan Yomaget, had decided to come to Zygerria. That showed how important this contract was to him and the board, as did his choice of dress.

Unlike the two guards near the rear of the room, who were outfitted in full beskar armour, though they didn't have a blaster in their hands, or Rhork and his group who wore most of their armour – they skipped the gauntlets and helmets – Dred was wearing only the breastplate, vambraces, greaves and boots. Under the armour, covering the rest of his frame, was an expensive-looking shirt and trouser combo and a cloak Dooku would've approved of fell from his shoulders. It was an interesting mix of Mandalorian armour with high-class clothing and gave Dred a look of a prince from a distant, warring people. Which in many ways, he was.

"Your majesty, honoured guests, please forgive my late arrival to this celebration on the elevation of Princess Miraj Scintel to Heir of the Zygerrian Empire," Dred began, showing remarkable calm at having several hundred sets of eyes on him. Including the glares of the other delegations. "Unfortunately, I was delayed with internal matters for my people. However, on behalf of Mandalmotors, I wish to offer Princess Miraj a taste of the high quality our company is known for." A servant stepped forward, carrying a case that was, perhaps a metre long. Once the servant reached Miraj, she stopped and opened it.

The princess gasped and there were murmurs from those nearby. I couldn't see what was in it until Miraj lifted it high into the air. Dred had gifted her a beskad, one with what looked like an engraved hilt if the stylised lion – or big cat I supposed – was any indicator.

"From one warrior culture to another, I present to your daughter, a beskad. A weapon of Mandalore made of beskar, meaning it can stand up to blaster fire, and even the legendary blades of the Jedi." At that, he glanced my way, and I grunted. While the gift had been for Miraj, that was him making clear he knew I was here, which had me wondering if that had weighed into his decision to come and, more than likely, take over negotiations for Mandalmotors. As, while Rhork seemed a fine negotiator, the other representatives all held board-level positions. Thus, his arrival now, with that gift, was a powerplay of impressive scope.

"On behalf of my daughter, and my people, we accept this offered blade graciously," Medes replied after a round of clapping – some more enthusiastic than others – at the gift. Miraj was struggling not to jump up and down, and only a hand on her shoulder from her mother stopped her from rushing Dred and likely demanding the start codes. "Though that still leaves the matter of your late arrival."

Dred bowed even as he laughed. "Yes, it does, your grace." He stood up and pointed an arm toward the doors where his guards were standing. The doors opened and servants began to roll in large cases and caskets. "From my personal reserves, I bring twenty casks of the finest Ne'tra gal Mandalore has to offer, along with twenty cases of wine distilled on Mandalore during the reign of our last Mand'alor."

My brow rose at hearing that, and more than a few people gasped. I'd had some of that wine during the feast to celebrate my verd'goten and knew a single bottle sold for upwards of five thousand credits. Each case looked to hold about twenty bottles, and assuming the Ne'tra gal was of similar stock, then Dred was offering drinks worth more than five million credits to the banquet. That put to shame anything the other parties had offered.

I did wonder if he was overplaying his hand in making such grand gestures as if he wasn't careful, it would look like he was trying to compensate for the lack of size and scope of Mandalmotors compared to the other players at the negotiating table. Still, if they got even a tenth of the overall contract, then the investment would pay for itself within the first few months.

"A most generous gift, and one, on behalf of Zygerria, I accept as your apology," Medes said before the two clasped arms. "Though don't think that drowning us in alcohol will influence the negotiations."

Laughter, more genuine than the earlier clapping, rippled through the hall, though the tables of the other delegations sounded far quieter to me than anywhere else. I glanced at the tables while the laughter continued and Medes shared a quiet word with Dred as Miraj gave her new weapon a few experimental slashes. The SoroSuub and Adascorp groups seemed perturbed, which I confirmed was due to Dred's appearing here through Observe, with the Sullustans feeling more pressured than the Arkanians. Oddly though, the Muun delegation from the IGBC seemed entirely unconcerned about Dred's arrival. Observe let me know Ce Serd was more concerned about the special representative from the IGBC who'd be arriving soon, which had me curious about who they were calling in for support.

As the laughter died down, and people began to sit down, I turned to Rhork. "Did you know about this?"

From the shock that was still on his face, it was clear he didn't. "N-no." He turned to face me as we sat. "I mean, I tol… That is to say, even as lead negotiator for Mandalmotors, I'm not made aware of the comings and goings of the Ol'averde Alor."

It was clear Rhork didn't know anything about Dred being here, or at least that someone from the company was going to arrive and Observe confirmed that. Piecing together what it told me, it seemed Rhork had contacted the board and informed them I was leading the negotiations. Whether he knew directly that Dred would come here, Observe wasn't able to tell, since it was limited in what it revealed, but he held himself accountable for this and was concerned about how I'd feel about it.

Before I could push him for details, someone approached the table. Rhork and his assistants shot to their feet, clasped a hand over their hearts and lowered their heads. "Alor Dred. You honour us with your presence. If I had known…" Dred raised a hand which stopped Rhork mid-sentence.

"If you were aware, then I suspect one of our competitors on this deal may have made arrangements to, at the very least, delay my arrival until after the banquet." Dred stepped forward and placed a hand on Rhork's shoulder. "You've done well so far, I'm merely here to help ensure your efforts are not in vain." At that, he turned to me and lowered his head slightly. "Alor Cameron, su cuy'gar. It has been some time since we last spoke."

He extended his arm and I clasped it near his elbow. "su cuy'gar, Alor Dred. Aye, that it has." His smile grew slightly as I returned the Mando'a greeting. "Though I'd hardly expected this to be where we'd next meet."

Dred laughed as we broke the arm clasp. "I had expected to meet you again before now, but once I heard you were the Jedi leading the negotiations, and after learning that members of the boards of our competitors were present, including a member of the House Adasca," he glanced over my shoulder at that moment, "I felt these talks required a more hands-on approach." He patted my arm in an overly-friendly gesture; something that wasn't missed by the other delegates. "Plus, I've heard tales from Sundari of your adventures in the Outer Rim, and still remember watching the recording of your verd'goten."

I rolled my eyes as I worked out his plan. One of the servants approached, and I happily exchanged my nectar wine for one of the Mandalorian stock. "I see Bo-Katan has been unable to refrain from discussing our travels," I muttered with a smile. Dred smirked at that and then took a sip of his wine. I did the same and savoured the familiar, and not sweet, taste of the Mandalorian vintage. "I must remember to… speak with her about that."

Dred laughed at that, as did Rhork and his team, and patted my arm once more. "From what I've heard, she would be amenable to that." With his hand still on my arm, he guided me back into my chair. "Still, that is a personal matter between you and her. What I'd rather hear about, at least tonight, is this tale of your duel to save a planet from invasion. According to Lady Bo-Katan, it is a tale to rival that of the Battle of Keldabe."

"I have heard of this battle, but details are surprisingly scarce outside of the Mandalore sector." That comment made me turn and look up at Hara Adasca, who'd come closer while I'd been greeting Dred. Not far behind her was Vundu Plast and Ce Serd, though what caught my attention was that Miraj was now making her way toward us, the beskad in her hands; thankfully for those in her way, it was sheathed.

"Justicar Adasca," Dred began as he stood and bowed. "Tales of your beauty have reached even the war-torn surface of Mandalore," he continued as he took her hand into his. "However, they fail to do justice to the angelic form before me." Hara didn't react beyond a slight twitching of her lips as Dred kissed her knuckles. For my part, I was impressed with how smoothly he said that and how believable it was.

"I would be surprised if such tales came close to describing an Arkanian properly," Hara responded as Dred released her hand before she turned her gaze upon me. "Now, what is this I hear of the Battle of Keldabe, and the implication our Jedi negotiator had a role to play in the battle that began your latest civil war?" There was slight disdain to her tone as she referred to the war being a recurring feature of the Mandalore sector, which was understandable as, from my research before going there, some form of semi-serious conflict broke out between clans about once every thirty years or so.

Dred smiled and gave me a gentle – for a Mandalorian – punch on my upper arm. "Alor Cameron here was responsible for single-handedly defeating the aruetiise that attacked our company headquarters and the city of Keldabe; slaying in combat the leaders of that assault."

For a moment I was annoyed at Dred as it felt as if he was trying to intentionally damage my standing as a neutral party by playing up my links to Mandalore. However, with a little time to think about it, I saw what he was doing. By not hiding there was a link between us, he was making it clear he wasn't looking for a favour, and if, as was possible, Mandalmotors failed to gain the contract or much of it, he could easily say it was proof I wasn't biased toward his company. Now, there was a chance the other delegates asked for my removal, but that would push the process back and so far, I'd not heard of any complaints from King Medes.

"Is that so?" Hara said slowly, her eyes wandering over my face, searching for something. "I was under the impression that Jedi were required to not join other organizations or cultures."

I shrugged. "The Order is open to understanding all cultures, both those within the Republic and those who keep their distance. It encourages its members to learn about them, though our vows to the Order must always come first while remaining a part of it." That might not be entirely true, but it was from a certain point of view. "As for my connection to Mandalore, I travelled there with another Padawan several years ago to learn about their culture. While there, we both completed trials that made us Mando'ade. It was the will of the Force that this happened, just as it was that I would be the Jedi assigned to handle these negotiations. While on Mandalore, I was able to help with, shall we say, an internal matter. A group of terrorists, ones who chose to ignore the teaching of the resol'nare – the core tenets of what it means to be Mandalorian – tried to overthrow the government and return their people to ways not followed since before the time of Revan." I gave Dred a glance as I finished, trying to ensure he got the message to not bring up my connection to Revan.

"Ah, interesting." Oddly, Hara did sound interested. Or at least not as bored as she usually sounded. "So, do you consider yourself a Mandalorian?" Well, at least the matter was being addressed right away instead of being left to fester.

"I passed the trials to join their ranks, yes. However, I am a Jedi first. If you are concerned about my loyalties being conflicted, I can assure you that they aren't. The Senate and Jedi assigned me to handle these negotiations fairly, to determine the deal that provides our hosts with the greatest benefits, and that is what I will do. Both bodies were aware of my status in Mandalorian culture yet were confident enough in my impartiality to not let it affect their decision. Chief Yomaget understands that even if that wasn't the case, I wouldn't grant Mandalmotors unfair consideration."

From somewhere else in the hall, I felt a sense of reassurance and relief at my answer. That had to have come from Shaak Ti, which meant she was monitoring the conversation while engaged with Queen Radej at the royal table.

"Your words are good, but we will see if your actions match them," Hara commented. It looked like she wanted to speak more, but that was the moment when Miraj arrived.

"Cameron! Is it true this can match a lightsaber?" She asked, waving around the thankfully sheathed beskad. It was shorter than mine, though since mine was more of a short sword than a beskad that wasn't a surprise. Up close, I could see the hilt with my eyes drawn to the pommel which was indeed stylised with a large cat. The eyes of that cat were yellow gems, mirroring Miraj's golden eyes.

"It is, Princess. Something I know well since not only have I fought Mandalorians with them, but I have one myself. A gift to celebrate my trials," I explained as I glanced at Hara. She nodded in thanks at the free information even as Miraj's eyes lit up and she came closer.

"Then you will be the one to tutor me on its use," she stated with a smirk, her free hand coming to rest on her hip. Behind her, several male Zygerrians glared at me; annoyed at me continually gaining the attention of what they wanted.

"I am uncertain if I'll have the time to do so, unless your father is willing for the negotiations to drag on for several months. However, when I can, I will try to find the time to offer pointers." While the idea of teaching her was more appealing than sitting around a table each day listening to the delegates talk, I was reluctant to help her of all people become more dangerous. Still, I couldn't outright reject her request, not without offending her and her father.

"Perhaps you would like to hear a tale of Cameron using his blade?" Dred cut in before Miraj could respond; likely with a complaint or two. "While I've already heard and seen the recordings of his verd'goten and the battle he fought in Keldabe, I'd enjoy hearing them from the man behind them. And perhaps, if time allows, he might deign to tell us of a duel he fought to save a world from enslavement."

Miraj's face shifted in an instant. Gone was any anger at my gentle rejection, replaced now by curiosity. "Yes, I'd like to hear that." Before I could say anything, she moved toward a chair next to me, the one Rhork was in, and waited. Rhork understood what she wanted and stood, offering the seat to her. As she sat, she pulled it closer until she was, perhaps, too close. However, no one was going to call her on this. "Regale us with the tales of your battles."

I glared at Dred. While I was glad that he'd diverted Miraj's annoyance at me not wanting to tutor her or get dragged back to the dance floor for a fourth round, I'd now be forced to sit here and retell war stories. While that was the better choice, it wasn't something I particularly wanted to do so publicly. And of course, there was a good chance that no matter how much I tried to undersell my battles, Miraj's interest in me would only grow because of this.

Fucking wonderful.

… …

… …

Several hours later, with the banquet still going strong, I slipped from the hall and stepped onto an isolated balcony. The cool air of the night was refreshing and, if one ignored where I was, the sight of the city bathed in moonlight was enchanting. However, it only took one look, and the sight of a random Zygerrian somewhere far below scalding a servant, to shatter that illusion.

I glared at the Zygerrian and considered for a moment using the Force to remove him, however, I decided against it. Even if the servant somehow avoided punishment now, because there'd be no way for them to explain what had happened to others, they'd be punished worse later. I wasn't happy about that but knew I had to accept it.

The sounds of the banquet filtered out from behind me, filling the air with soft music, though not everyone was still there. Queen Radej along with the assistants from SoroSuub, Adascorp, the IGBC and about half the Zygerrians. All four negotiators were still present when I'd slipped away for some air, with them, Shaak and Dred joining Medes and Miraj at the royal table.

We'd ended up there as Miraj, after hearing about the Battle of Keldabe, had insisted I recount the story to her parents. Radej had left after the re-viewing of my verd'goten – I'd have to think of a way to thank Dred for having that with him – though she, along with her husband, had been impressed that I'd taken down the greater krayt dragon alone. Given the way that Miraj was all but hanging off my arm after that, and the fact her father didn't mind, I was growing concerned about how the royal family regarded me. Thankfully, Shaak was still around, having been at the royal table when Miraj had brought me over and had made it clear that once the mission was over, we'd be returning to the Temple, or I'd have been worried Medes might try to betroth me to his daughter.

Medes had particularly enjoyed the telling of my duel on Zonama Sekot and spoken about how he'd heard of the incredible starships they produced. Shaak had then revealed Raven was one such vessel, and Miraj had all but demanded a flight or two in her. While I'd prefer to keep the princess as far away from Raven – not to mention Fenrir and Simvyl – there was little I could do to deny the request. Not after Shaak had given her approval to the idea, so long as I didn't mind.

Honestly, I wondered if Shaak wasn't enjoying the attention I was getting in some way; almost as if it diverted attention from her.

Still, after more time drinking with Medes and the others, I'd asked to be excused for some fresh air. Though I was giving serious consideration to simply teleporting back to Raven and calling it a night. Yes, it would be rude, but with Medes having insisted that I and Shaak join the royal family on a tour of their summer palace tomorrow, I wanted some hours away from Miraj.

"Ah, Master Jedi. I was hoping to speak with you privately for a moment."

I looked upward, wondering just how I'd pissed off the Force this time so that it'd decided to bring Ce Serd, the IGBC delegate, to the same balcony I was currently enjoying my solitude on. I considered using the Force to either make him forget I was here or perhaps, even arrange an accident for him. However, Detection confirmed his guards were only a few metres away and, as always, would be on the lookout for anything untoward.

"Director Serd," I said slowly as I turned, pushing aside my weariness with this evening, "how may I help you exactly?" My tone wasn't as calm as I'd have liked and the Muun oddly flinched as I faced him.

"While I understand you'd prefer some solitude, and personally, I would enjoy retiring to my quarters, I'm afraid there is, ah, a private matter I must discuss with you." He paused and looked around the balcony as if wondering if there were spies nearby or something. "One that cannot take place here."

My brow creased at the odd nervousness he was displaying. During the negotiations, he was always in control of himself and seemingly disinterested in everything, so for him to be this unbalanced was odd. Observe gave me nothing, other than hinting the representative of the IGBC he'd been worried about had arrived, so I could only assume that someone higher on the food chain at the IGBC wished to talk with me. Which sounded about as much fun as a five-hour meditation session with Yoda.

"Oh, is this the moment where you take me somewhere and either coerce my cooperation or move to remove me from the talk?" I asked with a chuckle to make clear I was teasing. However, my joke landed like a wet brick.

"Certainly not! To insinuate that…" He snapped, only to blink, which was always an odd thing to see on a Muun. "Ah, yes, a joke. My apologies for missing that." He coughed out one of the fakest laughs I'd ever heard before shaking his head. "No, as I said this is a private matter concerning you and the IGBC. One I can assure you has no bearing on the negotiations."

"Oh?" Yeah, it had to be to do with whoever this representative was. Other than the IGBC being large backers of the Lord of the Rings series of holomovies, with the first one only now entering principal production on Alderaan, I couldn't think of what connection I had to them. Hell, the movie connection was tenuous at best as my identity was kept hidden from everyone bar my agents with secure holocalls and voice distortion tricks. Now if my agent/publisher had revealed my identity that would be a breach of contract – as I'd ensured if they did leak that info they'd be cut out of any further profits from the series – then there couldn't be any way the IGBC knew who I truly was.

"Yes. It is a relatively minor matter, but still, not one best carried out near the ears of others." He stepped back, one arm indicating the door off the balcony. "If you wish, you could speak with your Master first. I believe she is still in the banquet hall."

That calmed my nerves immensely, not that I was overly concerned about going somewhere alone with the Muun and his guards. While they were considered a threat, if things somehow got too hot, I'd simply teleport away. "No, that won't be necessary. Please, lead the way."

The Muun blinked again before nodding and then stepping through the door. As I followed, I reached out through the Force.

[Master, Director Serd wishes to speak with me about a matter he claims is not linked to the negotiations.]

I sensed Shaak's confusion as she replied mentally. [About what specifically?]

[He won't say, but I believe it might have to do with a special representative of the IGBC who has possibly arrived this evening.]

Shaak seemed to chuckle through the link. [I could've sworn someone said their ability wasn't offering insights into the delegates. Do you need me to join you?]

[No, Master. I simply wished to let you know on the off chance this was a prelude to something else.]

[Hmm, is that Master Dooku I hear in you?] I smirked at that. [Regardless. If you feel comfortable handling it alone, do so. However, if things turn out unexpectedly, let me know. I will try to keep Princess Miraj occupied until you return, but sadly I seem far less interesting to her than you.]

I bit back a groan at her joke as I felt her mind close the connection. I had no intention of returning to the banquet now, planning to use this meeting as the excuse I needed to slink away into the night. Given Miraj's behaviour today and tonight, I doubted it would take much to have her forget about my disappearance. Though to ensure that I wasn't intercepted by a servant, the moment this meeting was over, I'd be teleporting back to Raven.

As I followed Minister Serd through the corridors of the palace, I took note of his guards. Currently, there were four of them, two in front of him and two behind me, and all were Iotan. It wasn't a species I knew much about beyond them serving the IGBC as personal guards and sometimes a small private army if there was a need. Observe told me that each on their own was a moderate threat to me, but since none were Force-sensitive, I felt I could take them with relative ease if the need arose.

Still, the guards were good, working in their pairs to ensure no one came upon us, be they servants or would-be assassins. About ten minutes after leaving the balcony we reached the small area of the palace given over to the IGBC for these negotiations. After passing another four Iotans, Serd stopped outside one door and lowered his head.

I reached out with the Force and sensed only one being inside the room. With that known, I stepped forward and walked through the doors as they slid back silently to allow me entry.

The room inside was dark, lit only by moonlight that slipped in through closed windows. However, I knew I wasn't alone as the sound of someone breathing slowly, steadily through a mask. For a split-second, I had a wild fear that I'd somehow been led into a trap with Darth Vader before reason reasserted itself. This was shortly followed by a shiver racing up my spine as I realised who it was just before they stepped out of a shadow.

"Ah, Cameron Shan," Hego Damask began as he approached, a hand outstretched, "It's been some time since we last spoke."

I shook his hand while trying to calm my nerves. "Magister Damask, this is unexpected; so much so I was concerned for a moment this was some sort of ambush," I added to hopefully hide the shifting in my emotions at seeing him here.

Damask laughed, a sound that sounded off because of the mask. "Nothing of the sort. I was following these negotiations closely since Damask Holdings would be a major part of the contract once it's earned." He broke the handshake and used the arm to indicate a sofa. "When I learnt you were the Jedi responsible for brokering an agreement, my interest was piqued. Then, when I heard that Dred Yomaget was on his way, I felt it wise to do so as well. Between the three of us, I'm sure we can come to an amicable agreement, however, that is for tomorrow. For tonight, I'd hoped to simply catch up with the young man who saved my life."

"There is no need for that, Magister, though I am grateful for the distraction," I replied with a smile that I hoped didn't appear forced. Having Darth Plagueis turn up for these negotiations was almost the last thing I wanted to happen. Particularly since I suspected his interest was less in the contract and more in me. That had me wondering just what about Zonama Sekot and the Vong had Sidious told him and how much of that story, if any, he would try to draw out of me tonight.

"Was the banquet as unenjoyable as I suspect?" He asked with a chuckle that sounded odd as fuck due to his mask.

"The banquet was fine," I said slowly, trying to play the role of someone not knowing the truth. "I simply grew tired of the attention of a particular female Zygerrian."

"Oh?"

I leaned back on the sofa, doing my best to appear relaxed and ignore the insanity of the fact I was about to complain about her interest in me to Darth Plagueis. Hopefully, this assignment didn't get any weirder than this as I wasn't sure I could survive that.

… …

… …

As always, this story is crossposted on Fanfiction.net and Archive of our Own (and hopefully soon Royal Road) and you can find me (and the backroom team who help with this) on Discord at:
For this series: Heart of the Force
For general chaos/Gamer stories: Shiro's Gaming Omniverse

If you wish to support my writing, gain access to 1st drafts of chapters (where every level bar the lowest has access to at least the first draft of the next chapter and all got the redraft ~2 weeks early), consider supporting me on Patreon:
USSExplorer

Regardless if you join the discord or support my writing, I hope you enjoy the story and suggestions, valid criticisms, and ideas are always welcome.
And of course;

May the Force be with you. Always.

USSExplorer · May 16, 2023

A/N:
As always, thanks to those helping me write and plan out this story and checking it for continuality and logic errors.

This chapter was released at least 2 weeks ago to my Patreons (with them seeing a draft version around 2 months ago) and on the story's Discord server (in GDoc form) about a week ago.
Links for both are at the end of the chapter.
Hopefully, all the little mistakes have been found and removed.

Current Date: 1 year until the Invasion of Naboo

Knightly Diplomacy 2
… …

"I must admit, when you asked for a private meeting without anyone else, I was curious as to why," Hara Adasca said as she leaned back on a sofa in the quarters assigned to Adascorp. I sat on a sofa on the other side of a small table that separated the two couches. "I can say that you being forthcoming and, dare I say it, blunt about wanting to understand my company's requirements for these talks wasn't what I expected." She chuckled at some private joke.

"I've dealt with Jedi before, you know, as has Adascorp. Until you, the pattern they've followed is predictable. Manipulable. Allow them to mumble on about how the Force guides their actions, how it seeks a path of balance, and you'll normally be able to come out of the negotiation with more than you'd expect. You, however, are a refreshing if confusing change. Initially, your understanding of how negotiations such as this worked was limited – understandable due to your age and training – but you have seemingly figured out the key fact that all negotiators know: Everyone is out to get more than they deserve or expect. That I would see a Jedi of all people learn that lesson on this pitiful backwater is an unexpected delight to what has so far been a rather dull negotiation."

I chuckled as I took a sip of the water I held in my hand. "Not all Jedi spout such jargon, though I will admit that many do seem to meditate for hours, if not days or weeks, before deciding on what to do." That drew a smirk from the Arkanian noble. "When I was travelling here, I had hoped to quickly get everyone to see that each party wasn't suitable for handling the entire contract. I had expected everyone to know that and work from a common ground."

Adasca chuckled and replied, "It's understandable for one so young to have overestimated your abilities and underestimated the tenacity of the negotiators here."

I nodded in agreement, "Yes, it seems like this is no easy task."

Adasca continued, "That's why the opening sessions of negotiations like these may seem trivial, but they are crucial for gaining a measure of understanding about any new faces at the table, including an independent arbiter. This way, when the real negotiations begin, we are better informed about our competition and their strengths, vulnerabilities, and other relevant factors."

I laughed along with her. "Yeah, I'm sure I looked like bantha fodder." I was glad when she had the grace to not agree with me verbally, choosing only to nod. "Thankfully, after some soul searching, and, I'll admit, some meditation, I realised I was out of my depth and reached out to a friend. She's a rising star of a politician so she understands a little of how all this works and offered me some advice, hence this meeting."

Hara leaned forward. "Then I must offer a thank you to this friend. Though I am surprised you asked for the meeting during the celebration. I'd have thought Princess Miraj wouldn't let you leave her side for anything bar sleep."

I looked up at the ceiling and sighed. "She has been quite insistent that I accompany her during the week. Thankfully, King Medes understands that my purpose here isn't to serve as his daughter's escort. Though it seems several members of his court, specifically the younger males, appear not to understand this."

Ever since the banquet several days ago, Miraj had gone out of her way to not only ensure that I was escorting her family around, but that she was on my arm. I'd been dragged to various cities all over the planet, forced to sit through some of the most mind-numbingly dull arse-kissing speeches that I'd heard this side of the Senate and at every meal, been her first and last dance partner. And on those moments when she didn't drag me around in public, she kept asking when I could begin instructing her on how to use the beskad Dred Yomaget had gifted her.

While I wasn't enjoying Miraj dragging me around like some new trinket to show off, nor Master Ti's amusement and comments about my new friend, it hadn't been all bad. Miraj continually asked for my opinion, which made me think there was an opportunity. After a little research on Zygerrians, it was apparent they respected power and strength – something that helped explain why King Medes had taken a long look at me when we'd first met and accepted me as the negotiator – and since it seemed Miraj felt I was powerful, I took my shot. Plus, with a new quest, Changing Fate [Miraj Scintel], generated and accepted, I had a plan in place.

It was a long shot, something the Interface agreed with by making the quest B-rated, but since the penalty was only turning a potential future slaver into an enemy or seeing her die – along with a small loss of XP – it was worth trying. If I could pull it off, then I would potentially have a new ally in the Outer Rim; one that would one day control a sector connected to two major hyperspace lanes and near Sith, Mandalorian, and Mon Calamari space. Yes, I'd not had any dealings with the Mon Cala yet, but I did plan to visit them and examine any fledgling starship industry they might have.

"Yes, they do seem to be acting incredibly territorial toward the princess, which might be why she's making sure to keep you close." Hara takes a sip from her glass, one filled with the local nectar wine. "Still, with you coming here today, something I expect you shall do with the other delegations; I hope that the pace of our talks will accelerate. While I expect them to take time, I do hope to return home before the year is up."

Hara was taking a shot at me there, yes, but it was one I deserved. Trying to dive right into the negotiations without getting to know the various delegations and their needs beforehand had been a foolish move. One that wasted all the time we had before the celebration paused the talks. In hindsight, it was obvious I should've reached out to the delegates on the first day, but as always, hindsight was a bitch.

"If they do, I suspect King Medes will request Master Ti take over the talks. Which is something I believe you and the other delegates would prefer."

Hara swirled around her glass, watching the wine as it spun around inside without ever spilling out. "I admit that the Togruta would've made for an easier read to begin the negotiations. While I haven't dealt with her personally, Adascorp has, and she is well-known enough that details of previous talks where she was a leading figure are available for the right price. I am still confused as to why the Jedi felt you should lead instead of your master."

"She isn't my master, per se, just the senior Jedi on this mission," that made Hara's brow rise. "The High Council felt I should lead the talks, which to any who don't understand the Force, could seem an illogical choice. However, as much as it can confuse other Jedi as well, from the decisions they've made regarding my friends and me, they often make the correct call." That was grade-A bull, but it was the same basic spiel I'd given to Ce Serd and Hego Damask when I'd spoken to them earlier today.

The IGBC had been the first group I'd spoken to, simply so Plagueis wouldn't know what to expect from my request for a private discussion. Hara, and through her, Adascorp, was the second delegate I'd spoken with and so far, the requests and demands were logical.

As I had half-expected beforehand, the IGBC had a baseline requirement for accepting any part in the combined contract of having the controlling financial stake. They could manage that with ease as none of the other delegations could match their size and financial power. They also wished for favourable tax breaks and trade status for a select list of companies under their direct control for the length of the contract. Those were all reasonable, while their request to be the Zygerrians' first port of call for financing for any future projects over the next one hundred years was a smart one as it guaranteed them a place at the next negotiation table without having to jump through any hoops placed on them by the Zygerrians.

One thing that wasn't directly stated, but seemed to have been implied by Ce Serd, was that the IGBC didn't want direct control of any particular section of the contract – outside of financial sections – merely requesting that companies under their control were brought on board in every sector as a junior partner at a minimum. I felt I could get the others to agree to that, but since I still had to speak with SoroSuub and Mandalmotors, I hadn't implied it could be done, merely that I would consider it.

Adascorp's redline – not that they called it that – was controlling interest in all sections of the contract that dealt primarily with medical and bioengineering elements, and at least junior interest in any section where those two areas were mentioned as secondary requirements. They also wanted to be the first port of call for any new contracts dealing primarily with medical issues with the promise that such deals would be profitable for both parties. Like the IGBC, those requests felt doable and made logical sense given their company's fields of expertise.

The biggest surprise of Hara's requests was for a subsidiary of theirs to serve as at least a junior partner on any terraforming efforts that the contract specified might be enacted if the initial half of the contract was completed on time and under budget. That wasn't taking a step too far outside their supposed comfort zone, but it would give them expertise in the field which I assumed they'd use in future to take control of similar agreements with other galactic sectors.

Their other requests, such as being made favourable trade partners, becoming the supplier of Zygerrian medical products to the wider galactic market and minor – between five and ten per cent – stakes in several local companies with interests aligned with Adascorp, should be doable. Though the request for minor stakes was something I'd have to speak directly with King Medes about.

With those details in mind, and having estimates of what SoroSuub and Mandalmotors would consider redlines, I felt the talks, once they resumed, should progress much faster. It would still take considerable time as there'd be a lot of haggling over the smaller details, but much of the final contract would be split along company interests with only minor overlap. Or so I hoped.

"Since the workings of the Jedi are a mystery to me, I will have to take your word on the matter." Hara leaned back and took another sip of her glass, seemingly finishing it. "I prefer to place my faith in science, facts, and figures." I nodded in agreement, as I could understand that logic. Even after eight years of interacting with the Force, it still confused the hell out of me at times.

The Force might have a plan for the galaxy as a whole, but it was indecipherable to me – and others, I suspected – not least as the Force wasn't alive in a way most would understand. Oddly, I was fine with that as I had little interest in understanding its plan, nor, at least fully, knowing what it was. So long as its goal, whatever that truly was, wasn't diametrically opposed to mine, I was happy to let it do what it did. Hopefully, it would agree and never work directly against me.

My vambrace beeped just as an attendant came over and refilled Hara's glass. I sighed as I saw who the message was from, and what it was about. "My apologies Lady Hara, but it seems Princess Miraj has once more requested my presence."

Hara laughed gently as the attendant moved away. "Of course, of course. While I would have enjoyed speaking with you further, it wouldn't be wise to insult the daughter of our host. Nor deny the young princess the pleasure of an admittedly handsome young Jedi such as yourself."

I nodded in acceptance of her comment, especially the hint that she found me attractive. Like much of this talk and the times around the negotiating table, I felt that it was designed simply to unbalance me and allow her the upper hand. It was something the delegates all seemed to do instinctively, and I found myself unwilling to take anything they said at face value.

"I suspect that once the talks resume, her interest in me will shift. I am, to be blunt, nothing more than a new bauble for the princess to be enamoured with until her interest passes." I placed my glass down on the table and stood. "Thank you for allowing me this time to smooth out the issues you and your company have with the current status of the talks," I said as I extended my hand to her.

She rose to meet me, and as she did, I gently took her hand and brought it to my lips, kissing the back of it. "It was my pleasure. I am grateful for you doing so, and now understand our positions. I look forward to seeing the talks accelerate once they resume," she replied with a smile.

"As do I, my lady," I added as I released her hand. As I turned, one of her assistants stepped toward a door. They'd guide me from the room, much as they'd escorted me in.

While I disliked these talks, as the finer points of business negotiations were about as much fun as taking a lava bath on Mustafar, I accepted I had to endure them. The discussion I'd just had with Hara, along with the one I'd had with the IGBC and those to come with the other delegations, would move things along. And once I was free of this, I'd be able to focus on next year and the invasion that would occur.

… …

… …

I moved to one side, letting the thrust from the Zygerrian attacking me miss so badly that the gap left was big enough that I could fit Miraj into it. The male was skilled enough to at least adapt to that, and started to shift his momentum. The blade curled in the air as it shifted direction and came at me, though, by the time it did, I'd already leapt clear. The Force propelled me further than otherwise possible and I landed with ease about five metres from him.

"Stand still!" That snarled demand came from Dist Traldal, my impromptu opponent as he gnashed his teeth in anger at missing yet another attack. "Fight back!" He added as he rushed toward me, his latest attack piercing nothing but air as I glided around him.

"Why would I do that?" I asked as I slid back from a light slash aimed at my thigh. He thrust forward again, his anger unbalancing him. This time I didn't pull back, moving to the outside of his arm and driving my elbow down on his arm, just above his wrist. He stumbled but retained the grip on his blade even as I shoulder-checked him and he moved away, struggling to keep his balance.

If I'd had my beskad out, I could've easily removed the arm if I'd wanted, which would've ended the duel, though calling it that was overly polite to Dist. Or I could've drawn blood and scored one of the three points needed to win this little exhibition. However, as with the last six times I'd landed a strike against him since we'd begun, I hadn't drawn my blade, only using my body to land a blow. Each time, that had angered the Zygerrian further, which was my intention along with showing everyone how dreadfully outmatched he was.

I sensed a lingering sense of displeasure from Master Ti at this duel taking place, which had started when I'd accepted Dist's challenge. Given her love of unorthodox combat, she seemed relaxed about my taunting of Dist. Or at least I felt she didn't mind as there'd been no hint of anything whenever I commented on his inability to strike me.

Off to one side, I could see Miraj and others watching, the princess cheering every time Dist missed, which seemed to inflame his rage more than me making him miss. Miraj had insisted I take this challenge, even though Dist and his friends – though most seemed to be enjoying watching him flail – had interrupted my training session with Miraj. I'd been teaching her some basic velocities that worked with a beskad when they'd arrived and Dist had begun stage-whispering comments on my teaching and skill. I'd let them go as a quick use of Observe had listed him as a Low threat at best, but Miraj hadn't. She'd responded that I was far beyond his slight skill with a blade, and when Dist had challenged me to prove that Miraj had accepted on my behalf.

As Miraj explained the rule to me – either draw blood three times or get your blade into a killing position without doing so – she'd imparted more information about my opponent. Dist came from a semi-important family with his father being the duke of a major city on another continent. He, like the other males in his group, was jockeying for Miraj's hand to improve their status and that of their family.

This might've been something that actually happened in canon, but I'd never know. Plus, Miraj disliked Dist after he'd done something she wasn't willing to comment on, and wanted to see me defeat him badly. I felt she hoped that my doing so would end his attempted courtship of her, though I hoped this didn't increase her interest in me.

Yes, I had the quest linked to her, but I didn't want her to get the wrong idea about why I was tutoring her. While I'd yet to let her use her blade against anything more than air, she listened intently and took every criticism I offered without complaint. That was a good sign, and I expected this duel, which hadn't generated any quest since Miraj had accepted it before I could, would further help improve her opinion of me. Though Force help me if her physical interest turned into anything more than a teenage crush. I didn't need to deal with more of that.

Nor the growing desire I could sense from the few female Zygerrians in the room. The males seemed conflicted, not enjoying seeing one of their number being soundly handled by me, but also enthused; probably as they felt Dist being embarrassed here today would remove him as competition. There was some worry as well and all that made sense. Zygerrians were a predatorial species and believed that 'Might makes Right'. Yes, I might be an off-worlder and a Jedi, but I carried myself like a warrior, and as they were seeing now, could back it up.

I turned my attention to Dist as he regained his balance and turned toward me once more. His face was marred with rage. Rage that he was unable to fulfil as for the five minutes this duel had been going on, he'd not even managed to slice my robes. If I wanted to, I'd already seen four moments where I could've drawn my beskad and ended this duel, but even without the quest linked to Miraj, I'd have drawn this out. His overall attitude and behaviour in the brief time I'd known him had soured my opinion of him and I wanted to ensure he understood he was nothing more than an insignificant footnote on a backwater planet.

Dist swung low, aiming for my knee. The move was slow; sloppy. However, I had no interest in pointing out his flaws, preferring to exploit them to further his humiliation. I lifted my leg with plenty of time remaining to avoid the swing and then brought it down sharply. Sparks erupted as the blade screeched against the floor. His shoulder tensed, planning to pull the blade free and attempt to unbalance me, but I was already airborne before he could move.

As I sailed over him, the Force taking me higher than I could otherwise do, I let my foot trail behind. A resounding crunch echoed around the room as my heel collided with his face. I landed with ease, the striking foot sliding behind me as I dropped low, adopting a rather dramatic pose. Dooku would chide me from here to Coruscant for the unnecessary flamboyance of the landing, but it served its purpose.

I stood and shook the foot that had struck him. "One," I called out loudly and clearly as Dist lifted a hand to his face. As his eyes flickered in anger as he saw the blood on his hand, I tapped the sheath of my beskad, making it abundantly clear I'd scored without the need for a blade.

As I'd expected and hoped, that enraged Dist. After another loud snarl, he rushed toward me, his blade lifted high above his head. The strike was so pathetically predictable that even a Youngling just starting to use the Force could avoid it before it landed. Hell, I could've avoided that in my old life even before I'd joined the military.

The wild overhead slash missed badly, and even as he struggled for balance, he yanked his arm back, forcing the blade into a wide, almost uncontrolled slash. I smirked as it sailed harmlessly between us. "Stop cheating!" He snarled as he brought the blade around, slashing again even as balance further eluded him.

"How exactly am I cheating?" I asked as that slash again cut through only air. I added to his rage by slapping his arm as it flew past, and smirked as he stumbled away, barely avoiding face-planting into the floor.

Dist's head whipped around, his free hand having been forced out to stop his fall. "You're a Jedi! All you do is cheat!"

I laughed at that. "Dist, let me be clear. I'm holding back. My lightsaber is resting over there," I pointed toward Master Ti who was holding the weapon for me, "nor am I using the Force against you." I extended my arms and smirked. "The fact that with me holding back, you can't even cut my robes… That reflects more on your lack of skill than any abilities that I possess that you don't."

Dist snarled and once more charged. I could see the thin line of control he held over his animalistic nature was slipping, which was exactly what I wanted. Yes, the angrier he got, the more uncontrollable he'd be, but it would ensure his reputation would be shattered among the Zygerrians. I didn't want this duel to somehow blow up on me and whenever I returned here to discover he'd somehow risen to rule. No, I needed him embarrassed so badly that no one would consider him worthy of any position of power ever again.

Dist's arm surged forward, attempting to skewer me with his blade. Though like every attack he'd tried since this duel had started, I was able to avoid it with ease. "I mean, I haven't even drawn my blade, and already I've made you taste your own blood. This fight was over before it began, you are simply too blinded by your rage and ego to see it."

A flick of his wrist had the blade's tip race toward my wrist. Wanting him to fully commit to the attack, I pulled my arm back at the last moment. As the blade sailed past, and he rotated his arm to arrest the weapon's momentum, I grabbed his wrist. Sending my forearm up into his elbow and wrenching his blade out of his hand before reversing my momentum as I spun him around and over my shoulder.

"Two," I proclaimed as I saw his arm. The expensive-looking clothing he'd been wearing was cut and a deep gash had appeared near his elbow. Dist lifted the arm, the wound dripping blood onto the hard floor, and then, with rage dominating his thoughts, leapt at me.

Without the Force, those claws would've struck my face. Zygerrians were stronger and faster than baseline Humans. However, with the Force providing only moderate boosts to my reflexes and sight, I could pick out small cracks in two of his claws and see the veins in his hands as they surged toward my body.

I leaned back and turned, ensuring his claws wouldn't strike me if my next action failed. It didn't and I easily gripped one of his arms. I shifted my rear leg and pulled on the arm. The shift in position, which took place within a second, caught him off-guard, and as his feet left the ground, I rotated my shoulders.

He landed face-first on the ground even as I maintained my lock on his arm, and a crunch echoed around the room as I drove my foot into his jaw. Seeing his body twisting, trying to get his free arm around for a strike, I rolled over him, keeping a grip on his arm. His body twisted awkwardly as I pulled the arm behind his back, and I smirked as I heard the shoulder pop.

Before he could shift around, I let go of his arm with one hand and drove the elbow from it down into his back, a faint crack just reaching my ears as my joint crashed into the back of his ribcage. I then pushed the arm I was holding down and stepped back. "Three," I called out as he turned, blood flowing profusely from his earlier broken nose and merging with a trail coming from a shattered eardrum.

That meant the duel was now over, but the bloodlust in Dist's eyes made it clear he no longer cared. Rage surged from him in waves, consuming any control he'd once held. My hand drifted to the hilt of my beskad as he spun round, grimacing as he tried to move his dislocated arm, and then leapt at me, his good arm leading his body. Yet before he could reach me, he stopped in mid-air.

"This fight is over," Master Ti called out loudly as I saw her walking toward us, one hand extended out from her body, aimed at the floating Dist. "Accept your defeat and learn from it." With that, she lowered her hand and Dist dropped unceremoniously to the floor, groaning as he came down heavily on the dislocated arm.

I turned and offered Master Ti a nod of thanks, yet as I did the Force rippled with a warning. I pivoted, returning my attention to Dist, part of the blade of my beskad coming into view as I moved to pull it free. Dist was closing fast, his face contorted by fury as his working arm rushed toward my face. At this range, I knew I had no choice but to remove his hand to avoid another set of facial scars. Yet, as the beskad slid from its sheath, Dist tumbled away to the side; slammed into by a blue bolt.

"Enough!" I turned from him to see Miraj holding a DH-17 pistol, smoke rising from the barrel as she aimed it at the downed Zygerrian. It took a split-second for me to realize that the bolt wasn't lethal as she continued, "Dist Traldal, you are banished from my presence and these royal grounds!" Dist hissed on the ground, which made Miraj narrow her eyes. "Leave now before you embarrass your house further and force me to speak with my father about their position of power!"

After a few moments to regain his senses after the stun blast, Dist blinked in shock at her threat and slowly moved, showing impressive resilience to a stun bolt. I didn't understand much about the power dynamics of the Zygerrian people, but if things were even semi-close to what I know of feudal-styled societies, kings and queens often removed power from lower families over trivial issues. Dist's attack on me was far from that, and it seemed the young princess knew this, and that the threat of his family losing influence and power would be enough for Dist to withdraw.

Dist snorted in anger and spat blood at my feet even as his eyes narrowed as he glared at me. For a second, I wondered if he wouldn't take the warning, but he did. Without any look at the armed princess, he turned and stalked from the room, his good hand cradling his damaged arm. A small group of Zygerrians rushed to help him, including one female. She reached out to him, but he snarled and slapped her hand away hard enough that she stumbled. Instead of following Dist out, the female snarled at Dist's retreating form and then turned. As she marched back to the other Zygerrians, fire in her eyes, I turned to Miraj and smiled.

"My thanks, princess," I began as I walked toward her even as she holstered the small pistol. Now that I knew it was there, I could see how she'd hidden it, and why she'd need a holdout blaster. "Sadly, it appears Dist has yet to learn to control his more... aggressive nature."

Miraj smiled as her eyes found mine and I sensed a spike in her desire and arousal. "No, it is I who should apologise. You and Master Ti are guests on our world. Dist Traldal has always been… overly sure of himself. Safe in the knowledge that his father's influence allows him much leeway. He often duels what he considers easy opponents or rivals, and goes further than needed to prove his superiority." She stepped closer, a hand coming to rest on my forearm. "Today, he learnt that he isn't the duellist he believes he is." Her eyes drifted down, though thankfully to my beskad and not my groin. "Still, I had hoped to see you use your blade today. Or at least your lightsaber."

I smiled as my eyes darted to Master Ti moving slowly toward us. "A Jedi only draws their lightsaber in combat if left with no other choice, princess. As for my beskad, Dist was never a threat, not until it appeared he might lose control and give in to his baser instincts." Miraj almost purred as I said that, and even without the Force, her desire was easy to see. "Even then, doing so would only have served to prove how unworthy he was, and possibly embarrass him to a point he might never learn from today." Behind Miraj, I saw Master Ti give me a slight nod of possible approval. "However, if Master Ti permits, we could spar with our lightsabers as it has been some time since we'd trained. I should warn you, princess, that the spar would be as one-sided as the duel you just witnessed; with me taking the role of Dist."

"Padawan Shan is widely recognized as one of the Order's most exceptional young duellists, yet he is correct in stating that he has not yet attained the level of skill required to challenge a Jedi Master." A smile danced on Master Ti's lips as she spoke, and I knew that while offering me a compliment, she was also driving home just how far I still had to go. Which was fucking annoying as my skill with the first six forms were at least in the high Professional range, yet I felt as if I was still missing something. It was almost as if the Interface was somehow limiting what I could do with a Lightsaber and the Force, but that just had to be a trick of my mind. "Still, he has defeated several Jedi Knights in spars; something few Padawans are ever able to claim at such a young age."

"Master Ti is kind with her words, but I'm still far from challenging her or Master Dooku." that drew a tinkling laugh from Master Ti. "I hope with time and experience I might one day be able to do so. However, I fear it might take decades to achieve that."

"It is good to have goals, Padawan, and I am glad you understand what it will take to achieve that goal. To think otherwise… can lead to embarrassment, as we have just witnessed."

"Yes, Master."

"I hope that before the negotiations are concluded I might observe a spar between Jedi," Miraj said slowly, her hand still resting on my arm, a slight edge to her tone that likely came from being ignored for a few moments. "However, for now, I wish to return to my lesson."

"As you wish, Princess," Master Ti replied with a bow before turning to me. "Once the lesson is concluded, please return to your chambers, and contact me. We must review today's negotiations and determine which areas to discuss tomorrow." I nodded in agreement, glad to finally see the talks not only resume but get somewhere.

It'd been a week since we'd resumed the talks, and with me now armed with ideas of what each party wanted, it hadn't taken long to work out a basic schedule. Each day brought progress, though some of it was minimal. Still, armed with an understanding of what each delegation wanted from the talks at a minimum, and what they hoped for, I had the wiggle room I needed to lay out the general areas of the massive contract the Zygerrians were offering and know roughly how each delegation would regard those areas.

Things were still slow going, but so long as there were no major setbacks, I felt we could be concluded in around a month. Though I was now in the odd place of wanting to keep the pace slow. I'd started making what felt like genuine progress with Miraj – something shown by Dist risking a duel with me – and if the talks progressed too rapidly, then I might struggle to leave enough of a lasting impression on her to have anything more than an outside chance of success at her linked quest.

That said, I wasn't going to purposely sabotage the talks simply for a possible future benefit. No, given the choice, I'd choose to leave this system as soon as I could. Time was slowly turning against me as the starting gun towards the Naboo conflict was, at best, not much more than a year away and I needed time to prepare for that.

… …

… …

"Arrgh!" I growled in frustration as the doors to my assigned quarters slid shut behind me. Stomping toward the small sofa, I threw my robes on a nearby chair and sunk into a comfortable seat.

Since resuming the talks, everything had been going decently. Yes, there had been some days where barely any progress had been made due to vibrant discussions over the finer details of a certain section of the contract. For example, yesterday had revolved around the distribution of processed food from a colony about two lightyears from Zygerria, centring on where the food should be sent, which companies and sub-companies should be used, and the exact nature of the division of control. It was a minor thing, but with the size of the contract, even something like that could take hours, or in yesterday's case, a day, to sort out.

However, today was the first time that negotiations had ground to a halt. Vundu Plast had wanted to reopen the discussion on control of the local manufacturing of cargo vessels for several mining operations in remote systems. This had been sorted weeks ago, with Adascorp and Mandalmotors agreeing on a joint venture, yet Plast wanted to renegotiate to gain SoroSuub full control of the venture. That made no sense since there'd been no hint at the time it had come up, nor when I'd spoken to her privately about SoroSuub's requirements for a shared contract. And then, when the other companies rejected reopening the matter, Plast hadn't let the matter go, threatening to reopen every part of the contract already agreed upon. The impasse had dragged on all day, until, in the late afternoon, with hours still available in the day but no progress on anything being made, Master Ti had suggested we retire for the day and return tomorrow with cooler heads.

I really hoped whatever bugs had crawled up the Sullustan's arses left as if this continued tomorrow, I knew my temper would begin to fray. Hell, if it kept up for more than a few days, I'd consider suggesting to King Medes that he remove them entirely from the talks. Yes, that would force some elements to be reopened, but gaining consensus from four groups was easier than doing so from five.

"Ah!" I slapped the sofa's arm, hearing it creak at how hard I'd smacked it. "Why do they have to be so kriffing stupid?!" I raged to the empty room. It wouldn't offer a response, but there was something therapeutic in yelling out my frustrations over these talks. It wasn't the Jedi way of handling things, but it worked for me.

After some time, with my rage slowly calming, I sat up and poured myself a glass of mando papuur'gal Dred Yomaget had gifted me with a case of and I'd found myself enjoying a glass each night to take the edge off. Now, I'd have preferred some Ne'tra Gal, but Master Ti had been adamant that I didn't need hard liquor in my quarters. Until today, I'd been fine with that, but right now I could do with a few stiff shots of something stronger than wine.

I tilted the glass back and grunted as I realised I'd downed the whole thing in one go. I leaned forward to refill the glass, only to stop. Getting drunk was tempting, but even though I could easily clear the hangover and other effects of the alcohol, I was sure Master Ti would sense if I became inebriated and I'd rather not have a talk tomorrow about being mindful of excess. Not to mention, however unlikely it was, there was a chance that getting drunk would somehow make Dark Side Masking slip. It was in the high Master range, meaning it seemed to be enough to fool even Master Fay, but no power was fool proof.

Thus, with a growl of frustration, I placed the glass back on the table and then stood. I began pacing the room, trying to drive the anger over SoroSuub's odd behaviour from me. My eyes lingered on a jug of water, and I considered spending some time working on Inanimate Conversion, as I'd done on some other evenings, but decided against it. Given the mood I was in, it probably wasn't wise to consider changing water into anything else, as the urge to create a poison that worked on Sullustans held some appeal.

Instead, after lifting various objects in the room closer to the walls with the Force, I moved into the cleared space and began moving meditation. Alchaka wasn't yet Maxed out, and I had no need to refresh my FP, but I'd long since started doing this as a way to unwind and centre myself.

My body moved around slowly, taking its time to draw out the moves and velocities of the half-dozen styles of fighting I knew. My eyes closed and I tempered my breathing, getting into a calm, steady rhythm. Like always, the air around me felt as if it was reacting to my movements, and I soon felt something which I believed to be the Force begin to not only sense my movements but mimic them.

Time slipped away as I let my mind clear, gliding around the room with the Force as my only companion. I felt the eddies of the Force shift around me as I moved, brushing against my skin and providing a calming, relaxing presence for my turbulent mind. Letting m….

"…we're not afraid to die for a worthy cause."

I stumbled forward, the voice floating to me through the Force disturbing my thoughts and forcing me out of Alchaka. I blinked, remembering where I was, and whose voice that was. "What?" I muttered as I realised that I'd somehow heard Master Giiett through the Force. His words sounded fatal, and I felt a hand clench around my lungs, which only increased when a small red blinking dot appeared in the corner of my vision. With a sinking feeling in my stomach, I opened the notice and groaned.

Quest Failed!
Changing Fate (Giiett)
Result:
-800XP
Loss of an ally on the High Council.
...

"Fuck." The word slipped easily from my mouth as I stepped back and slumped onto the sofa and stared up at the ceiling. Giiett was dead, but I didn't know how or why. This might've been the canon event that had killed him, or something else brought on because of my existence. Either way, he was gone, and I'd failed the quest linked to him. As bad as it sounded, this helped highlight the flaw I'd made early on at the Temple of accepting every quest offered by the Interface. Still, that was secondary beyond learning how and why Giiett was dead.

I stood and strode for the door, pulling my robes to me with the Force. They slipped over my shoulders as I stepped into the corridor and my arms were inside them as I reached Master Ti's door. I pressed the buzzer, and a second later the door slid open.

"Pada…"

"Something is wrong, Master," I said, cutting her off. She frowned and stepped back, allowing me access to her quarters. "I was meditating, using Alchaka to clear my frustrations from today's talks," I began as I walked into her small sitting area, which was a mirror of mine, even down to most of the furniture being close to the walls. "I was forced out of it when I heard a voice in the Force, one I kno…" My words trailed off as I turned to face her and saw she wasn't wearing her robes. Or much of anything for that matter. All that she had on were undergarments that were akin to skin-tight workout clothes that did nothing to hide the shape of what lay underneath. Putting that from my mind I continued. "I heard Master Giiett's voice. . . " I said trailing off as I felt my throat clench slightly.

The slight frown she had deepened. "Might I ask what you heard him say?"

"We-" I paused slightly, clearing my throat" We're not afraid to die for a worthy cause," I repeated slowly. "I, I think he might be dead, Master."

She shook her head and stepped closer. "I find it highly unlikely both that a member of the High Council is dead, and that you sensed it and I did not." She slipped past me and as I turned, my eyes drifted lower, taking in the way the shorts she wore hugged her arse. "Still, I will contact the Temple to confirm if anything is amiss. First, however, perhaps you might explain why you believe you sensed the death of a Jedi Master when I have not?"

"I…" I licked my lips and raised my eyes to her face as she turned and settled into her sofa. I took a moment to consider how I wanted to explain this to her. I knew Giiett was dead, but I had no way beyond the Interface to confirm that. Getting my thoughts in order I sat, though not on the sofa next to her but on a seat nearby. While I knew nothing would happen, being close to her in her current state of undress was a situation I'd like to avoid.

… …

… …

I watched, trying to not fidget in agitation as Vundu Plast added her seal to the five copies of the contract. Hara Adasca, Ce Serd, and Dred Yomaget had already added theirs, but until Plast and King Medes added their seals, I wasn't going to hope the negotiations were over. It'd been a little over a month since the celebration for Miraj's ascension to heir to the throne, and the talks were finally, barring anything insane, done and dusted.

After Plast attached her company's seal, she stood. I moved forward and collected the five copies of the contract, which rather amusingly were actual paper cover pages for the digital contracts and walked toward the royal table. Around me, various cameras flashed, and drones buzzed, recording this moment for news reports across the galaxy and records in the Senate archives.

"Your Majesty," I said with a slight smile as I slid the documents in front of him. He smiled back as he picked up the royal seal and I moved to one side, granting him the spotlight. I watched, my relief at this mission almost being finished growing with each document he affirmed his seal upon. He paused at the final document and looked at the cameras, reporters, and various assembled dignitaries from across the sector and beyond. "With this seal, Zygerria and her tributaries enter a new era. One in which, with the help of the corporations gathered here today, and the work of the Jedi to my left, will lift our sector from a remote outpost of the Republic in the Outer Rim into a major centre for trade and commerce for centuries to come!"

As he affixed the seal to the final document, the gathered crowd, myself, Master Ti, and the delegations burst into applause. While ours were reserved, the crowd was much more enthusiastic about it. In the corner of my vision, a small blue dot appeared, signalling the quest linked to this mission was complete. The quest's name – Knightly Diplomacy – hinted at this having something to do with me becoming a Jedi Knight, but nothing in the description, objectives or requirements backed that up.

I had to close my eyes for a moment as the flashes from the various cameras and drones drowned the area in light. I strained to keep smiling as even with my eyes closed, I could see the flashes going off and as I slowly opened my eyes, I had to resist an urge to slap away two drones that had floated too close to me.

I turned away as the flashlights dulled and blinked, trying to clear my sight. A hand came to rest on my shoulder, and I turned back to see Medes standing close to me. "I am wise enough to admit that when I was first informed you would be leading the negotiations I was… uncertain about it," he began, a wide smile on his face exposing most of his sharp teeth. "Yes, you carried yourself as a warrior should, and bare the scars of previous hunts, but I had little understanding of how you would perform at the negotiating table."

I bit back a chuckle. "I was even less sure of that than you, your majesty. However, the High Council and Master Ti had faith in me to complete the talks, and I was reluctant to let that faith be misplaced."

Medes laughed, sounding like a relaxed lion and he patted my shoulder. "Yes, it seems they saw something that neither of us did. At least not at first." He turned slightly, removing his hand from my shoulder. "A great warrior doesn't always make a good leader, which is why even great leaders surround themselves with advisors wiser than themselves." He glanced past me, in the general direction of Master Ti. "If I might be so bold, our sector has been without a Jedi since the reign of my father." He looked at the gathered crowds for a second. "We Zygerrians are a proud people, disliking outsiders interfering in our affairs and telling us how we should behave." I slapped down an urge to comment about them used to be a slaving empire as he continued. "However, after your help, I find myself open to the idea of the Jedi returning to the sector."

I lowered my head. "I'm sure Master Ti and I could add some backing to such a request, your majesty." Even as I replied, I suspected he had a certain Jedi in mind and while that would make convincing Miraj easier, it would leave me trapped at the very edge of the galaxy, unable to influence events as the drums of war began to sound across the Republic.

"Ha!" Medes took a half-step back and seemed to examine me. "From what Master Ti has told me, only Jedi Knights and Masters are allowed to be assigned as sector guardians. I wonder how much longer I should wait before submitting my request?"

I smiled and bowed. "You honour me, your majesty," I said before rising, taking the time to fine-tune a reason to reject his offer. I couldn't turn him down flat as that would insult his race and position, and I didn't want to offend him as there was a chance that I might be able to use Miraj and her people in the years to come. "However, I haven't given much thought as to what I might do whenever the Council deems me worthy of promotion. I suspect I will have several more years, at least, to consider that."

Yes, Knightly Diplomacy by its name alone hinted I was close, and I had a quest to become a Jedi Knight before Padmé became queen, but if I pulled that off I'd be an outlier. Most Jedi weren't knighted until their mid-twenties, though exceptional cases did exist, something proven by Mace Windu being made a Master and given a seat on the Council at an age many were just becoming Knights.

"True. Still, I hope that when they see the wisdom in promoting you, you might consider returning to our sector. Even if you aren't assigned here, many in my court, and family, would be disappointed if you forgot about us." He turned and made me do so as well until we saw Miraj talking with her mother, Master Ti, and Hara Adasca.

"For the most part, I have enjoyed my time on your world, your majesty. Far more than I initially expected I would," I said slowly, watching Miraj try to keep her boredom with whatever Hara was discussing from her face. "However, a Jedi goes where the Force and the High Council guides them." As I continued, Miraj caught us watching, and a smile came to her face. Her mother and Master Ti turned to see why she was suddenly smiling, and upon seeing us, both women smiled as well. "Still, whenever I am knighted, if the position is still unfilled, I will meditate on the matter and ask the Force for guidance."

Medes chuckled deeply. "That is all I can ask. I understand the… temptation of exploring the galaxy, of challenging yourself against worthy adversaries and proving yourself superior, or discovering about how much you still have to learn." I nodded and my mind drifted back a few weeks.

Back then, Miraj had finally convinced Master Ti to allow me and her to spar with our lightsabers. And when it was time for the demonstration, Miraj corralled not only the rest of her family but the delegations and other prominent figures into watching. As I'd warned Miraj, Master Ti had won, though she had gone easier on me than in the Temple; almost as if she found it amusing to see Miraj's interest in me.

Afterwards, Medes had asked to spar with Master Ti herself. Again, Master Ti had won with ease, though Medes had done well enough to land a blow on the agile Togrutan Jedi. Rhork had also challenged Master Ti, but instead, she'd suggested I spar with him and perhaps demonstrate some Mandalorian fighting styles.

Rhork was older and more experienced in the Mandalorian martial arts than either I or Bo were, and I refrained from using the force, thus it had been my loss. Thankfully, neither of us emerged with anything more than some mild injuries that healed in a few days – bacta and the Force helped there – and no delay to the negotiations was required.

"Your majesty," Medes turned as his Prime Minister, Ardis Crelat, approached. Crelat leaned in and whispered something into Medes' ear.

"Yes, yes," Medes said as Crelat pulled back before he turned to me. "Forgive me, but my duties as head of state require my attention. I hope we might return to our conversation at the closing banquet?"

"Certainly, your majesty," I replied with a bow. As the pair walked away, I turned, hoping to slip away and read the quest completion notice. However, just as I reached a spot where I could disappear for a few minutes, I sensed someone approaching.

I turned to see Ce Serd. "Representative Serd."

"Padawan Shan," Serd looked around, "my congratulations on bringing the talks to a successful conclusion. The contract, while not one I had hoped for, is one all parties can profit from, and provided we all are forthright in our dealings, improve cooperation between the IGBC and the other corporations. Even the Zygerrians gained more from the deal than they might otherwise have."

"I did what I could, Representative," I replied slowly, wondering why he was seeking me out. He appeared nervous, and I was concerned Damask had returned. "And I'm looking forward to returning to Coruscant and the Jedi Temple."

"Yes, I too am looking forward to returning to my home." Again, Serd looked around, and an odd expression came over his face, one that had my hand drift toward my lightsaber. "However, before the closing banquet, I have been asked to pass a small token of esteem and thanks from Magister Damask. Both for you successfully completing these talks and for your actions in saving him several years ago on Mandalore."

"While I'm honoured the Magister is happy with the completion of the talks, and is grateful for what happened in Keldabe, as a Jedi, there is no need from him to provide a reward." That and I was reluctant to take anything from Plagueis as, even if it was a seemingly innocent gift, it was a gift from a Sith Lord.

Serd smiled. "The Magister predicted you might say that. He requested that I be clear in saying that this is more a thanks for your actions on Mandalore than these talks. To quote him, he wouldn't be alive today if not for your quick and decisive actions in Mandalmotors tower. Additionally, he was quite insistent that I was to deliver this token of his esteem to you regardless of the outcome of the talks."

I sighed softly and nodded as I accepted the praise. There was little it seemed I could do that wouldn't have me accepting Plagueis' gift. Yet I had to wonder what his angle was. When he'd arrived on Zygerria during the celebration of Miraj's birthday and ascension to the position of heir to the throne, I'd expected he, like Dred Yomaget, would remain until the end of the negotiations. However, after speaking with me a half-dozen times during the celebrations, he left before the talks resumed.

Ever since his arrival, I'd been on edge. Hell, even with him leaving I'd stayed concerned. I knew he and Darth Sidious were monitoring me, but I hadn't expected Plagueis to do so publicly. From the light research I'd done – I'd avoided delving too deep into the Hego Damask persona on the off chance it was monitored by the Sith – I'd discovered that until his appearance on Mandalore, Damask had become something of a recluse. Hell, even since then, there was no record of him moving in public. At least not until his arrival on Zygerria.

Even that would likely not become public knowledge as, apart from myself, Ce Serd, and King Medes, I was led to believe that no one knew he was on-planet. If people did, then there was a chance they'd link me to Damask as I'd been at both known locations where he'd been in the last few years. That would generate confusion for sure as if I didn't know he was Darth Plagueis, I'd be confused by the interest he was showing in me.

"What happened that day on Mandalore was beyond my control, though me being there was the will of the Force," I replied, hoping he'd pass on my words directly even as I once more cursed the insanity of me having to 'save' a Dark Lord of the Sith. Well, better to call him a Banite Sith as King Adas had been quite insistent that neither Plagueis nor Sidious were worthy of being called Sith Lords. The memory of his anger when I revealed how the Sith in this era were behaving brought a cold shiver, as it did every time I remembered it. "Any thanks regarding my actions that day should be offered to it and not me."

"Yes, quite," Ce said, clearly uncertain of how to respond to my remark about the Force being responsible for Damask's survival. "Still, the Magister was insistent that upon completion of the negotiations, I inform you of his token and arrange delivery of it to your vessel, which I have already done." He paused and looked around before leaning closer. "On that note, several members of the IGBC board are curious as to how your Sekotan vessel survived while every other known one, for lack of a better term, died."

"I can't go into details regarding the matter, Representative," I replied slowly. "The matter is one your board should discuss with the Jedi High Council and Senate directly if you wish to know. While I am aware of the reasons for the death of most Sekotan ships, I'm under instruction to not speak about it to non-Jedi." That wasn't technically true, but I'd rather not have the Sith looking into the bond I shared with my ship. They might well try and use that bond as a way to manipulate or control me or even hurt Raven: which was something I'd never allow. Plus, as a bonus, I could stick it to a bunch of insanely rich bankers by simply having something they couldn't. "As for the token. Since the Magister has already arranged for its delivery to my vessel, it appears there is little I can do but accept it graciously. Please pass along my thanks for it and a reminder that as a Jedi I don't require gifts for doing what I do, to the Magister the next time you speak with him."

Serd nodded. "Certainly." With that, he moved away, yet my thoughts were on Damask. This gift had to be some sort of trap or ploy. Possibly it might even contain a tracker so he could monitor my movements. Yet, there was little I could do about it for now. The idea of accidentally spacing it did occur, but that might raise more suspicion than placing it in a sealed container in Raven's cargo hold. No, I knew I had to hold onto it until I next ran into him.

Though I did wonder if I would as, going by canon events, I felt he had to die before, or not long after, the invasion of Naboo and Palpatine's ascension to Chancellor. Yet something that kept me up at night whenever I wondered about the steps the Sith would take after Naboo was the thought that because of my presence, Sidious might not be able to kill his master as he had in canon, which was frankly terrifying.

Dealing with Sidious alone in the war to come was concerning, but add in Plagueis and things felt exponentially worse. Two fully trained and experienced Sith Lords was something I doubted the current High Council could handle even if they engaged them twelve to two. Yet somehow I might well have to do it alone, or at best, with Anakin by my side…

I was pulled from that spiral of despair by someone grabbing my arm. I blinked and looked down to see Miraj was trying to pull me. "Come on," she said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "The banquet is about to begin."

I allowed her to lead me this last time to the banquet hall, ignoring the amused look Master Ti sent me as I was led past her and Miraj's mother Radej, who wore a far more tender expression. As we moved, I saw several Zygerrian male nobles glare at me, but I ignored them. None had dared try anything since I'd demolished Dist Traldal, and I only rubbed in their ineptitude by smiling at them as we moved past.

I took Miraj's hand into mine, making their glares intensify, and the princess gasped before smiling up at me affectionately. It might give her the wrong impression, but this would likely be the last time I saw her for years, so I felt showing a hint of extra closeness was a risk worth taking.

… …

… …

I eased back on the engines as Raven slowly lowered toward the landing pad in the Jedi Temple hanger I'd been assigned. As I touched her down and powered down the core, I could feel Raven in the Force. She wanted to fly again, to dance among the stars, to prove she was built for it more than any other vessel.

"Soon," I murmured as I ran my fingers over the console, drawing a colourful display from the organic sections as Raven responded to my touch and comment. "I doubt we'll be here long, and even if we are, I'll find the time to let you fly." A gentle, pleasant tingle echoed in the Force from all around me.

I couldn't help but smile at how comfortable I felt talking to the semi-sentient starship. If I'd been told before the voyage to Zonama Sekot that a year later I'd share a bond with such a vessel, I'd have laughed in their face. Yet, much like with Fenrir, though the bond was massively different, it felt entirely natural to share a connection with Raven. As if she was, in a way, simply another part of me.

"Are you ready to depart, or should I leave you two alone?"

I looked over at Master Ti as she sat in the co-pilot's chair, a soft, friendly smile making clear she was simply teasing me. She might not share the same connection with Raven as I did, but she enjoyed being onboard the sentient starship. Master Ti had remarked that Raven reminded her of Felucia where she'd spent considerable time. Though when she had mentioned that I sensed some faint wisps of regret from the Togrutan Jedi. I was curious, but unless she wanted to bring the subject up, I wasn't going to pry.

"I'm glad to be back, Master. While the talks were interesting, they weren't something I'd enjoy having to engage in regularly."

That drew laughter from Master Ti as she stood. "Yes, you certainly aren't built to be a Jedi Consular. Still, after some early stumbles, you handled your role excellently. The final agreement was one that everyone seemed, if not pleased with, then accepting of, and I dare say you left a lasting impression on Zygerria. Or at least their future monarch." I cringed at further teasing about Miraj even as the doors to the cockpit opened as she approached them. Fenrir lifted his head from the corridor outside, and as I stood to follow Master Ti, he did as well. His tail wagged wildly, making clear he was looking forward to getting off Raven.

"Yes, you can go and stretch your legs, but we're back in the Temple," his ears drooped slightly, and the tail slowed. "So, no biting anyone," I added with mock seriousness. He whined at me before making a sound that was a cross between a scoff and a bark. He then turned and bound away, making for the central area and then likely the exit ramp.

Master Ti paused as Fenrir bounded away and waited for me to catch up to her. "It still confuses me at times to see such a large, battle-bred beast act no different than a domesticated animal," she began as she resumed walking. "Especially one larger than a Kath hound."

"While Fenrir is comfortable being on the Raven, he dislikes being cooped up," I explained as we reached the central area. "Still, I'd give him a few hours, more if he can find a quiet spot in the Room of a Thousand Fountains or one of the gardens before he'll return to the Raven. Outside of those places, and being near a few other Jedi, he no longer finds the Temple as comfortable as he did before Zonama Sekot."

"Sadly, that is understandable. Tuk'ata are bred for battle, so after the trials you faced on Zonama Sekot, it is hardly a surprise the serenity of the Temple offers little respite to him. While he is certainly calmer than I'd expect from a predator that has killed, much like you, he appears to prefer to roam rather than place down roots."

"That's true. And I think he worries that Master Yoda might try to ride him," I added, which made her laugh as we reached the door leading to the exit ramp. "Or some brave Initiate trying to impress their friends."

"The idea of Grandmaster Yoda riding Fenrir around the Temple, while highly amusing, is nothing more than a rumour that will never occur. Though I do believe Master Yoda has, perhaps, encouraged the idea to help others grow more trusting of Fenrir," Master Ti explained as we reached the ramp and I saw Simvyl there. He gave us both a nod but made no move to follow us from Raven as we left. "As for the Initiates, I don't believe their clan minders would permit them close enough to even consider it. To say nothing of Fenrir's reaction if any came too close."

"Yes, Master," I replied with a chuckle as we exited the starship and saw a small gathering waiting for us. Fenrir was there as well, leaning happily into Fay's arm as he stood beside her. The fact that Fay now had to bend her arm upward to scratch Fenrir under the chin was a clear indicator of his size increase in the nearly two months we'd been gone. From the way Fenrir was leaning into her touch, and bushing his shoulder against hers, I don't think he minded the change in her arm position.

With Fay were Masters Windu, Piell, and Dooku, who we greeted by bowing. "Masters," Master Ti said to the High Council members. "I am pleased to report the negotiations, while taking longer than expected due to several unforeseen events, were successful."

"Yes, the Chancellor's office has already relayed a message from the Zygerrian Prime Minister. He expressed the gratitude of the government and royal family for your work in the negotiations," Windu's gaze shifted to me as he replied. "Indeed, they were most impressed with your performance, Padawan. Even hinting that they might be willing to allow a Jedi Watchman to return to the sector for the first time in nearly thirty years."

"An unexpected reward, Master Windu," I said, glad there was no mention of Miraj's affection toward me.

"The Council is also grateful for your work, and we will require a full report in a few hours. Until then, we and Master Ti shall leave you to catch up with your Masters." I gave a nod of thanks, and then a smile to goodbye to Master Ti, which she returned before joining the two Council Members as they walked away, heading not for the exit but toward another ship at the far end of the hangar.

"I have reviewed the final settlement you achieved," Dooku began, jumping straight to business without even a greeting. Though after years of training with him, I expected nothing less. "It is an acceptable agreement that appears to have pleased all parties."

"I suspect the lure of billions of credits had much to do with that, Master," I countered with a smirk, "but, thank you." Dooku tilted his head a fraction before it turned to Fay. "Master, I do hope spending a few months within the Temple wasn't too troublesome."

Fay laughed softly, which was what I'd hoped for. The sound was one I found myself missing whenever she wasn't around as it always calmed me. "Thankfully, it wasn't. While I would prefer to let the Force guide me as it needs, sometime in the Temple has allowed me to reacquaint myself more with old friends, and perhaps, make several new ones." Her smile grew. "And for once, I didn't have to concern myself with worries about your safety."

"I don't go looking for trouble, Master," I mock-whined in reply, which made her smile grow, and drew a scoff of amusement from Dooku.

"No, but the Force does seem to guide you into situations that, shall we say, test you before you are perhaps ready. Far more so than it does with other Jedi." I nodded at Dooku's reply.

"Speaking of which, if I might ask, how goes your special project? Has it reached the point where you are able to return to the Temple?"

My Masters shared a look, one that further grew Fay's smile and brought the faintest hints of one to Dooku's expression. "The project continues, though I do feel progress is being made slightly quicker than I had anticipated. While Komari is far from ready to be brought to the Temple, or anywhere where temptations might exist, I feel comfortable leaving her alone for a short time. Still, once I have attended to some personal matters within the Temple and the Senate, I will be returning to help her progress continue."

I felt myself frown. "If I might ask, what business Master?" I could understand wanting to catch up with myself, Fay and others within the Temple, but I was concerned he would seek out Palpatine when he mentioned the Senate. Plus, I was slightly annoyed he was returning to deal with… her, instead of returning to further my training.

"As I said, they are personal matters. However, I am willing to discuss them after your debriefing with the Council." The hint of a smile grew into a full one, which felt slightly unsettling to me. Dooku rarely smiled, and while this one reached his eyes, and there were faint hints of pride from him, there was something he was keeping from me which had me on edge.

"Until then," Fay cut in, "perhaps you might like to speak with your friends?" Her smile had also grown, and there were murmurs of joy and pride from her radiating within the Force. "I believe that before I arrived here, I saw Padawans Keto, Bykys, and Wezz heading toward the Room of a Thousand Fountains."

I forced down my confusion and worry at the odd behaviour of my masters. "Okay," I said slowly, figuring I might learn more from my friends than my masters, who had decided to be oddly secretive today. "Fenrir," I called as I took a step away from my Masters. He opened his eyes and whined at having to leave Fay's scratching, but after a second, did so and plodded over to me. "What do you think? Should we head to the fountains and meet our friends? Or perhaps you'd prefer a trip to Master Jocasta in the Archives?" While there were a few things I wanted to look up in preparation for Naboo, those could wait.

Mimicking what several masters did, Fenrir's head tilted to one side as he thought on the matter. He then barked once.

"Fountains it is," I said with a chuckle and rubbed him on his neck. Fenrir started moving toward the hangar exit. I followed along after giving my masters a nod of goodbye. As I moved, I saw Simvyl had exited Raven and was speaking with several technicians employed by the Order to maintain the small fleet of vessels used by the Jedi.

I walked toward the door, hoping that my friends might know what my masters were hiding, though I did wonder how Serra would react when I told them about Miraj. Or how much Sia-Lan might tease her. Perhaps it might be enough to finally convince Serra to make a move. I knew she wanted to take the next step, as did I, but I was still doing as Bo suggested and letting Serra set the tone. Though there would come a point where I'd stop doing so and take control.

… …

… …

"The Council has reviewed the report submitted by Master Ti, the one given to the Senate by the Zygerrian Prime Minister, and your oral report," Windu said as I stood in the centre of the High Council Chambers. I'd been here for about thirty minutes now relaying my account of events on Zygerria, though I made no mention of Hego Damask. "On behalf of the Council and the Senate, I express our gratitude for how expertly you handled your first mission as a negotiator."

I nodded in thanks for the compliment, even as I silently prayed to the Force they'd never ask me to do it again, and hoped this meeting would end soon as I'd promised Serra and Sia-Lan spars. Yet, as I looked around the chamber once again, I was once more drawn to the fact that all twelve members of the Council, including Eeth Koth who'd replaced Master Giiett, were present. Oh, four of them were only here via holocall, but it was odd to see all the Council present for a debrief. Or at least it was for the few debriefs I'd had with the Council so far.

"Question, I have." I shifted my focus to Yoda. "Related to the talks, it is not. Sense Master Giiett's passing you did, while others did not." While there was no direct question, it was easy to spot it in his tone.

I took a second to compose myself. "I was meditating to clear my thoughts after a rather stressful day, Master. The talks had been derailed by one of the delegations, and I was… annoyed. While meditating, I… I heard his voice. The words he used; sounded final. Fatalistic. With that, and a faint sense of something changing in the Force, I went to Master Ti. I admit barging into her room was perhaps unwise as I should've taken the time to compose myself and thought more about what I'd felt. However, I was sure what I'd heard and felt was true."

"Sadly, it was," Windu began as the room suddenly felt less relaxing. "During your time away, there was an incident involving a species called the Yinchorri. During this incident, which involved a small force of Yinchorri breaching the Temple's defences, several Jedi both here and near their homeworld were lost. Master Giiett gave his life in the Yinchorri system so that others might live."

I was shocked to hear the Temple had been breached and could almost see Dooku's frown upon learning that. When I'd spoken with my friends, they'd mentioned an incident in the Temple, but no more than that so hearing what had happened was shocking as, from the lessons I'd received, the Temple hadn't been invaded in millennia.

"To hear a connection to Master Giiett you had, surprising it is. That while on Zygerria you felt his passing, more so. Speak later on this, I wish."

"Yes, Master." Ever since the night that I went to Master Ti, I'd been preparing for this conversation with the Council. I had reasons for why I'd been able to sense Giiett's death lined up, all I could hope was that Yoda would believe them.

"Returning to your mission," Windu said, drawing my attention back to him. The hint of a smile on his face was oddly disconcerting, as was the rising sense of amusement I sensed in the room, and it had me on edge. Now, I doubted anything bad was about to happen, but seeing Windu seemingly pleased with my actions was an odd turn of events. "With it completed, and the Zygerrians, the Senate and the other involved parties satisfied with the outcome, the Council is happy to consider the mission a success." He leaned forward, the smile now coming freely to his face. "Which allows us to move onto other business."

He took a moment, looking around the chamber. "When you first arrived at the Temple, we had reservations about admitting you into the Order. With the records on the ship you arrived in as proof, we accepted the authenticity of your claim to be from a time nearly four thousand years in the past. However, your name carries weight in the history of the Order." He paused for a moment as I swore I felt the Force shifting around us. "Your great-grandparents are names that even now, thousands of years later, are known, both inside and outside of our Order. Your niece, several times removed, would serve as Grandmaster of the Order during one of our darkest times." Windu leaned back in his chair. "Many, including myself, feared your age and close connection to Revan made you a risk to the Order, as he was before he was redeemed. However, with each passing year, while you have shown a tendency to approach problems in unusual ways for a Jedi, you have held to the core of what it means to be a Jedi. Therefore, it is the decision of this Council, that you be raised to the rank of Knight."

I felt my mouth slip open as I heard his words. I'd wondered about when I'd be knighted, and the quest name for the Zygerrian mission had certainly hinted I was close, but I hadn't expected that to happen now. "But… the Trials?" I stammered out, wondering why the Council hadn't made me sit one or more of the five trials they usually gave to prospective Knights.

"Due to your experiences over the last several years, from the beginning of the latest Mandalorian Civil War, through your trials at the hands of the Bando Gora, the war on Zonama Sekot where you fought to defend innocent settlers from a terrible, invading force, you have time and again displayed the ideals that our Order holds dear." That came from Oppo Rancisis. "You have protected innocents and faced down dangers that would break others when placed in impossible situations. And through it all, you've upheld the tenets of the Jedi Code."

"While normally we would request a Padawan to complete several, if not all, of the trials under our supervision, these moments you've faced have challenged you in ways the Trials could not," Plo Koon added. "They have pushed you further, harder, and faster than many could survive, and you have proven your abilities are beyond doubt, worthy of promotion." He paused and looked down. "My only regret is that Master Giiett isn't here with us physically to witness this moment. He was your most vocal supporter from before you even became a Padawan."

I lowered my head, sharing in the grief of Giiett not being here. I knew he and Plo Koon had been friends, and it seemed Koon missed Giiett greatly.

"Your ceremony of knighthood will take place tomorrow," I turned back to Windu as he spoke again. "However, you should be aware that all prospective knights are required to spend a day in solitude in the Halls of Knighthood. There, you shall meditate on the Force, and if you are fortunate it may grant you glimpses of possible paths you might walk. You may head there when you are ready, and once your time of meditation is finished, you will be escorted to us. Until then, we leave you in the care of your Masters."

"I… Thank you, Masters." I bowed deeply, trying to rein in my excitement at being knighted. Windu offered me a genuine smile and nodded before I turned to face my masters and Master Ti.

"While I have only spent a short time with you, may I be the first to congratulate you," Master Ti said slowly, her smile matching Fay's. Dooku was smiling as well, though it was more reserved, as I'd expect of him even in a moment like this.

"Thank you, Master Ti. I… I hope we might work together on a mission again at some point, though preferably not negotiations as complex as the Zygerria talks."

Master Ti chuckled. "I look forward to that time." Fay reached forward, placing a hand on my shoulder and as a group, we moved toward the chamber exit.

"Master Ti, please remain. There are some matters, wholly unrelated to the Zygerrian negotiations, that we wish to discuss." Master Ti stopped, and after giving me a final smile and nod, turned back to face the Council.

We exited the chamber in silence, the Council waiting until we had departed to speak with Master Ti. As we entered the antechamber, I saw Fenrir bounding around. It seemed my joy at being knighted had been sensed by the tuk'ata and he'd been excitedly waiting for our exit.

I braced myself as he bounced up to me, petting him happily as Fay started speaking. "From the first day we met, it has been clear to me, to us, that the Force has a path laid out for you. While your ascension to knighthood means our time together will be diminished, we have little doubt our paths are forever intertwined."

"I… thank you," I managed to get out as I blinked to keep back tears of joy and dealt with an overly excited tuk'ata. "To both of you. I couldn't have… have done all this without you."

Dooku came closer, for once unconcerned with the behaviour of Fenrir, and placed a hand on my shoulder. A smile that looked entirely out of place but at the same time made perfect sense, brightened up a face that often seemed dour. "It is we who should be thanking you. Before your arrival, I was disillusioned with the Order while Master Fay was content to keep her distance from the Order and Temple; secure in the belief the Force would guide her as needed. Through you, we have both found a path forward, even as the darkness grows denser around us with each passing day."

"Together, and with others helping us, we will do what we can to guide the Order and Republic through the dark times ahead," Fay added in. I kept my mouth shut, not wanting to voice insincere opinions regarding the Jedi and the Republic, nor hint that the two, as they currently were, might be beyond saving. I wasn't going to mar this moment, and the celebration of my knighthood, with such a discussion.

"Come," Dooku said, his hand helping to push me toward the elevator.

I walked toward the elevator, Fenrir bounding around me with my masters at my sides. Fay laughed as Fenrir leapt over a seat, his excitement at my joy clear to see.

Now, there were still a few steps to go in the process to be knighted. As Master Windu had stated, I needed to spend a day in silent, private meditation, and I wondered what, if anything, the Force might show me by way of visions.

However, that, and the ceremony that came after was all that needed to be done. And by the end of tomorrow, I would be the newest Knight of the Jedi Order. And with that, I would have the freedom I needed to start preparing for what was to come without worrying that Fay or Dooku might be looking over my shoulder.

… …

… …

I knelt and looked around the Hall of Knighthood near the top of the central - and tallest - spire of the Jedi Temple. There was only one point in the spire, and indeed all of the Temple, higher and that was the Pinnacle Room. From what I knew, the room held some of the oldest and most sacred texts in the Order. Supposedly, some even dated back to the Order's founding on Tython.

Currently, the hall was empty save for me, meaning the next twenty-four hours were going to be quiet. Which was helpful as during this time, I was meant to meditate on my time in the Order so far, and what the future might hold. According to the Jedi Path, text which I'd read cover to cover when first given a copy but had barely opened since as I remembered it perfectly, there was a chance the Force might offer glimpses of potential future paths. However, given I rarely received visions – the last being the one I shared with Anakin that I was still trying to fully decipher – I doubted I'd be granted such glimpses. While the Force had worked me into its plans for balance, I felt there was still a disconnect between me and it.

Still, a day alone would allow me a lot of time to simply think about my plans. Not just for Naboo, but for the years after, as while I knew the fight with Maul was going to be hard, I believed I'd win. Otherwise, what was the point of even trying?

…

Shadows swirled around, blanking out all the senses. Yet, as time passed, the shadows seemed to shift, to pull back. Faint, distant sounds started to echo around, though it was hard to be sure what they referred to.

The shadows continued to pull back until a figure came into view. While they had hair pulled back in a simple band that went down just beyond their neck, the way the figure moved made it clear they were male. Something that was confirmed as the image shifted, granting sight of his face.

A scar ran over one eye, though it hadn't cost him his vision and pale green orbs stared back from within the shadows. Around him, shapes moved, and sounds echoed.

The man strode forward, a stylized helmet in his hands. While his eyes were pale, an unquenched fire burned within them. As he stopped at the edge of a platform, more figures could be seen.

The assembled horde stretched as far as the shadows allowed, lined up row upon row, all armoured as the man. The man closed his eyes, taking in the sense of anticipation. He could feel their desire, their lust for the battle that was about to come. A lust he shared.

His lips moved, an indecipherable murmur escaping them, yet to the assembled masses, those words demanded complete attention. Emotions in the crowd waxed and waned as the man spoke, his words manipulating their feelings like a conductor leading an orchestra.

Rage, lust, desire, finality. All these and more sensations rise from the crowd as the man continued to speak. The man ended his speech, fury swirling around his final words. A hand rose, and a distant sound came from a single point in the crowd. Within seconds, the crowd is chanting the same sound, clenched fists raised high. The sound the horde chanted is the same one the man used to finish his speech.

The man looked out over the chanting crowd, taking in all he saw. As the chanting continues, shapes move behind the man. A dozen figures emerge from the shadows, like the man and the crowd, armoured from neck to toe. Some wore their helmets, and others, like the man, carry them under an arm. Some carry weapons in their hands, a few seem to be of species different to the man. Yet all stand behind him, ready to follow his commands. To die if he so deems.

The man raised an open hand, and the crowd, as if gripped by magic, falls silent. Yet the fury, the lust for combat burns within them like the fires of a million, million stars. The flames of rage dance with the man's words, granting rhythm to the beating of their hearts; the pulsing of their blood.

All know this sound in their soul. It was the drums of war, calling them to battle once more.

The man's face twisted, disgust rippling over it. The crowd feeds on this, on his demand to end whatever it is that disgusts him. He pulled something from his belt, and a shaft of light, radiant with a superluminal light, the core dark enough to swallow the light of a star rose into the sky. Behind him, the figures raised their weapons. Some shine with light like the man's. Others glint as light catches the rippled metal of their making.

The crowd joined in, weapons of every kind and shape rising, thrusting upwards in time with the man's words. A tidal wave of fury, of terror, of power not seen in centuries, grows. The man stopped; silence fell over the gathering.

The man lifted his helmet, sliding it over his head. Behind him, those carrying their helmets mirror the action. With the blade of white and black still held aloft, a single word emerged from the now helmeted leader.

"Oya!"

As the crowd chanted the word, the shadows closed in, devouring the scene until nothing remained.

…

The shadows swirl, pulling back once again. A figure can be seen pacing. On his back, a cloak swished about with each step, each turn the figure made. The shadows pull back further, and new figures could be seen. Their faces not quite coming into view as they waited nearby. Some were sitting, others standing, and all waited and watched the man as he paced.

The man's form was tense and tight. As if the slightest touch would cause him to explode. His hands were clutched behind his back so tightly they appear almost ghostly white.

Concern, confusion, fear. All these sensations and more radiated from him as he paced. The figures nearby shared these feelings, though it was diluted. Their focus was on the man, and not whatever had the man on edge.

Mid-stride, the man stopped. His body snapped around as a new figure stepped from the shadows. Their face was hidden, but they were covered in bright white light as if they were an angel sent to speak with the man this day. Murmurs came from the new figure, and the man's emotions shifted as if a switch had been thrown.

The fear, confusion, and concern were gone, replaced now by a delight that could bring life to a barren moon. With joy that would bring warmth even in the depths of deep space.

The man lifted the new figure, catching them off-guard, and twirled them around, showering the angel-like being in his joy. A second later, the man lowered the figure to the ground even as the others in the background stood. Their joy mingled with those of the man's.

The man took off at pace, carried by the desire to find the source of his delight. Around him, figures and objects flew past; not staying out of the shadows long enough for it to be clear who or what they were. He extended a hand, and the shadows in his way parted, bending to his will.

A new figure came into view. They were resting on something. A bed. Their face was hidden even as the vibrant green orbs of the man locked on them. Around the new figure, their hair, dark like chocolate, rested. Like a tree about to flower with life. The man reached forward, a hand coming to rest on the figure's cheek, which they leaned into.

The new figure shifted. They raised their arms, holding something small, precious within. The man reached out slowly, the bundle, along with the figure, the source of the man's joy. As he took control of the bundle, a faint, distant whimper echoed from it. The man's joy took flight, blinding all nearby and forcing them to share in his disbelieving delight.

As he held the bundle to his chest, one hand moving near it, the figure, in a feminine voice, uttered a single word.

"Ressa."

As the word was spoken, the shadows closed in, consuming the scene.

…

The shadows swirled once again. Crackles could be heard as they started to shift, and slowly two beams of sunfire came into sight.

The beams, one black, and one red, crashed into each other. Sparks flew everywhere before they pulled back. The black beam moved; the red shifted as an odd hiss could be heard. As the beams clashed again, and the figures wielding them became clearer, the hissing continued, providing a steady, terrifying beat to the movement of the beams and figures wielding them.

The black blade was being wielded by a figure in armour, a cloak billowing behind him. He leapt back as the red blade thrust forward. Between the blade and the man, the shadows swirled, rushing toward the red blade. The figure holding it, taller than the man, swiped an arm and the shadows settled. This new figure was draped in a cloak that covered their entire frame, though it was now clear the odd, rhythmic hissing came from this figure's head. Or from a strange glinting strip that seemed to cover the lower part of the figure's face.

As the man landed, the figure thrust forward a hand. Long, skeletal fingers pointed at the man. Ripples of corrupted power raced from the fingers and the man blocked them against his blade. Letting the darkness within it suck the power inward.

The man copied the figure's gesture, and crackles of red built up around his hand before racing, darting like bolts sent by a god, toward the figure. The cloaked figure leapt and spun, and the red bolts slammed into the shadows; making them erupt like a volcano.

The figure rushed at the man, the man at the figure. Their blades blurred as they moved. Sparks flew as they crashed and collided with each other. The dark figure pulled back and spun.

As they spun, they shrunk, the hissing slowly fading away. As the spin ended, the figure was now smaller, barely a third of the man's height. Their blade had shrunk with them, turning a comforting green as well.

The man hadn't changed, the stance and midnight blade ready for the new challenge. As he stepped forward, the now much smaller figure leapt. They went higher than the previous figure had, sailing far over the man's head.

The smaller figure bounced around, seemingly using the very shadows to redirect their motion. The man slashed at the air as the figure flew by, sometimes to defend the short green blade as it swirled around the figure, other times trying to swipe the figure from the air.

Red rage surged from the man's hand, slamming into the green blade. The small figure slid back, but they held their ground; their blade countering the rage cascading against it. As the rage died, the figure rushed forward.

The man backpedalled, their black blade swirling around to create a shield of darkness against the piercing storm of green. The man pivoted, an arm extended and the shadows behind him raced forward, forcing the small figure to retreat, to dance between the onrushing shades.

Behind the fight, sparks of colour shot past. Red, green, and yellow spears flew in all directions as shifting shadows moved around. Sometimes a spear struck a shadow, and new cascading colours rippled out from the strike. Yet even as the strikes came faster, as the ripples grew stronger, the combatants only had eyes for each other.

As their blades met once more, a brilliant bright ball of blue erupted, revealing the man's now darkened red eyes and the craggily green skin of the figure. As the blue light faded, the pair disengaged and moved back.

The small figure leapt into the shadows, and once more their form shifted.

They grew taller, dark robes covering them, and their blade once more turned red as it extended. The newly altered figure cackled with almost unhinged delight as the man rushed at them. Two pools of twisted, deranged yellow glared at the man's once more green orbs.

The red blade moved, flicking, slashing, prodding with dizzying speed. The man darted, shifted, blocked, and deflected as the air between them turned black with highlights of sickly red that never slowed, advancing with all the inevitability of time.

Two pairs of hands extended; blue twisted spears slammed into enraged black bolts. As they collided, a sick, warped laugh echoed around them even as the shadows closed in, engulfing the image.

…

The shadows pulled back as a man fell to his knees. An object fell from his hand, bouncing off the ground.

Over him, a spear of purple stood ready. Behind it, around its wielder and the man, blasts of colour, spears of energy, green, red, yellow and blue erupted like fissures of a volcano. As if the world around them was dying in a pyrotechnic display of unrivalled magnitude.

The figure with the purple blade stepped back, leaving the man. He stayed there, kneeling as the colours illuminated the unmoving figure. Shapes shifted in the shadows, brightened at random moments by streaks of colour that raced back and forth. Around the larger shifted shadows, smaller ones buzzed, like mayflies dancing before a light.

The purple blade vanished, the figure wielding it stepping back into the shadows. The man sighed, remorse and regret overriding the pain he felt. Around him, explosions erupted, some of the flames catching his cloak, setting it alight.

A klaxon sounded as a disembodied voice echoed out. "Abandon ship!"

…

Once more, the shadows shifted, and two figures came into sight. Though this time they weren't facing off, but instead walking hand in hand. Male and female, both in armour, walked forward. Around them, other figures could be seen, providing a guard as they walked, though details of the new figures stayed hidden in the shifting shade.

The pair reached a set of steps and walked up together, their movements in perfect rhythm.

As they reached the top of the stairs, the man stopped and guided the female to another figure, another man. The first man stepped to one side, his joy and delight having grown at handing the woman, his blood, off to another.

The female and the new man turned to each other, interlocking their fingers as cloth coloured black and bearing a blurred symbol, was placed over their hands.

In one voice, they spoke. "Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar'tome, mhi me'dinui an, mhi ba'juri verde."

…

I slumped forward, blinking as the Force released me from my trance. My hands reached the ground, stopping me from headbutting the floor. "Whoa," I muttered as I looked down at the tiles, my eyes shifting to my vambraces. I blinked in shock as I realised that I'd been in meditation for nearly sixteen hours.

The Force… had given me visions, though not in the same way as I'd experienced before. No, these were more like snippets. Of possible futures? I shook my head to get my thoughts straight.

They had to be possible futures as they couldn't all be the same future. Yes, I'd been in every vision, the green eyes and black lightsaber seemed to confirm that, but there'd been enough variance that the odds of even most of them coming true in the same timestream was… unlikely.

While it was possible I would fight Plagueis, Yoda, and Sidious in that order, or that I might well end up fighting all of them in another order, the idea that I'd have to wasn't comforting. I still felt I was a long way from being able to hold my own against someone on Master Ti's level, never mind a Dark Lord or Jedi High Council member. It had felt for over a year now that there was some sort of block on my abilities, at least when it came to using a lightsaber. While I had a few ideas as to why this was, I hadn't yet managed to push beyond it.

Another thing that stood out in the duels was that, while I'd used lightning against all three, and had clearly been wearing beskar armour in all of the instances, my eyes had been resoundingly red when fighting Yoda. Meaning I'd been drawing liberally on the Dark Side, at least in that moment, if not as a matter of course. I didn't deny I would probably have to do that against any of them, but I wondered what could possibly make me so willingly call the Dark Side forth to take on the ancient Jedi Master.

The defeat against Windu was one I didn't understand. Not because I didn't feel Windu could beat me, but for how much it reminded me of Darth Revan's fall against Bastila. Was the Force warning me that I risked heading down the same path he had, that I'd attempt to save the Republic by conquering it?

The clearest vision, which might well mean it was the most likely to occur – though that might just be me misconstruing things – was that of me leading an army. One comprised heavily of Mandalorians and a few other Force users. When added to the vision with Windu, it further suggested my path could potentially be similar to Revan's.

I shook my head, pushing thoughts of what my future alone might be and turned them to those that showed my glimpses of what I might have. Of seeing my wife, or lover, give birth to a child. To my daughter. That brought a smile to my face. I hadn't given any true thought to having children, though if I survived the wars to come, it was likely I'd have some. But feelings, experiencing the moment my daughter was born, and then giving her away in marriage. I'd be holding onto those visions for some time to come. Though any being who showed interest in my future daughter, whenever I might have a child, well, they'd better be ready to prove themselves a million times over before I let them marry her.

I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. The Force was granting me possible indications of what the future might hold. I hadn't expected that to be the case yesterday, but since I still had around eight hours to go, I wanted to see what else, if anything, the Force might offer up.

Now, I wouldn't place faith in them coming true, but having hints of what might be would, I felt, be useful. I may see something, like the birth of my daughter, that I would be willing to work for. Or in the case of the vision involving Windu and me dying aboard a ship as a battle raged around us, to avoid.

However, the one thing I wouldn't do was expect any of them to come true without me doing anything. As Master Yoda often said: Always in motion, the future is.

… …

… …

I walked into the hall, a single shaft of light illuminating the centre and the tiled symbol of the Jedi Order. Once I reached the light, I knelt and then the lights extinguished. I placed my blade in front of me, resting at the point where the wings bent inward toward the stretched northern tip of the star I was kneeling on, yet I knew I wasn't alone. I could sense movement around me through the Force, and a moment later, a circle of lightsabers ignited with me at the centre.

The blades elevated until they illuminated the faces of those surrounding me. Directly in front, I saw Master Windu, his dark skin bathed in the purple of his blade. To his left, were the diminutive forms of Master Yoda and Yaddle. To his right were Dooku and Fay with Fay's face lit by the green light of a lightsaber, one I suspected was borrowed.

"Cameron Shan," Windu's voice echoed around the chamber stopping me from seeing the other Council members that encircled me. "We are all Jedi. Through us, the Force speaks. Through our actions, the Force proclaims itself and what is real." As he spoke, Dooku walked slowly, solemnly toward me. "Today, by the right of the High Council, by the will of the Force, I dub thee, Knight of the Republic."

As Windu finished, Dooku's blade flicked out. I felt the heat from it as it raced by my ear. Yet, what touched my shoulder wasn't the burning pain of the energy weapon, but something else. The object slid down my chest and into my hands, letting me see it was my Padawan braid.

Windu lifted one hand from his lightsaber, extending it solemnly toward me, as my lightsaber floated up, lifted by the Force. "Take up your lightsaber, Cameron Shan, Jedi Knight. And may the Force be with you."

Barely able to keep a smile from my face, I reached out with my free hand and gripped the hilt. Dooku stepped back and I ignited my lightsaber, letting the familiar, faint roar of the krayt dragon pearl echo around the silent chamber. The dark core of the blade drew in the faint light in the room even as my face was bathed in the cool, white light of the edge. I stood and lifted my lightsaber to the same position that the others held theirs, Dooku having stepped back to reform the circle of Masters around me.

I could feel the faint sense of pride and joy coming from my Masters, though there was no hint of that upon Dooku's face as it was as stoic as ever. Fay wore a gentle smile, one mirrored by Yaddle and Yoda while Windu's expression was closer to Dooku's. A second later, the circle of lightsabers around me was extinguished, with my blade quickly also depowered. Before the darkness could linger, we were covered in strong, white light.

I looked around and saw the other Masters in the circle all seemed happy about my knighting. Even detractors such as Saesse Tiin and Even Piell seemed pleased about my new rank. Yet for the faint sensations of relief and acceptance I felt from the Council, my focus, my senses, were on my Masters as they stepped toward me.

"Masters," I said solemnly, lowering my head to Fay and Dooku.

Fay's smile grew and Dooku scoffed gently. "We are no longer your Masters, Cameron. There is little need for such deference," Fay commented as she extended her hand.

"So long as I draw breath, you shall remain my Masters, Master," I countered. Fay's smile grew wider upon hearing that even as Dooku stepped forward and rested his hand on my shoulder.

"Cameron, while this is a joyful day for you, it is also one for us. Before your arrival in the Temple, I had considered myself finished with teaching Padawans after what happened with Komari Vosa. Master Fay has gone longer than I've been alive without training Padawans." Fay nodded at that, not remotely bothered by any comment on her age. "Yet, despite our beliefs that our time teaching had ended, the Force had other plans. Just as you were drawn to the Temple by eddies of the Force working across time and space, so too were we drawn back here, sensing a shift within the Force that called out to us. While you have many years left before whatever path the Force has laid out for you is completed, it has been my pleasure to serve as your Master on this journey."

"I hope this isn't where our paths fully diverge, Masters. While I'm overjoyed to be knighted, I know that for all I've learnt, far more remains to be discovered."

That made Dooku smile and earned a nod from Fay. "Yes, the trials of a Jedi, of any with a strong connection to the Force, never truly end. Even decades later, I see now the Force still has a role for me to serve. As it has for Master Fay. Even after learning more about the Force and the galaxy than either of us may ever know, there is still much she has yet to learn. All Jedi experience new moments that reveal the wonders of the Force even after decades or centuries of life."

"All that has changed is that now, the Council sees what we've known for several years. That you are ready to learn without supervision," Fay added as her hand came forward and touched my chest. "While we will forever remain with you, the path you must now walk is one laid out for you. It will continue to intersect with our paths, of that I have little doubt, but the path is yours alone to walk." Behind her, I saw that the Council members, and others including Master Ti and Astaal Vilbum, Caretaker of the Council of First Knowledge, who were standing in for the missing High Council members, had started to move away. "Today is the moment your journey as a Jedi, as a servant of the Force, truly begins."

I smiled widely and nodded at her words. While I had reservations about the Jedi Order and the direction I knew it was heading, for today, I wanted to simply enjoy the moment of proving that I could become a Jedi Knight.

As I turned and started walking quietly with Fay and Dooku toward the exit from the hall, I saw a blinking blue notice. That, I knew, was for the quest Knight before Queen, as I'd beaten Padmé to the relevant ranks. Padmé was still serving as the elected Princess of Theed, though I knew it wouldn't be long until she was made Queen.

She'd turned thirteen not long after I'd turned sixteen, which was why I'd sent her the lightfoil before heading to Zygerria. While Ars Veruna was still king of Naboo, and the next expected election wasn't for another three years, Padmé would be queen by this time next year. I didn't know how or why Veruna would step down, or call an early election, but I knew he would lose. I hadn't done anything, at least as far as I knew, to alter Padmé's career arc and from what I'd heard on the Holonet, she was leading protests against Veruna and the Trade Federation.

Doing some quick mental maths, I would now be at about 10,000XP, far short of the 36,000XP needed to reach level 30 and the next update to the Interface. Level 30 was going to be important. Not just because I'd get a new Player Power Point, but because it would bring into effect the last update to the Interface. Or it would so long as I hadn't been lied to back when the Interface had last updated.

A gentle hand on my back from Fay, as we reached the door, drew me from my thoughts about the near future. As we exited the Hall of Knighthood, I smiled, planning to, for today at least, live in the moment and enjoy the fact I was a Jedi Knight at sixteen!

… …

… …

"Stop that!" I snapped out with a sigh as Sia-Lan bowed after I'd finished speaking. This was the umpteenth time that she'd done that today, the day after my knighting, as I'd spent time with her and our friends. As normal, we were sparring, but because I was a Knight, we could use a private sparring room, allowing us some privacy from the other members of the Order.

Of course, ever since my knighting, Sia-Lan, Darihd, and others had enjoyed teasing me by bowing after each pointer or piece of advice I offered. At first, it'd been amusing, but now, a day later, it was rapidly going from tiresome to downright irritating. Which was probably why Sia-Lan was one of the few still doing it.

Of course, my admonishing Sia-Lan was exactly what she wanted. "Yes, Master. Sorry, Master," She replied, punctuating each use of the word 'Master' with another bow. Though even without the extra bows, her tone made it clear she was far from sorry.

Her behaviour drew laughter from those in the room with us which only grew louder as I sighed loudly and ran a hand down my face. As my fingers lowered enough to see her again, she smirked and turned to walk away. My eyes drifted low, and an idea came to me.

My other hand twisted and my lightsaber flicked out. As it contacted her, she jumped, spun, and grabbed her arse. "H-hey!" She whined out, her eyes wide.

"What? You were misbehaving, and as your current Master," I emphasised the word as I twirled around my lightsaber – glad I'd not turned it off after our latest sparring match and that it was at a lower-power setting for training. "It's my duty to discipline you whenever I feel it's warranted," I smirked as I flicked the blade toward her, making her scurry back to avoid it clipping her chest.

"B-But..." She stammered as I waggled my eyebrows. Her cheeks darkened as her eyes scanned the room, looking for help from our friends. Sadly for her, most were laughing at how I'd turned the tables on her. "I…" Sia-Lan spun there, realising she'd lost, which gave me another sight of her arse as she scampered away. While her chest was the more impressive view, I did enjoy watching her leave almost as much as I liked seeing her approach.

Before she'd reached a bench with some other girls or could give them a piece of her mind for their lack of support, I heard a lightsaber ignite. I turned and saw, as I'd expected, Serra had stood and was moving toward the sparring circle. While things between us hadn't moved on much, she had confessed that she was oddly fine with me having fucked Bo. Plus, from what I'd sensed from her – and discovered from Observe – she was curious to hear about what we'd done and was interested in doing the same. Though she hadn't yet made an outward move to confirm that.

"Eager to lose again?" I asked as I turned to face her, twirling my lightsaber as I moved. "Or perhaps you enjoy looking up at me?" I added with a smirk. That made her cheeks redden and her eyes darted to Sia-Lan as our friend sat, twitches of jealousy easy to read on Serra's face.

"No," she stated as her focus returned to me as her grip tightened on her lightsaber. "This time I plan to win… Master." I slid into an opening stance, trying to not let my thoughts linger on how when she'd said Master, there'd been a spike in her excitement and desire. While it was a small thing, it helped settle my resolve.

If she hadn't made it clear she wanted something from me within a week, I was going to force the issue. Yes, Bo had suggested letting Serra make the first move, but I frankly wondered if Serra ever would. Yes, I was a Knight now, but this had been lingering between us for far too long. It needed to be brought into the open and dealt with, one way or the other – and I knew which way I wanted it to go – so it didn't cause us issues going forward.

My biggest issue was finding a way to get her alone, and by that, I meant away from the Temple, for long enough that things could be discussed. While Fay and Dooku had been generally fine with me leaving the Temple unaccompanied at times, or making it seem I was free to go where I wished, most Jedi weren't so trusting of their Padawans. No, calling it trust was wrong. They were concerned that a Padawan who'd grown up in the Temple their entire life wouldn't know how to handle Coruscant. After seeing how fucked things were below the shiny surface – and even on the surface – I could understand the reluctance of other Jedi. Still, that posed a problem as it was difficult to do anything in the Temple.

Now, to be fair, the Jedi were, if not relaxed, then generally understanding of Jedi having short, physical relationships; which is how they regarded what I had with Bo. They weren't exactly wrong about that, even if there'd been moments where I'd considered leaving the Order to keep what I had with Bo going. Still, when something happened between me and Serra, it would be clear to all that it was more than just a physical relationship. And that was where the Order would have a problem.

Thus, I needed a way to get her out of the Temple without us getting into trouble. I had a few ideas on that, but as Serra stepped closer, and ignited her second blade, I pushed them aside. While I knew I'd win the spar, Serra would push herself to the limit to score any points she could.

Hoping to put her off slightly, I let my eyes wander over her frame, which was no longer half-hidden by her robes. While I sensed hints of delight and desire from her, there was no outward reaction to my gaze. Well, unless you considered the azure blade thrusting toward me.

… …

… …

"I admit that, when you mentioned seeing the Holocron Vault, I had momentarily forgotten about this particular holocron," Dooku commented as I set a familiar Force storage device down on the table in front of us. "That said, I can understand why this one would be the first you wished to view."

I looked at Dooku and smirked. "Yeah, I have unfinished business with this one," I commented which drew a smile from Fay. The pair stood just behind me in the private room just off the Holocron Vault where Knights and Masters could view a holocron. The room allowed a Jedi to view almost any holocron – there was a restricted wing that only High Council members or certain other Masters could enter – in privacy. Well, from all but the High Archivist or members of the High Council.

Still, this was as secure a place as there was to view a holocron. The only downside was that I couldn't use it to acquire certain holocrons by placing them into my Inventory. I'd been recorded removing this holocron, so until I found a way to hack the security system, any idea of borrowing a few was off the table. Plus, I doubted Dooku, who I felt would support such a plan if I reasoned it logically, would need time to examine my plan and spot the flaws in it.

I raised my hand over the holocron, closed my eyes and reached out with the Force. The holocron shone brightly within the Force and carried a semi-familiar presence within. I pushed forward gently, using the Force to activate the device, and then, when I felt it react to my touch, I pulled back my hand and opened my eyes.

The holocron glowed as it drew on the Force to power itself and I watched as the gatekeeper of this particular holocron, Satele Shan, appeared.

"Greetings, fellow Jedi. May I ask your name?" the gatekeeper asked.

"Cameron Shan."

As when I'd last spoken with this gatekeeper, she frowned. "And who was your mother?"

"Jedi Knight Ressa Shan."

Satele's head tilted to the left. "And what is your rank?"

I couldn't help but grin as I replied. "Jedi Knight." Up until now, everything she'd said was the same as the first time I'd been brought before this holocron. Back then, she'd said that my being a Padawan was insufficient for whatever was held on the holocron that no one seemed to know about.

The image flickered and I felt the Force subtly shift within the holocron. "Rank sufficient. Access granted to level one secured files." I felt my Masters take a step forward, as curious as I was about what the holocron was about to reveal. Though I did wonder how many ranks of secured files the device held.

For about half a second the holocron went still as the gatekeeper image vanished. When it returned, the image of Satele appeared older, and less rigid. "Greetings Knight Shan. I am Satele Shan. Once upon a time, I was Grandmaster of the Jedi Order. I am also, from what glimpses the Force has granted me of your path, someone born long after you, yet from a time long before you currently inhabit." Satele shook her head and chuckled. "Even now, having spent years considering what I've seen, I struggle to fully understand what has happened. However, that is an effective way to describe how the Force behaves."

I couldn't help but smirk at that description as the Force truly was beyond understanding for if not all, then almost all beings in the galaxy.

"However, while the peculiarities of the visions granted to me continue to confound me even in my later years, what does not is that somehow, someway, the Sith survived until your time. I cannot say if the Sith you face now are descended from those I dealt with during my life, or if they are a new element that discovered older teachings and restored the Sith, nor can I offer any direct help. Anything I might leave for you in a specific location would struggle to survive the ravages of time. However, what I can provide is this."

Satele's image vanished, replaced by a map of the galaxy. As I watched, the map rapidly zoomed in, pushing past various worlds, from Ossus, through Mandalore, Onderron, and even Coruscant until all that remained was the Deep Core. Several systems blinked, drawing attention to them, though the only one I recognized was the Empress Teta system, as that was where Serra's family came from.

"During my time, a world of great significance to the Jedi, one central to our very foundation, was rediscovered deep in the Deep Core." At this, a point, as close to the actual core as one could get without likely being inside the radius of whatever existed there, started blinking. "While this map, and the detailed hyperspace routes, are no doubt invalid due to both stellar drift, and the shifting gravitational eddies of the Deep Core, this was the location of Tython as last plotted before I placed this holocron in the Temple Vault."

Even as she finished speaking, I spun to look slack-jawed at my Masters. "How?"

Tython was the homeworld of the Jedi, and their precursor, the Je'daii dating back to before the founding of the Republic. Back when the Rakatan Empire was the dominant galactic power. From what I'd read about the planet, it had been lost several times over the last twenty thousand years due to the shifting gravitational forces in the Deep Core, with the last known visit there during the New Sith Wars, over a thousand years ago.

"I…" Fay paused, her shock at what Satele had just revealed apparent on her face. "Satele Shan was one of several to rediscover Tython over the millennia. It was even said that, after she stepped down as Grandmaster, she retired and died of old age upon the planet's surface."

"Records from before the New Sith Wars are incomplete," Dooku said, taking over from Fay and doing a much better job of masking his shock, though I could still see the small signs that he was caught flat-footed by Satele's revelation. "This map, while as she says, is inaccurate now, is far more complete than any remaining ones in the Temple. Or at least any that I have discovered." He stepped forward, gently scratching his chin. "These stars," he pointed at some of the blinking points around Tython, "if we plotted their current positions, and thus determined interstellar drift, we would have a rough map for reaching Tython."

"Yes, it would be possible," Fay added, a fire coming to her eyes. "By using short hyperspace jumps in a suitable starship, and letting the Force guide you, I believe we could rediscover the planet."

"Wouldn't that take forever?"

Fay chuckled. "Perhaps not that long, but several years I suspect. Even with the Force to guide someone, hyperspace in the Deep Core is incredibly unstable. Often, routes from one star to another require replotting on a monthly, if not weekly, basis." Fay held out her hand, and I felt the Force react before the holocron turned off. "This knowledge… I suggest we limit it to ourselves and only discuss it in the most secure of locations, such as the Raven. With the rising threat of the Sith, a threat few dare acknowledge is possible, never mind believe is close if we could rediscover Tython… We may have a refuge for the Order if the darkness grows too strong."

I looked at the holocron, finding it hard to argue with Fay's words. Tython was, bar having to rediscover it, an almost perfect refuge from the plans of Sidious. While I had faith I could stop him, and prevent the rise of the Empire, having a backup plan; one that would protect the history of the Jedi – though without their narrow-minded dogma if possible – would be invaluable.

While I doubted that I'd have the time to do this, from the look on Fay's face, I suspected she felt drawn to the mission. I wouldn't stop her from trying, though a part of me was worried that if she did this, then I might never see her again. The idea of losing her, of never seeing her again and not knowing what her fate was…

I shook my head once, clearing that worry.

It wasn't set that she'd attempted this, not now at least. If she did, then I planned to spend time with her before she did, so that if the worst should happen, I'd have more memories to hold onto.

After all, I'm still alive, but you are dead. I remember you, so you are eternal.

… …

… …
5 years after starting this story, and 8 years in-story, Cam is now a Jedi Knight. I never expected the story to take this long to reach this point - never mind reach the prequels) but it has. It's been a great journey, yet even now, Cam is only just exiting the beginnings of his adventures in this galaxy.

Also, "Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar'tome, mhi me'dinui an, mhi ba'juri verde" translates as "We are one when together, we are one when parted, we will share all, we will raise warriors".
...
As always, this story is crossposted on Fanfiction.net and Archive of our Own.
And now Royal Road, though I'm working on posting a few chapters per day and it hasn't yet caught up with posting here.
You can find me (and the backroom team who help with this) on Discord at:
For this series: Heart of the Force
For general chaos/Gamer stories: Shiro's Gaming Omniverse

If you wish to support my writing, gain access to 1st drafts of chapters (where every level bar the lowest has access to at least the first draft of the next chapter and all got the redraft ~2 weeks early), consider supporting me on Patreon:
USSExplorer

Regardless if you join the discord or support my writing, I hope you enjoy the story and suggestions, valid criticisms, and ideas are always welcome.
And of course;

May the Force be with you. Always.

USSExplorer · Jun 16, 2023

A/N:
As always, thanks to those helping me write and plan out this story and checking it for continuality and logic errors.

This chapter was released at least 2 weeks ago to my Patreons (with them seeing a draft version around 2 months ago) and on the story's Discord server (in GDoc form) about a week ago.
Links for both are at the end of the chapter.
Hopefully, all the little mistakes have been found and removed.

Current Date: <1 year until the Invasion of Naboo

A Deceived Accomplice
... ...

"This ship is amazing!"

Serra's exultant cry reverberated through the cockpit as Raven, our ship, manoeuvred deftly between two colossal cargo haulers amidst the celestial tapestry of Coruscant's upper atmosphere. The ethereal grace with which we glided through that narrow aperture would have put the most accomplished dancer to shame, and the sight of it caused my smile to blossom.

With a surge of power, we broke free from the planet's gravitational embrace, our engines ablaze with fervour as I urged Raven to test her limits, unencumbered by the restraints that often tethered her. Ahead, a convoy of hulking bulk freighters loomed large, forming a procession that descended toward the distant planet's surface.

It was difficult to ascertain who derived greater pleasure from this exhilarating flight, for both Serra and Raven seemed to emanate a palpable aura of elation and delight, their spirits mingling like celestial bodies in perfect alignment. The zenith of their jubilation arrived when Raven soared through the tempestuous wake of one freighter, nimbly avoiding the fiery plumes of fuel expelled by its multitude of engines. Then we audaciously skimmed the very hull of the succeeding vessel, drawing close enough that I couldn't help but chuckle at the profound astonishment etched upon the visage of the Rodian pilot we left in our wake.

"Woo-hoo!"

Serra's scream shattered the tranquil aura of a Jedi, ripping through the fabric of restraint as we emerged from the shielded line of gargantuan bulk freighters. Before us loomed a formidable Golan defence platform, a sentinel encircling and safeguarding the very heart of the Republic. A lone light on my console flickered insistently, a signal from Coruscanti Orbital Control attempting to make contact. Undoubtedly, they sought to admonish me for my reckless piloting. Though Raven was registered as a Jedi starship, I was flying with reckless abandon, entrusting my vessel and the Force to guide my hand. The temptation to yield to the intoxicating rush was fierce, rendering it arduous to relinquish control. The sheer ecstasy derived from this reckless endeavour coursed through my veins, the synesthetic fusion of Raven's sensory input traversing her hull, merging with the cognitive faculties housed within her computerised cerebral cortex, and ultimately providing me with ephemeral glimpses of her perceptual landscape.

As we sailed past the nearest Golan platform, traversing the ethereal emptiness of space enveloping Coruscant, I relinquished a modicum of pressure on the throttles. Raven, though loudly voicing her objection, reluctantly obeyed, conforming to my will. Gradually, I steered our trajectory away from the well-trodden flight paths typically traversed by those embarking upon the capital world. The unyielding light on my console persisted, incessantly demanding my attention, until at last I terminated the transmission. A hint of potential reprimand awaited me within the confines of the Jedi Temple, a prospect that failed to faze me. Raven yearned to soar unhindered, to relinquish the constraints imposed by conventional wisdom, and in the presence of Serra, I nurtured the flickering hope that she, too, might succumb to the allure of unbound passion.

I turned to Serra, letting Raven fly herself, and couldn't help but drink in how she looked. Her face was flushed, having sensed Raven's enjoyment and mixed it with her own as we flew upward. I could almost hear her heart beating rapidly in her chest, and her visage, illuminated by an incandescent smile, outshone even the radiant glory of Coruscant Prime, that celestial jewel, presiding over the expansive system.

Serra had been in the Raven before, taking several flights in and out of Coruscant's atmosphere with our friends. However, this was the first time she'd come alone with me – if you ignored Fenrir who was lazing away in a small cargo room that I'd converted into his den and HK who was currently powered down in my quarters – and when she'd learnt that I'd felt her shock, hope, and desire spike. Now, those feelings were slowly coming back as her excitement about our rush into orbit calmed.

"Findin' some enjoyment, are ya?" I drawled, my grin stretching wide as I took in the sight of her, captivated and brimming with awe, fresh off our harrowing flight.

Her face was flushed with excitement as she turned to face me, no doubt enjoying how happy Raven was to be racing through space. "Yes!" She blinked, her blush intensified, and she glanced away for a moment. "I… I mean yes. Thanks for letting me experience this."

"Good to hear." I laughed at her reaction even as I leaned toward her, though not close enough that I'd be entering her personal space. "So, now that we're in space, far from the Temple and anyone else, what do you want to do?"

Her eyes widened as she realised where we were, and she looked out the viewport, taking in the sight of the constant flow of traffic to and from the capital of the Republic. "I… I don't know." She gently bit her bottom lip as she looked back at me. "What do you want to do?"

I smirked, letting my eyes wander downward for a moment. "I figured we could… talk," the smirk turned into a smile at her reaction. I suspected she thought I was going to say something else, and while that idea held appeal, I felt we needed to clear the air a little first. "Unless there's something else you would rather do?"

I knew I shouldn't be teasing her like this, but she looked downright edible when she was flustered. "Well, um…" She looked away, unwilling to meet my gaze. "What about Bo?"

"Oh?" I leaned back, wanting to see where she went with this, though Bo was one of the things I knew would be brought up while we were up here. At least she was facing it before we did anything else.

"I mean," she bit her lip again, unintentionally playing into the air of innocence she was giving off. "I know you and Bo…"

"Karked?" I posited, memories of the countless encounters with Bo flooding my thoughts. Though the yearning for the fiery-haired warrior tugged at my senses, I firmly cast it aside. This day, my fervour and longing were solely directed toward the raven-maned beauty before me.

Serra's nod came slowly, her eyes widened to an extent that likened her to a startled deer ensnared within the predatory gaze of a kath hound, bewildered and unsure of its next move. "Y-yes. That. How... how much?… what did you do?"

I leaned back fully into my chair and chuckled. Once more images of Bo, and the various stages of undress and positions I'd had her in, rushed through my mind. Tapping my chin, I looked upward. "A lot." While I could've gone into detail, I felt that might embarrass or scare Serra too much, or perhaps make her feel what she was competing with was too much and snuff out the flames in her before I'd had the chance to unleash them. "Though I can think of a few things we'd have liked your help for." Serra's face turned redder than a Sith lightsaber at my implication, which only made my smile grow further.

I knew I was pushing her limits, but thanks to the Force and Observe, I knew she wasn't upset that I'd fucked Bo, just that she'd not been first. And that Serra wondered what Bo was like out of her armour. That little insight had fuelled several enjoyable dreams since I'd learnt it, and if I could wrangle it, I'd make sure those dreams one day became reality. "Any reason you're asking about this now?" I didn't need the Force or Observe to know the answer, as it'd been my idea for us to come up here, but I was curious how bold she'd be in her answer.

"I…" She looked out the viewport once again, and if not for the fact the fear I sensed from her was being drowned out by lust and confusion, I'd have worried I'd pushed too far. "Why her?" She asked after turning back to face me.

"We travelled together for years. Fought side by side against pirates, slavers, and planetary invaders. Haran, she was the one who helped me cope with Master Fay's near-death and pushed to rescue me from the Bando Gora." Serra opened her mouth, but I cut off as I continued. "Yes, I know that if you could've, you would've helped with that as well." She nodded and smiled, pleased that I understood she'd not forgotten about me during my ordeal. "Still, Bo was the one with me in those… darker moments. Adding that to the fact she's an incredibly attractive woman, and it's not a surprise our bond grew so deep."

I waited quietly, letting her take the time to process my response. The time stretched out and a shadow passed over us as a bulk freighter flew close enough to momentarily block out the light for the local star.

"Do you... not love her?" Her gaze locked with mine, radiating the same courage I had witnessed when she decided to train on Mandalore by my side. And when she embarked on a verd'goten, her determination shone through.

"I'm uncertain. Bo is like a ticking grenade, ready to explode. Don't get me wrong, I genuinely like her, but when it comes to love... I'm not sure." I shook my head as I finished. While there was the spark between us that could, with time, possibly develop into love, I knew enough to know that it wasn't there yet. Though even if it didn't develop, I doubted Bo would reject another chance to fuck like deranged rabbits.

"W-what about me?" Her voice was low, barely carrying over the faint sounds that echoed around the cockpit. Her gaze was low, finding and locking on a spot on the floor.

I leaned forward and then reached out for her. As my hand cupped her chin and lifted her head so I could look her in the eyes, I smiled warmly. "Serra, you are my first, and best friend," I said slowly, making sure she held my gaze as I spoke. "I like you and that will never change." She smiled at my words, and nibbled her lip once more, though there was less indecision in the action this time.

"D-do you love me?"

I let go of her chin and leaned back enough that I was no longer inside her personal space. "I don't know." Her smile slipped slightly. "I mean, I certainly like you, and definitely enjoy seeing the changes you've gone through over the years." My eyes wandered lower, taking in her form that even under Jedi robes was clear to see. "But love... Well, I believe love requires both time and dedication to truly develop."

"Ok."

I waited for her to add something, and when she didn't speak up, I did. "Does it bother you that I've slept with Bo?" I already knew the answer, but I wanted to see how honest she would be about this.

"No… Yes… I don't know. I'm not sure," she replied with a heavy sigh and a shake of her head. "On one hand, I comprehend why you're drawn to her. She possesses qualities of strength, fearlessness, and beauty that I lack, or I lacked."

I let out a scoff, interrupting her self-pity. "Serra, although you're not Bo, you possess equal measures of courage, strength, and beauty, albeit in your own unique manner." Her cheeks resumed their vibrant hue, reminding me of a raging inferno. "When I initially arrived at the Temple, feeling everyone's apprehension and fear, you approached me and engaged in conversation."

"That was a dare though."

"Aye, but you still did it," I countered quickly. "Bar whatever rumours were running around the Temple; you knew nothing about me. Yet, even only knowing that I might be related to Darth kriffing Revan," that made her smile, "you came and spoke with me. Haran, more than anyone else in the Order, you made, and make, me feel welcome and safe inside the Temple." Once again, her cheeks darkened. "When I revealed my intention to journey to Mandalore for training, you not only chose to accompany me but also became the first Jedi in centuries to undertake a verd'goten." My gaze shifted to her feet. Though the boots no longer matched the ones Duke Adonai had bestowed upon her years ago, the armoured sections remained, carefully transferred to new boots as she grew. The distinct beskar markings were easily discernible to a trained eye. "And while the girl I once knew may not have been described as beautiful, the young woman standing before me now is quite excep--" My words were abruptly silenced as Serra closed the distance between us and tenderly pressed her lips against mine.

Startled by her reaction, my eyes blinked in surprise, but I quickly regained my composure. With a gentle grasp, my hands encircled her waist, drawing her closer to me until she settled on my lap. My hands then diverged; one tenderly reached for her hair while the other ventured lower. Pushing against my chest, her hands tugged at my robes, and as our tongues intertwined, a soft moan escaped her lips.

Although my desire urged me to continue, to explore the unknown path ahead, I needed certainty. Reluctantly, I pulled away, her lips reluctantly following, and her eyes fluttered open. Confusion clouded her gaze as she focused on me.

"I want to be certain," I spoke slowly, my hands still unmoving from their positions. "Is this truly what you desire?"

"Yes," she replied breathlessly, her eyes jumping between my eyes and my lips. "I want you. Force, I've wanted you for years. I need what you had with Bo, and more." She leaned forward, her lips desperate to find mine, but I stopped her by bringing the hand in her hair around and placing a finger on her lips.

"What about the Code?"

Truthfully, I didn't give two fucks about what it felt regarding relationships. Oh, I understood – or felt I did – why the Order was concerned about strong emotions like love and lust causing a Force user problems but denying them from ourselves cut us off from being truly alive. No, what I needed here and now was to hear Serra's opinion on us and the Code. She might not be as blind about the dogma of the Order as many, but she'd been raised as a Jedi for as long as she could remember.

However, her giggling and laughing in my face wasn't the reaction I'd expected. "You?!" She asked once her laughter had died down slightly. "You're asking me about the Code?!" She shook her head, unintentionally smacking me in the shoulder with her Padawan braid, and if I'd not been holding her on my lap, I suspected she'd have fallen over.

"Cam, I know you're a Jedi, but let's be honest, you're not one to adhere strictly to the Code," she said, smirking as she placed a finger on my lips to silence any protests. "You taught me the older version of the code, the simpler and cleaner one that I still follow. It's no surprise, considering your lineage as a Shan. And let's not forget, your great-grandfather's redemption from the Dark Side involved something the Order has frowned upon for ages!" She burst into laughter again, though thankfully it was shorter this time. I hoped it would divert her attention from the unintended reaction her touch on my leg was causing.

"You follow your own path, just like your family always has. And honestly, I admire that. I agree with it," she said, glancing out of the viewport, presumably referring to Coruscant. "The galaxy is in disarray, and it all started here. The Order... we can't fix it, not within the confines of the Code or the oath we've taken to the Republic." Her finger jabbed my chest, emphasising her point. "But you, you'll try to make things right. I can sense it in my heart and through the Force. And I..." She snorted, then composed herself. "I want to be by your side, walking that path. Even if it means leaving the Order, abandoning the only home I've ever known... I'll do it. For you."

I blinked as I stared into her eyes. As the Force swirled around us, I saw no deception, only conviction. "I don't want you, us, to leave the Order," I replied slowly. Though I knew there was a good chance that would happen. To prepare for what was to come, I'd likely have to do things the Order and the Republic would never accept. "I don't want you to throw away everything you have here."

She flicked me on my forehead. "Weren't you listening?" Her hair flew around as she shook her head again. "Let me make it clear. For you, I'd leave. I-I'd follow you to the darkest parts of the galaxy because I trust you. Because I know that my path is at your side. Unless you don't want me?" The certainty and conviction in her tone vanished with her question.

I leaned forward as the Force felt as if it was tightening around us, drawing us closer. "I want you," I answered in a voice barely above a whisper.

The Force reacted to my words, sparking in a way I'd never felt before even as Serra's face was brightened by a smile that could light the darkest pits of Korriban. "Good." Her lips sought mine out and I eagerly accepted them. I closed my eyes, savouring the taste of her kiss even as her hands slid into my hair, tugging gently on my locks. I slid both my arms under hers, locking them around her back and holding her close: unwilling to let her go.

After what felt like seconds that stretched across time and space, she pulled back. Her face was red, her lips puffy and her eyes flickering as if her mind was struggling to work. "Oh Force," she mumbled as a million-credit smile erupted on her face. "I'll have to thank her."

I leaned forward as I chuckled and nibbled her ear. "She taught me more than how to kiss," I whispered, enjoying the way she shivered as my breath brushed her face. "Want me to show you?"

"Yes."

No single word had ever reached me that carried as much desire and longing.

I stood slowly, letting her wrap her legs around my waist even as her lips nuzzled into my neck. Once standing I moved slowly, carrying her, as she seemed to shiver in anticipation, toward the door. While I'm sure she wanted to take things further immediately, I wasn't going to make her first time take place in the cockpit of Raven.

That, if she was still able to walk after I'd had my way with her, could come later.

… …

… …

I eased back on the power, watching as the stars returned to normal and Raven brought us back to real space. The sensation of transitioning to and from hyperspace as felt through my bond with Raven would never grow old. My mind couldn't understand most of what she felt, but what I could comprehend was incredible. I likened it to what water must feel like when it reaches the end of a rushing river and flows out into the sea.

"While I am grateful for the transport, there is no need for you to accompany me all the way to this system," I smirked at Dooku's words even as I plotted the sub-light course for Mtael's Gift. No matter how much I hated the name, it had stuck and I'd realised that not calling it that was a disservice to the Lokella. To them, the actions Dooku and I had taken those many years ago had changed the fates of thousands of beings, and naming the station after the title they'd bestowed upon me was a mark of respect. Plus, the fact it was a former Pius Dea ship and was now used by a mainly non-Human group of freed slaves as a base to live and strike out against slavers always amused me.

"I'm aware of that Master, but as much as I detest the names given to the station and system, this is one of the few places where I feel comfortable and able to truly relax." I glanced over at him even as the sensors showed the approach of a massive – at least for this system – vessel. "That said, I have no interest in interacting with Vosa. While I feel I could survive such a meeting without running her through, I'd rather not risk it."

Dooku's lips twitched, which was often as close as he came to a smile, yet before he could reply, the communication console beeped. I opened the channel and looked at the display showing the bridge of the approaching ship.

"Unknown vessel, this is the…" The figure speaking stopped and leaned forward. He then inhaled sharply as a smile crept over his face. "Mtael, we are honoured that you have returned." Around the ship's commander members of the crew stole glances at the display; no doubt surprised and shocked to see me.

I returned the Togrutan commander's smile. "Captain Ranze, it's been some time but I see you've moved up in the world." At one time Ranze Faar had been captain of the Freerunner until Baalta had taken command and made it the flagship of the Lokella's small fleet. The ship he was on now, according to Raven's sensors, was a Dreadnought-class heavy cruiser. Measuring over six-hundred metres long and armed with upwards of two dozen weapon emplacements, the ship was, in current military terms, a powerful warship. The only issue was the crew requirement, which from my research was highly variable. While I knew the Lokella were growing, I had to believe this ship was a newer variant as it was unlikely that they could afford to place the twelve thousand crew on board some of the earliest models of the ship required.

"Indeed, I have Mtael. The Liberator, while a recent addition to our forces, was generously given by an unexpected benefactor." Ranze's amused and prideful tone had me suspecting the ship was a recent capture from one – clearly unworthy – slaver. While the dreadnought had several flaws, beginning with the crew requirements, it was one heavily armed vessel, putting everything else I knew the Lokella had – at least from when I'd last visited – to shame. Any Hutt or slaver looking to strike back against the Lokella was going to need serious firepower to take out the Liberator; to say nothing of whatever other ships the Lokella had acquired over the last few years.

"I'm glad to see the Lokella are growing stronger," a beep from one set of sensors, along with hints of concern from Raven caught my attention. "Though perhaps you might convince your interceptors to break before they get closer. I'd hate to embarrass them when my new ship leaves them eating my exhaust." While the four fighters inbound were fast, I knew Raven could outrace them and felt her wanting the chance to prove me right.

Ranze blinked. "Ah, right." He looked offscreen and nodded and a second later Raven tracked the four fighters banking away. "We weren't told you'd be returning, nor to expect you in an unknown vessel."

"I only decided to come when I learnt Master Dooku wished to return. As for my ship… let's just say the last few years have been interesting."

Ranze chuckled. "I look forward to hearing about your adventures, however, that will have to wait until our patrol is over." He glanced offscreen again. "I've contacted the Council to notify them of your arrival, and I'll have your vessel…"

"The Jade Raven," I offered.

"… the Jade Raven added to our list of cleared visitors." Ranze stood and moved closer to the screen. "It is good to see you once again, Mtael, and I'm sure many will share that sentiment. Liberator out."

The channel cut as the fighters angled again, this time swooping around us. After confirming the flight path provided by the Liberator, I angled Raven toward the station. The fighters fell in alongside, providing us with an escort that I'd rather have not gotten, but accepted the Lokella Council would insist I receive.

As we slid past the larger cruiser, I whistled as Raven's sensors fed me more information on the Liberator's armament. "Seems the Lokella have been doing well for themselves," I muttered as we passed by the large ship's engines and nearly three dozen other vessels came into view along with Mtael's Gift. Most of the ships appeared to be ones I already knew – at least based on their models and configuration – but a dozen freighters that were gathered near the station bore markings of various smaller trading companies and mining guilds. Two of those ships stood out as they dwarfed the others, reading as about three hundred metres each. Nearby several smaller ships floated and I wondered if they were escorts for the freighters and if so, what the Lokella were exporting or importing. I hoped they weren't selling too much of the phrik from the planet below, but if they were, then so be it. It was their choice after all.

"Indeed. I recognize the sigils on the largest freighters. Possibly they are the same vessels that came around before to purchase ore. With the discovery of other useful metals and ores in the asteroids in the system, the Lokella haven't had to rely on the sale of phrik and further donations from your funds, to secure their location." I was glad to hear Dooku say that, as revealing too much phrik too quickly to the larger galaxy might draw the attention of certain organisations that I'd prefer never learnt of the Lokella. The Trade Federation for example. "The settlement on the planet below has also grown substantially over the last few years. The last time I spoke with their Council, I was informed it held somewhere north of twenty-five thousand freed slaves and those seeking a new life free of Hutt control." My head snapped around at that. It was clear the Lokella had grown, but I hadn't realised they'd grown large enough to have a planetary population equivalent to a small city. "And unless something has happened in my time away, somewhere between a third and half their fleet isn't currently present. I would speculate they are engaged in another operation to free more slaves."

"Damn," I muttered as I returned my attention to the listing of the various ships Raven was detecting. I quickly noted that the Corellian Gunships weren't present, along with the Freerunner. That added proof to Dooku's words and made it clear there was much I had to catch up upon once we'd docked and gotten through the greetings.

Honestly, I was impressed they'd grown so rapidly, and seemingly avoided retaliatory strikes from beings like Decca the Hutt. That giant slug, along with his mother Gardulla and the other Hutts, knew about the Lokella but hadn't moved against them. Or at least not to a degree that it seemed to have weakened the Lokella. As I guided Raven toward a dock on the station – one that hadn't been usable the last time I'd been here – I wondered how much longer that would remain the case.

If the Hutts wanted this station and colony gone, they had the resources to make it happen. It just had to be financially worth the effort. Which with the current defences, seemed to not be the case. I offered a silent prayer to the Force that remained the case for a long time to come.

… …

… …

I waited at the top of the ramp leading down from Raven, having sensed a group of several hundred were gathered in the bay, including one very excitable and in the future, powerful young boy. While I was looking forward to dealing with Anakin, the less I had to deal with the Lokella's reverence toward me the better. I mean, I understood why it existed, but I wished they'd not make each visit an event.

"They simply wish to show their gratitude for what you did in helping establish this colony," Dooku offered from my side, clearly picking up on my slight apprehension. "No matter how large the group grows, or how many years pass, to them, our actions in their initial liberation, and early financial support matter greatly to them."

I sighed and shook my head. "I know Master, I'd simply prefer to avoid the pomp and circumstance that my arrival always seems to bring out."

Dooku might not have smiled, but I could sense his amusement. "Sadly, with your actions, and the stories that have no doubt grown even further regarding them, I doubt it will be something you'll be able to avoid. And certainly not with a group who consider you their founder and saviour."

"Aye, I guess you're right," I turned and looked at him, a smirk coming to my face, "Phillip."

Dooku tensed for a moment, which was what I'd been hoping for. After I'd been knighted, and after some gentle prodding from Qui-Gon, Dooku had revealed his given name to me. It wasn't hard to tell Dooku disliked it greatly, not least whenever – like this moment – where his nose wrinkled at hearing it, and I could understand why. While on Earth, it carried a slight noble quality to it, in this galaxy it sounded… common, wrong. This might be why the only times I used it was when I wanted an easy way to snipe back at him. I knew it would cost me the next time we sparred, but at least now I had some way to strike back at my former Master.

Fenrir stepped up beside me, rubbing his shoulder against my upper arm. I could sense some excitement from him, which I suspected came from him sensing Anakin outside. The pair had bonded easily enough when I'd last passed through the system. "Remember, these people are friends. Play nice," I said to the large but still growing tuk'ata.

While I doubted he'd do anything to cause problems, nor did I expect Simvyl to have any issues with the Lokella, I still wanted the warning in place. Since our last visit, Fenrir had grown far larger and had tasted blood. The size would, I hoped, make those gathered reluctant to be overly vocal in their delight at seeing me, while Fenrir's taste for blood meant there was a risk, however small, that someone who approached him in the wrong way would regret it for the rest of their lives. Which, if Fenrir decided they were a threat or a useful toy, would be no more than a minute after their mistake.

Fenrir snorted, almost as if he was offended that I had to tell him to play nice. I knew he wouldn't attack the first person he saw, though if there was a Trandoshan among the group, I might not mind if he did. I knew it was wrong, but ever since my verd'goten, my distaste for the species had only grown stronger with age.

I glanced behind me to see Simvyl smirking, his teeth exposed, as he watched the interaction between me and Fenrir. While I didn't know how long we'd be here, I hoped he'd find a way to pass the time, and maybe even make a few friends among the Lokella.

Turning back, I moved down the ramp, Dooku and Fenrir at my sides, and as we stepped into the bay, almost to a being, applause broke out. I looked at the gathered crowd and forced a smile onto my face even as four figures – all of whom I knew – moved toward us.

"Mtael," Maan Lonwin began as he bowed deeply. The action was copied by two of those with him, though the third only gave me a nod, which I was fine with. "We are honoured you have returned to us. It has been some time since your last visit and," he paused as his eyes darted over Fenrir, "I, uh, see you and your companion have grown in your time away."

I stepped forward and gripped Maan's forearm. "Aye, while my growth is less obvious than Fenrir's," said beast snorted and when I looked at him, he'd lifted his head high, proud of the changes he'd gone through, "we've both changed over the last year and a bit." I shifted my stance. "This is Antarian Ranger Simvyl, and of course, you are well acquainted with Master Dooku."

Maan chuckled as we broke our grip. "Yes," he began as he looked at Dooku. "You'll be pleased to hear your… charge has remained on her island. While she appears to have become less agitated at the isolation, our transports have continued to follow your instructions regarding bringing her supplies."

Dooku tilted his head in thanks. "I will return to Komari soon. For at least the next few days, I will remain onboard with my former Padawan. Provided, of course, that is acceptable to you and the Council?"

"It is, it is." Maan's smile froze, and he blinked. "Ah, forgive me. Mtael, I'm sure you remember Tweq Ruhn and Osrep Becos?" I smiled and grasped arms with the Rodian and Twi'lek in turn. "And this is the newest member of our Council…"

"Validus," I finished for Maan as I faced the former Human gladiator of the Hutt fighting pits. "I see you've moved up in the world," I commented as we grasped arms, his grip carrying more strength than the others combined, "though I fail to see your more… outspoken companion."

Validus laughed. "Ferox, along with others, is leading a raiding party several sectors away. We learnt of a new shipment of slaves bound for Hutt space and hope to intercept them while they are still technically within Republic space." I nodded in understanding as we broke the grasp. "If all goes well, they should return within a week, and like myself, I suspect he will want a rematch." His eyes shifted to Fenrir. "Perhaps even, if you'll allow it, with your beast. I am impressed by his growth, and by the wound on his back, and over your eye, it's clear you've both fought battles in your time away."

"Aye, we've seen our share of scrapes, and provided it's clear any duel against Fenrir wouldn't use bladed objects, I suspect I'll allow it," I smirked as Validus' gaze returned to me. "Though I should warn you, he's still got a fair bit of growth to go. He's still a pup after all."

"A pup?" He repeated, his eyes wide.

I laughed as I replied. "Aye. I found him a few years ago but tuk'ata grow quickly. At full height, he'll be taller than any of us, though maybe not the Wookies if they're still members of the Lokella."

Validus nodded. "They're still here, though they're off with Ferox. Still, I look forward to hearing tales of Fenrir's battle prowess, and one day I hope, seeing them with my own eyes."

"I believe that unless the recording was deleted, Miss Kryze's vid of your fight on Zonama Sekot should still be in the Raven's computer banks," Dooku offered. I turned to glare at him and saw the faint hint of a smirk. I grunted in annoyance as I realised this was his way of getting back at me for using his name just before we'd emerged. Or at least part of his revenge. Still, a recording would save me from detailing most of my battles against the Vong, though I suspected the story of the honour duel would be one Validus and others – Anakin being one – would enjoy hearing over and over.

"If it exists, then I know my warriors would enjoy viewing it. As would I." While Validus was enthusiastic about this, the other members of the Council, at least those present, didn't appear to be. "Many have joined our ranks since you were last here, and while they've heard stories of the great Mtael," I had the urge to punch the smile off his face as he used my title, "many haven't seen you in action. A recording they could view would no doubt lower the number who wish to test themselves against the founder of the Lokella."

"Yeah, I'd rather not have to face a dozen challenges a day while here. I've got better things to do than beat people down," I snarked back. Validus laughed, either because he agreed with me, or found the idea of me fighting so much everyday amusing.

"While many here might doubt you, neither I, Master Fay nor the High Council do," Dooku offered, hints of pride radiating from him. "If any here feel they are worthy of challenging a Jedi Knight in combat, I see no reason you should prevent their re-education."

"Cam!" The screech of my name prevented me from responding to Dooku's comment or dealing with the looks the Lokella Council gave me as they realised I was now a Knight. I turned at the familiar voice and saw a small boy with a mop of sandy brown hair racing toward us. Behind him, Shmi chased after her son, though she failed to catch him in time, nor did Fenrir's growl of hello slow Anakin before he'd latched himself onto my legs.

I patted his head as Shmi came closer. "I see you've still to learn what patience is," I commented as he gripped my waist tightly. The Lokella Council all smiled at Anakin's behaviour, which meant they were used to his behaviour and fine with it.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" He asked as he looked up.

"Well…"

"Whoa!" Anakin cut my reply off as he noticed Fenrir, as the large tuk'ata pushed his snout against Anakin's arm. "Kriff, you're big."

"Anakin!" The boy shivered against me, which made me laugh as his mother reached us. "Where did you learn such language?"

"Miss Skywalker," I cut in, saving Anakin from answering the question. "I hope you and Anakin have been doing well?"

Shmi's gaze softened as she turned to me as I felt Anakin let go of me. "I believe I was clear that you and Master Dooku were free to call me Shmi. While I'd prefer Anakin wasn't always exploring the station with the other kids, it's a good place to live. We can't ever thank you enough for freeing and bringing us here."

"What happened to Fenrir?" I looked down at Anakin to see his hands moving over Fenrir's back.

"We got trapped during an invasion of a remote planet last year. Fenrir was forced to fight there, and while he was wounded, those he fought came off much worse." Fenrir threw his head up and shook it, proud of himself. Validus smirked at the behaviour while the other Council members and Shmi had mixtures of shock and concern on their faces.

"Can you tel… Whoa! What's that?" Anakin shifted mid-sentence as he thrust an arm past me. I turned to see where he was pointing.

"Well, unless you mean Simvyl, who's a he, not an it, I assume you mean my new ship." Simvyl shook his head at my comment, though the curl of his lips made clear he was enjoying seeing my interaction with Anakin. "Her name's the Jade Raven. The Ne'tra Sartr was lost in the invasion, but Raven's something else. Faster, slicker and, if you reach out with the Force, you'll get a hint of just how different she is."

I watched as Anakin closed his eyes and felt the wave of raw power roll off him as he clumsily did as I'd suggested. "Wha… It's alive?!" He blurted out as he opened his eyes.

"She. Raven is a she," I corrected even as my smile grew. "But yes, in some ways, she is alive. She's a semi-organic vessel created from a world strong in the Living Force." I shifted my gaze to his mother. "Provided your mother allows it, I'm more than happy to take you out for a flight with her. Though not today," I added quickly as he took a step toward Raven.

"But…"

"Anakin."

"Yes, mum."

I laughed at the interaction, as did others – though not Dooku, who remained as apparently stoic as always to those who didn't know him – and clapped a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Now, how about you and your friends, wherever they are, give me, Fenrir and Simvyl a tour of the station. I'd love to see the changes that have taken place." I glanced at Validus as I finished, making it clear I would also want a rundown of the military status of the Lokella.

He nodded in understanding as Anakin grabbed my hand. As he pulled me away from the group, Fenrir and Simvyl close behind, I looked forward to what he showed me. Apart from getting more time to bond with him, I'd get to see how the Lokella had grown over the last couple of years. Though it was clear that they were rapidly reaching a point where donations from my credit pile would no longer be needed to keep them afloat. If they'd not already passed that point.

With my account standing at more than nine-hundred million credits and with the first Knights of the Old Republic novel due to be published at the end of the year, I was reaching a point where I'd be able to start considering investing in useful companies. I had some in mind for that, but that could wait. For now, I had a station to reacquaint myself with and a Chosen One to grow closer to.

… …

… …

I slid back, avoiding the tip of Dooku's lightsaber as it thrust toward me. As I moved, I used my off-hand and sent a blast of Force energy at the ground near his feet. Dooku sensed it coming and was already disengaging before the dirt was tossed up by the blast. I used the dust to move back further, and as it settled, I saw he'd done the same, generating distance between us.

I growled in annoyance even as I slid into the stance I was trying to use. To overcome Makashi's flaws, I now used Ataru footwork, and even the odd leap if it worked, when I duelled. However, everything still felt robotic, and structured, which might be why I kept losing to Dooku.

After each spar, he'd all but snarled – for him – at me at my failure to overcome whatever it was that was holding me back. I knew he was right, I knew what I had to do, yet I couldn't seem to discover why my form was, to use his words, technically proficient but lacking in grace. I was reasonably sure it was something to do with how the Interface interacted with the Force, almost as if it was blocking a true connection with the energy field that bound almost all life in the galaxy, yet I could neither prove that nor discover a workaround. Or, if the issue was mental, see the step I had to take to overcome this limitation.

While against lower-skilled opponents, it wasn't an issue, against every Jedi Master it made it nigh on impossible for me to score a hit, never mind win a spar. Yes, Dooku was far beyond even highly skilled Jedi Masters, but that didn't change the fact he was – just as he'd done over the last five days – toying with me as we sparred. Nor did it ease the growing concern that this issue would rear its ugly head when I faced Darth Maul.

Dooku rushed forward, stopping me from once more delving into my failings, and I moved to meet him, the dust around us slowly falling to the ground. His blade slid for my gut. My wrist twisted, moving my blade to deflect his. He rolled his wrist, trying to rotate his weapon over my arm, but I'd expected that and was able to flick my arm enough to bounce the attack away.

At the same time, I saw the fingers on his free hand move and then felt something grip my leg. Before he could fully grasp it with the Force, I pulled the leg back and slid my free arm behind my back. As I brought it around, the tip of my now ignited shoto clipped the ground, making the weapon hiss and the ground melt and then, as the blade carried on, lifted superheated dirt toward my former Master. I knew this was never going to work, not least as I'd just done the same thing a moment earlier, but as I felt the grip on my leg vanish, I knew it'd served its purpose.

While it had freed me before Dooku could toss me across the ground, drawing my shoto and using it as I had, had forced me off-balance. Dooku took advantage of this as his lightsaber raced toward me, seeking the gap my body's position generated between my lightsabers.

While I might have been able to block the thrust with my main blade, I knew he'd have simply rolled with that and clipped my leg, ending this duel. Not wanting that to happen, I reached into my bag of tricks and, just as the tip reached my robes, used Phase.

Feeling the blade pass through me was, as always, an odd sensation that I never particularly enjoyed. However, it had at least delayed my defeat. Though now I was left with his lightsaber seemingly embedded in my chest. His brow rose at the situation and felt his irritation through the Force. Yet for all that, he had to know he had me trapped. So long as his lightsaber remained within me while I was phased, he had victory in his grasp. Thankfully, while I lacked something to give me a fair crack at beating him with a lightsaber, I had other Force-related tricks I could use to, at the very least, delay the inevitable.

I started running, enjoying the look of shock that flashed over Dooku's features as I rushed through his body. I knew he'd turned and was in pursuit, which is why I pushed myself as fast as I could, the Force accelerating me to speeds most beings would struggle to track. Dooku, however, wasn't a normal being.

Still, I'd planned for this, and after only a few seconds, I stopped, pivoted, and brought my blades around. As I came back into phase, Dooku was forced to slow instantly. While his blade was in a general defensive position, since he'd been moving rapidly, the form wasn't its usual perfect self. My main blade thrust forward, pushing against his and guiding it away as my shoto then came into play.

However, just before the tip of my secondary blade reached him, I felt the Force shift. Before I could react, I was sent hurtling back, lifted up, and then crashing into the ground by a point-blank blast of the Force from Dooku.

I bounced over the ground, my shoto being driven from my hand when my wrist slammed into a rock, only regaining some control once I dug my main blade into the ground and used it to counter my momentum. I barely had time to get my bearings before the blue tip of Dooku's blade emerged from the dust cloud my journey had caused.

With no chance to get my lightsaber free from the ground in time to block, I depowered it and reached further into my back of tricks. The air around me shifted to sliver as I used Teleport to gain some distance from him. When my vision returned, I was standing about ten metres from Raven, who marked the centre of the one-kilometre-squared area we were using for today's spars.

Sensing Dooku closing, the Force swirling around him, I turned to face him. My lightsaber came up, tapping away his attack, then when he countered, doing so once more. He shifted around me, trying to come at me from the side, but I leant into Makashi and made sure he remained directly in front of me. As his attacks continued to come, and I deflected, blocked, or avoided them, I already knew I'd lost. My only hope now would be a mistake from Dooku that granted an opening, but after training with him for so long – and having spent time sparring with someone prone to using misdirection and deception in their style in Shaak Ti – I knew that even if I saw an opening, I'd not take it.

Dooku stopped trying to sidestep me and instead turned the spar into a purely linear event. It took nearly a dozen probing attacks before I was forced to shift back, but I knew that more would come. That was proven true when I had no choice but to take a second step only five attacks later.

I grunted in annoyance at how clear my defeat was, yet as much as I wanted to draw on that rage, to use it to power my actions, I knew that wouldn't work. I'd done that several days ago, and apart from the lecture Dooku had given about allowing myself to become unbalanced from drawing on my emotions, it had only hastened my defeat.

Once more, I reached into my bag of tricks and with my free hand, tried to manipulate the very ground we fought on. It was hard to do, as I had to keep almost all my attention on Dooku, something proved when his blade came close enough to my arm that I felt the heat burn away some of the hairs there, but after some effort, I felt the Force and the ground respond to me.

A gentle tremor caused us both to stop and take a few steps to restore our balance. With that time, I flicked up my free hand, summoning flames that rushed toward Dooku. He batted them aside with a simple use of the Force, but as the flames cleared to let him see me, lightning raced from my fingers. It was only Electrokinesis, but the unexpected assault forced him to bring his lightsaber up to defend himself and take a step back.

I kept the power flowing, knowing that if I slacked off, he'd slide past the attack and have me on the defensive instantly. As his blade caught the blue ripples of energy that surged from my fingers, I stepped close, my lightsaber poised to strike out, to score my first-ever hit against him. Yet just as I felt close enough to strike, just as I saw my chance, Dooku moved.

His blade flicked forward, sending the energy swirling around it back at me. I was forced to end the stream of power, lest I get burnt by it, and in that second, I felt his blade clip my shoulder.

"I believe that is the spar."

I grunted as he spoke and powered down his lightsaber. I'd been close, so close, to scoring a strike by pulling on my full arsenal. Yet in the decisive moment, he'd turned the tables and beaten me. Again. "Kriff," I spat out as I powered down my blade. "I thought I had you there."

"For a moment you may have. However, you delayed too long in seeking victory, which granted me time to not only adapt to your attack but counter it." He moved closer, placing a hand on my shoulder. "You are far more comfortable using the Force offensively, and in unexpected ways than most Jedi – even some Masters – however your blade work is, as you're well aware, your greatest flaw. I won't go into detail, again, regarding this apparent block you have, but until you are able to overcome it, I fear you will not reach your full potential."

"I know, I know," I muttered. Even if I was glad he wasn't giving me one of his far more common harsh critiques, the gentler approach he was taking now somehow felt worse. As if he realised his usual methods weren't working and felt a softer, kinder approach would somehow make a difference. Almost as if he felt sorry for me.

"Do not be discouraged, Cameron. You are, without a doubt, the most technically sound Jedi I have seen in decades, if not ever. Indeed, if they felt you would accept, I suspect the Council would assign you permanently to work with Initiates and Padawans as you have the ability to help others improve that few possess." I snorted at that, knowing it was as much down to the Interface as to how well I taught as to anything natural. "However, this continual inability to find fluidity in your actions, to let the Force guide your blade and work with you fully, holds you back from achieving the mastery that I know you are capable of. Once you discover and overcome it, I have little doubt you will become a duellist able to rival myself, Master Yoda, and Master Windu, if not surpass us all."

There was a faint trace of pride mixed with hope in his words, but I didn't latch onto that. No, once more, my thoughts returned to my inability to truly embrace the Force and my lightsaber style as I fought. I kicked the ground, letting some of the building anger out before I let go of the rest. Here and now, there was little I could seemingly do about this.

Oh, I'd keep meditating on the matter, keep training myself in the six forms I knew – even though I was Knighted, I'd not approached Battlemaster Drallig about learning Juyo as I didn't want to concern the Council – and hope the issue would resolve itself. Before I'd left the Temple, I sparred with other Knights and a handful of Masters so much that Serra and others had joked that I enjoyed pain. While I was slowly getting better and could sense hints of what my style would be whenever I overcame the block on me, I was still losing to others of my rank or higher. Well, at least to some.

I had defeated a small number of Knights, but like me, they were recently elevated to the rank. While that gave me some XP from the Training Superiority: Mark 2 quest, it was starting to grate at how far it felt I still had to go. The XP from the updated quest was lower, at least for defeating Padawans and Knights, which made sense, yet I was more focused on trying to overcome this seemingly mental block.

Now, if it was a factor of the Interface, then all I could do was hope that reaching level 30, and the second and last system update would fix the issue. If not, I'd be permanently hamstrung by this, which would require me to adapt my fighting methods.

The big issue was that, unless something major happened, I wouldn't be hitting level 30 until after Naboo, and my likely face-off with Maul. Yes, he'd lost to Obi-Wan, but everything about that screamed him simply becoming overconfident and toying with the Padawan instead of killing him off when he had the chance. A mistake he didn't make with Qui-Gon, and, with Sidious having an idea of my skills, not a mistake I expected him to make with me wherever our paths crossed. Haran, I'd sparred with Qui-Gon several times and even when I'd drawn the fight out, taking advantage of him tiring as it progressed, I'd still failed to score a strike against him.

"Still, before you cross this barrier, I feel it would do you, and the boy some good if you instructed him in some elementary velocities. I have shown him some, but I lack the… patience to handle one so young and rumbustious."

I chuckled at the image of Dooku trying to get Anakin to remain still and failing miserably. "Yes, Anakin isn't the calmest of children." I looked at my former Master. "Still, I'm not sure if I should begin his training."

"You feel you shouldn't become his Master?"

I sighed and looked upward, in the general direction of Mtael's Gift and Anakin. "I'm not sure. I know I share a bond with him, but I fear that if I can't break this block I have, then I'd hinder his growth more than help."

"It's good you understand your limitations, Cameron, and that you are concerned if you're ready for the responsibility of training a Padawan. However, it has been clear to me and Master Fay for many years that the Force drew you to the boy. While I would be honoured to take another Padawan with potential like yours, I know that isn't what the Force wants. Nor the boy." I wondered how Anakin would turn out with Dooku as a Master. While I had little doubt Anakin would be an even deadlier combatant under Dooku's tutelage, I had doubts the pair would be able to work together. Their personalities were simply far too different. "I have – as time with Komari allows – watched and instructed him. Beyond being incredibly gifted with the Force, he has an ability, no doubt enhanced by his connection to the Force, to understand and improve technology that is almost unmatched. If he commits, I believe he may one day surpass Master Tiin as the greatest pilot in the Order. My only concern, which I share about you, is his desire to do what is right, regardless of what the Order and Code would permit, may lead him to make the wrong choice for the right reasons."

"But… what if I ruin him? What if I'm not able to teach him what he needs and he either doesn't reach his potential and resents me for it or dies before his time? What if, because of my limitations, I fail to prepare him for what is to come and whatever role the Force has in line for him?"

I'd had these concerns for a while, which was why I limited the time I spent around Anakin, though this was the first time I'd voiced them to anyone. If I'd mentioned it to Fay, she'd have told me to have faith in the Force and its path for us. While that might work for her, I was less… trusting of the Force's plans and goals. Since she'd stayed at the Temple, to spend time with Satele's holocron and to research her mission to rediscover Tython, I'd not brought it up with her. While I hoped I'd get to see her again before she left, I knew in my heart I'd see her again even if I didn't.

Dooku was silent for a while as if ordering his thoughts. "Every Master has these concerns. I had them when I first met you. At that point, I felt my time training Padawans had passed. Yet the Force guided me to you, as it did Master Fay. I admit I was reluctant to train you. I felt my time within the Order was drawing to a close; that I needed to walk a different path. Yet the Force had guided me to you, and I placed trust in that, a decision that I am grateful for."

"As am I, Master," I lowered my head.

One of those rare smiles came to his face. "While we both know the path ahead of you is long and dangerous, I know your path is an important one. You are someone who, unlike many, understands that doing what is needed sometimes isn't what others consider legal." He paused and looked upward. "There are times when I wonder how your mother would view the man you've become. How proud she would be to see the potential you have to be one of the greatest Force users the galaxy has ever seen. While a Jedi should be mindful of pride and other emotions as they can lead to mistakes being made, and dark paths being walked, I am proud of the man you have become. As I am with all my Padawans. While I dislike the concept, I know that my time in the galaxy is slowly fading, though it won't for many years yet. I am grateful to know that my legacy, my teachings, will live on in you and those like Qui-Gon Jinn as you make your marks on the course of the galaxy."

I blinked, finding my eyes oddly blurry. "I… Thank you, Master." I bowed deeply. "I hope I can live up to the high standards and faith you have in me."

Dooku chuckled, which was a sound I knew I'd never grow to expect. "You already have, as you will continue to do." He turned there and moved away from me and Raven. "Now, let us try again. Perhaps, with your mind on other matters, the path you must take will become clearer. Or at least the possibility of one might appear."

I shook my head. While I doubted things would clear up today, or soon, I wouldn't turn down another spar. Yes, I didn't expect to win, but every spar taught me something new, something to learn and improve from.

The familiar soft howl of my lightsaber brought me a sense of calm, and as I slipped into an opening stance, I readied myself for Dooku's fresh onslaught.

… …

… …

"Jade Raven, this is Coruscanti Orbital Control. Your arrival is expected, and a flight path cleared. Transmitting data now."

I looked at the data as it appeared on a screen, then frowned. The route, while generally what I'd expected, didn't take me to the Temple, but instead to the Senate building. "Control, can you confirm this path? I was recalled by the Jedi Council."

It'd been about two months since my knighting, and after spending most of that time with the Lokella, Anakin, and Dooku – when he'd not been busy with Vosa –, I'd received a summons to return from Master Gallia. She'd not mentioned why I was being recalled, but I assumed it was for a mission. Since there was only about a month and a half until the end of the year, I was concerned they'd give me a mission that would take significant time and cause me issues with what was due to happen next year.

With Anakin and his mother off Tatooine, if Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were still given the mission to Naboo, then they'd possibly be stranded there. At least until Maul turned up and likely killed them and then took Padmé back to Naboo and forced her to sign Viceroy Gunray's settlement.

When I'd first gotten the summons, I had also wondered if they wished to speak with me about Serra and our developing relationship. Apart from that first afternoon aboard Raven, we'd only managed to get time away from the Temple one more time before I'd left with Dooku. Now, with time to think about it as I travelled to the Republic capital, I realised that concern was unwarranted. Even if they did learn anything about us, and I'd not sensed any worry from Serra during my time away, we were already clear that, if the worst did happen, we'd leave the Order together.

Now, I didn't want that to happen, at least not for a while, but if it did, then so be it. Still, I'd hoped to at least see and spar with her, and my friends again, when at the Temple. That now appeared to be off the table.

"Path is confirmed, Jade Raven. The orders came directly from the Chancellor's office."

That made my frown deepen. I'd had no interaction with Valorum, save for when he'd met me as an aide of the former Chancellor, Kalpana. For him to summon me only worked if someone – and I had a fair idea of who – had brought my name up concerning a matter that I currently knew nothing about.

"Understood Control. Raven out." I closed the link as Raven slid into the planet's atmosphere after accepting the flight path into her systems.

As the hull warmed from the planet's stratosphere brushing against Raven's hull, I closed my eyes and reached out through the Force. [Serra, I've been called to the Senate. If I can, I'll try and swing by the Temple, but I suspect they've got something for me that will keep me away a little while longer.]

I kept the line open, waiting for her reply. As expected, she couldn't respond verbally – either because the distance was too great for her, or she wasn't able to focus on the link because of whatever she was currently doing – but I sensed her understanding and acceptance. There were also, at the very end, hints of hope and desire, making clear that she wanted to see me as much as I wanted to see her.

I smiled as I opened my eyes, casting my gaze toward the Temple as it came into sight far below. Unlike Bo, with whom every encounter started – and invariably ended – as a test of dominance, time with Serra was softer, gentler. I'd also confirmed that she had a slight submissive streak, at least when it came to me. I'd not pushed into that since what we had was still new and experimental, but I wondered how deep the streak went. And if it would extend to others, as I couldn't deny the thought of having both girls join me in bed had been a semi-regular thread in my dreams.

I turned my thoughts away from that idea, and instead, as the Senate building came into sight, toward one person I'd work my hardest to keep from this place. Anakin hadn't been happy that I had to leave the ShaDo system, but I'd left him with enough that he should be busy for at least a few months.

On Dooku's advice, I'd started training him in basic Shii-Cho velocities, letting him – after Shmi gave her reluctant blessing – use my shoto lightsaber on its lowest power setting. He'd picked them up rapidly, and I'd started walking him through using them in a spar. Shmi had watched almost all our sessions, which was understandable, but she never stopped him. While I doubted Anakin fully understood that becoming a Jedi would mean leaving her, Shmi did and seemed happy that he'd soon begin learning how to help others.

The only other person who'd watched any of those sessions had been Dooku. He'd spent most of his time with Vosa, which I understood even if I disliked, but he never spoke. Not unless it was to offer a critique of Anakin's stance or form. Oddly, Anakin didn't seem put off by Dooku's blunt manner and took every word to heart. My attention though was in those moments where a wisp of a smile crept onto my former master's face.

As for Vosa… I wasn't ready to face her. Not because I feared she'd defeat me again, but because – thanks to Eidetic Memory – how the memories of what I'd endured at her hands were always easily accessible. I felt I had a handle on those memories, but I wasn't willing to risk it by being near her and losing control, or letting Dooku see that I could, and had, drawn willingly upon the Dark Side. I knew Dooku was disappointed that I'd not chosen to meet Vosa, but I felt I wasn't ready, and he accepted that.

As Raven slid between two towers that reached high into the stratosphere, my mind was drawn to the sensations Raven was giving off. While she knew where we were, I sensed she'd prefer to be elsewhere. If I had to guess, that was because either the planet felt too sterile, too artificial for her liking, and when we'd last been here, I'd not taken her out as regularly as I had when we'd been near Gaia.

That was the name I'd chosen for the Lokella's planet. While I'd have preferred they'd have selected a name without me, the Council were insistent I chose. They'd been confused by my choice but had accepted it readily. To me, Gaia felt an appropriate name as in mythology, she'd been the mother planet that had given rise to life. A mother that had birthed and guided hope and life into a new place, which was the role that the planet, and the ShaDo system, served for the Lokella.

The Lokella themselves were even stronger than had been hinted at. Ferox had returned about two weeks after we'd arrived, bringing with him a small fleet composed of Corellian gunships and blockade runners, and his newest prize; two Gozanti-class cruisers. While neither was designed primarily for combat, since they were a CEC design, modifying them was relatively easy – something I'd helped push along by transferring another half million credits to the Lokella. That had required me to leave the system for a day with Validus to arrange the purchase of additional weapons for the ships, but I considered it was money well spent.

What helped with that was the fact the Lokella population had swelled with Ferox's raid. When I'd left, there were now around ten thousand souls aboard Mtael's Gift – with the majority being part of the anti-slavery operations – and another thirty thousand on Gaia below. Between the station and colony, and a few smaller mining operations throughout the system, the Lokella were able to support and grow themselves. I'd still check back in on them - even aside from the fact that Anakin was there - when I could, and gift them credits or supplies as needed. However, for the most part, they were now large enough to survive without help and strong enough to handle all but the most dedicated response from the Hutts or other slavers.

As Raven slowed while approaching the Senate building, I hoped that whatever it was Palpatine had wrangled me into wouldn't take too long. The starting line for canon events was fast approaching and I still had several things to do. Not least, going to Mandalore and getting the final checks made on my armour, and then getting used to fighting in it. Of course, it would also let me check in on Bo – hopefully without any awkward conversations with Duke Adonai about our relationship – and possibly even Naz.

A grin came to my face as Raven touched down on the platform set aside for her at the idea of fucking Pre Vizsla's daughter. However, seeing Palpatine standing nearby with his aides forced the smile and idea from my thoughts.

For now, I'd have to be on guard until I figured out just what the Sith Lord had planned.

… …

… …

I looked up from the table in front of me as the door to the suite opened. I watched as Kinman Doriana stepped into the suite. "Senator," he began with a bow, "the pilot wishes you to know that we've entered the landing pattern. He expects to be able to disembark within thirty minutes."

Palpatine, who is sitting across the table from me, examining the pieces in our game of holochess, turned and smiled. "Thank you, Kinman." He returned his gaze to the table and after tapping at his controls, one of his pieces moved and violently ripped my piece apart and took the space. "Your move."

I nodded as I looked at the board, taking the time to think things through. The game had similarities to chess from Earth, but not enough that what I'd known was much help beyond understanding the basics. Of course, the bigger issue was that I was sitting in a very luxurious suite aboard a transport bound for Eriadu – the same one I'd been in for the last four days – with Darth fucking Sidious.

After he'd greeted me on the Senate landing pad, he'd brought me to his office and explained the situation.

Apparently, while I'd been away there'd been an attack on Chancellor Valorum which had only been thwarted by the Jedi. This was, Palpatine explained, because of a trade summit taking place on Eriadu. One where the Chancellor was hoping to reach an agreement between the Trade Federation and the Republic regarding taxation of the Outer Rim.

Since Palpatine had also been targeted by a group of terrorists called the Nebula Front, Valorum had agreed the Senator needed extra protection. Of course, Palpatine had asked the Jedi to allow me to be that protection, which was why I was travelling with Palpatine to Eriadu for this summit. A summit that carried the threat of further attempts on the Chancellor by the Nebula Front.

As if being forced to spend days on-route and on-planet around Palpatine wasn't troublesome enough, Wilhuff Tarkin was the Lieutenant Governor of Eriadu while his uncle, Ramin Tarkin, was the sectorial senator. And then there was the fact that the Trade Federation, meaning Viceroy Gunray, was going to be present. When I'd had time to think things through, I'd become convinced that Palpatine was up to something with his involvement in this summit and that I'd been roped in as well. Whether that was because I had a role to play in whatever was going to happen, or because Palpatine felt this was a way to further ingratiate himself with me – or both – I couldn't say. Regardless, I'd been on edge ever since we'd left Coruscant, and things were only made trickier because Kinman Doriana and Sate Pestage were both coming along as well.

The only thing that I'd been able to have any influence over was our transportation. Palpatine had expressed an interest in us taking the Raven to Eriadu. I'd rejected that by saying the Council wanted to perform tests on her, which I'd agreed to whenever I returned to Coruscant. I'd also left Fenrir and Simvyl in the Temple, as while leaving an agitated tuk'ata around Jedi might be a dangerous idea, it was safer than having Fenrir anywhere near a Sith Lord.

The other thing I'd left behind had been Damask's gift.

I'd still not done much with the red-bladed katana he'd gifted me. Well, beyond using Observe on it. That had proved the blade was, as Damask had claimed, a Force-imbued blade weapon used before the invention of lightsabers by a member of the Legions of Lettow during the First Great Schism. Damask had claimed it had belonged to their leader, but Observe revealed it hadn't, instead belonging to a Tun Bohoi. From what I could gather in the Jedi Archives, Bohoi had been a general in the Legions. Since the Legions had been Dark Jedi who'd turned against the Order, I wondered if Damask was hinting at plans to turn me, or if he'd given it to me simply because he felt it might ingratiate himself to me. Regardless of his reasoning, the blade had stayed inside the case that Ce Serd had presented it in.

Publicly, Palpatine and Damask were known to be acquaintances, so I had to assume Sidious knew about the blade, but I wasn't willing to reveal it to him. Not when I had no clue as to Plagueis' motives for gifting it to me.

A gentle cough drew my mind back to the table and the game of holochess upon it.

"Cameron?"

"Sorry. Was just thinking." I looked at the board once more, planning out not just my move, but what I expected Palpatine to do next. I imputed my move, knowing it was a mistake. I was being too aggressive. However, that was something I'd done in every game I'd played since boarding this transport and allowing Palpatine to teach me the game. Just like in chess, there were tendencies a player displayed that also revealed much about them in real life. Thus, in every game I made mistakes. Early games had been all-out attacks, while the games since had taken longer, I always made sure that I eventually overcommitted an important piece, and then compounded the error by continuing to do so.

I hoped that Palpatine would believe this flaw in holochess carried over into my actions for real. There was some correlation, as I did prefer to rush in, but I didn't try to overcommit and understood that there were times when I needed to withdraw and regroup. By hiding those tendencies, and over-emphasising the flaws, Palpatine should, in theory, develop an inaccurate picture of how I operated.

"A bold move," he commented before quickly imputing his move. The piece I'd expected to move, did so, slaughtering the piece I'd just moved. "However, a rash one." The move left the piece that corresponded to my king – not that it was called that here – exposed.

"Yeah, I can see that now," I muttered with a frown, trying to appear annoyed at my apparent mistake. This game was over, as no matter what I did, I'd lose within five moves. However, I wanted to continue appearing rash, and my next move would end the game in another two moves for him.

"Senator," Palpatine turned before he could input his next move as Sate spoke. "We have an incoming transmission from the Governor's Palace."

"It seems we will have to continue this game at a later date," Palpatine said as he turned back to me. I nodded in acceptance; glad the game was over and turned off the system. I then watched as he moved to another section of the suite, where a large display lit up.

"Senator Palpatine," Wilhuff Tarkin began as soon as his image formed on the display, "on behalf of Governor Harro, I welcome you to Eriadu." I'd hoped to avoid Tarkin while here, but it seemed that I'd failed before even setting foot on the planet.

"Lieutenant Governor Tarkin, I hadn't expected to speak with you until after we'd landed," Palpatine replied, his back to me as he spoke with Tarkin. As with each time, he turned his back to me, the thought to strike out now, to take him out before he could rise to Chancellor flashed through my mind. I never acted on it though. Apart from the chances of me being able to take out a Sith Lord, even if I managed to get the jump on him, the fact was taking Sidious out now did nothing so long as Plagueis was still on the board. There was also the fact that, if by some miracle I did manage to kill Palpatine, or at least force him to reveal himself as a Sith, I'd spend the rest of my life on the run while all those I cared about would be hunted down and, at best, imprisoned for their association with me. "I do hope nothing is wrong."

"Quite the contrary. Security is tight, the conference location is secured and isolated, and the various delegates, of which you are the last to arrive, are protected by my forces." It almost sounded as if Tarkin was offended by the hint that something had gone wrong. "I simply wished to greet you before you landed as unfortunately, I have a scheduled meeting with the local security chiefs to finalise elements of the summit." He paused for a moment, his eyes drifting to me. "Has a new threat arisen that requires additional Jedi participation?"

Palpatine chuckled. "No, no. I simply felt safer travelling with a Jedi after the recent attempt on my life." He paused and extended one arm toward me. "I wonder if you remember Cameron Shan. He was recently knighted by the Jedi Council."

Tarkin's brow rose as his attention focused on me. "Forgive me for saying this, but I was unaware the Jedi promoted members at such an… early stage." I glared at Tarkin, though I held my tongue. The comment on my age was far too obvious to be anything but an attempt to draw a reaction from me.

"Cameron has more than earned that title, I assure you," Palpatine offered. "Beyond the actions that you learnt of when we all met, I have recently discovered that Cameron was instrumental in the dismantling of the Bando Gora crime syndicate. He also, on a minor world just beyond the Outer Rim, almost single-handedly repelled a planetary invasion and is the one responsible for the recent Zygerrian Agreement, which had King Scintel express his gratitude to the Senate and Jedi Order for dispatching Knight Shan to oversee the negotiations."

"Is that so?" Tarkin's gaze remained on me, though it was far more analytical now. He rubbed his chin. "Hmm, then it seems the Jedi have, for once, made the correct decision. My congratulations on your promotion, Knight Shan."

"Thank you Lieutenant Governor," I said calmly back, wondering if there was more to Palpatine's defence of me than trying to further pull me into his influence. "And the Council is known to be correct on occasion." That drew smiles from both men. "However, while you might be interested in hearing about my adventures unless I am relieved of my duty to protect the Senator, I doubt I will have time to mingle."

"As it should be," Tarkin replied with a nod. He turned back to Palpatine and as the two began discussing various issues with the summit, I let my mind wander. I could review everything they said later, though I doubted anything of importance to Sidious' plan would be revealed over an open channel.

That said, I did wonder if Eriadu was chosen because of the fact Tarkin was responsible for security. Or if it was a minor benefit to whatever scheme the Sith Lord had in motion. Regardless, it meant I had another figure to watch while here to see if I could determine what the plan was and if it was possible, how to stop it.

… …

… …

I entered the small room at the summit hall and moved over to the only familiar faces there. "Master Qui-Gon," I said once close enough while bowing. Next to him was Obi-Wan and since they were here, I had to assume they were to give me an update on the security situation. While I was here as a Jedi, I wasn't part of the main operation regarding the Chancellor, instead assigned purely as protection for Senator Palpatine.

I'd been looking for a way to slip away from the Senator when Kinman had approached me and mentioned Palpatine wanted an update on the security arrangements. I'd taken the opportunity to get away, though I worried that if Sidious wanted me gone then he was up to something. That fear had been put to bed instantly when Kinman had explained that Palpatine would be locked in talks with Chancellor Valorum, Governor Harro, and Lieutenant Governor Tarkin – along with others – for the next few hours to discuss plans for the summit tomorrow.

Qui-Gon looked at me and smiled. "Ah, Cameron, good. I wondered when you'd get here." He and Obi-Wan were looking at a hologram of the Eriadu senate hall, which apart from serving as the location for the summit, was modelled on the Galactic Senate on Coruscant.

"I'd have come sooner, but Senator Palpatine was quite insistent I remain by his side. If not for the fact he needs to speak with the Chancellor, I doubt I'd have been able to make it." That drew a chuckle from Qui-Gon. Obi-Wan greeted me with a smile, though he didn't seem happy about something, and I wondered if he might be upset that I'd been knighted before him.

"Yes, politicians can be quite needy when they feel threatened," Qui-Gon commented. "Or when they want something, which I have found is most of the time." I laughed at that as I came closer and examined the hologram. "As you've no doubt guessed, this is the Eriadu Senate building. While it is outwardly modelled on the Coruscant Senate building, its internal structure is quite different."

I nodded in agreement as I took in the display. Within seconds I'd seen a dozen flaws that, if a sniper could reach, would give them a clear line of sight on anyone in the building. Those flaws continued to appear the longer I looked at the hologram. "This is a nightmare," I muttered as I reached fifty points of concern within the main hall alone. "The gantries allow clear lines of sight for anyone inside, and these rooms," I pointed at a ring that hung high above the floor, "are almost as bad." The rooms were either marked for media to cover the daily goings on of the Eriadu senate, or for conferences and tours of the building. "Force, the tunnels under the main floor could be rigged with explosives that, while not likely to take down the building, would easily kill anyone above."

"I see Dooku's teachings about vigilance have stuck," Qui-Gon remarked with a wide smirk. "But yes, these issues have been marked. Beyond all being patrolled or locked during the summit, local security is limiting access to only certain individuals, and even then, only through select entrances. While the Chancellor is quite insistent that the public be allowed in to view proceedings, there are only a handful of locations they can gather at."

I snorted at the remark about security, remembering the half-dozen locations where I'd been stopped on my way here. Even though I carried a lightsaber, demonstrated usage of the Force, and was marked as a member of Senator Palpatine's delegation, I was still stopped at every location. "Aye. I'm surprised that none of the checkpoints tried a cavity search."

Both laughed at that image. "While I'll be passing along that comment to others, I can understand their reluctance. You do appear far younger than what most would expect of a Jedi Knight. Nor do you carry yourself with the patience of most of our Order."

I lowered my head, accepting the comment from Qui-Gon, and then looked at Obi-Wan. There hadn't been any reaction to Qui-Gon mentioning my rank, so I wondered what was concerning him. "Thank you, I guess," I replied to Qui-Gon, and then, after leaning in close, whispered, "Philip?"

Qui-Gon laughed again, which confused Obi-Wan as he'd not heard what I'd said. "I see you've learnt his deep dark secret?" I nodded, smiling at the idea that it was something Dooku hated people knowing. "However, as amusing as it would be to discuss our former master, you're here for another reason. How much do you know about the Nebula Front?"

I shrugged. "Only what Senator Palpatine prepared for me, and a brief overview I found on the Holonet." I had wanted to do a deep dive while we'd been on route, but Palpatine had made sure to engage me in conversation or distractions – such as the holochess – for almost all the time it took to get here.

Obi-Wan touched the controls for the display, and the image shifted to that of what, judging by the markings on his face, was a male Mirialan. "This is Arwen Cohl," Obi-Wan began, "a man with known connections to the Nebula Front. We believe that he, along with his accomplices," the display shifted again to show a female Human and Rodian, "has been hired to assassinate the Chancellor before or during the summit." None of the three looked happy in the images, though since those were likely taken for Republic Judicial Forces, that wasn't a surprise as no one ever looked good in mugshots.

Obi-Wan continued speaking, going into detail about his and Qui-Gon's interactions with the trio, their known associates, and more about the Nebula Front. I stayed quiet, listening to all of it. There was a chance this was a genuine threat toward Chancellor Valorum. Yet, as the briefing continued, the feeling I had that Palpatine was, at the very least, exploiting this situation to advance his goals grew stronger.

The challenge I had was to discover what that goal was. And, if possible, stop it from happening.

… …

… …

I stood silently, watching the various delegations, reporters and security personnel move around the building. Currently, I was standing about a metre behind Palpatine as he sat – with his aides between us – in a box set aside for various delegations, including that of the one from Naboo. The rest of the Naboo delegation had gathered around us, engaging in quiet chatter with each other and Palpatine. In other areas of this box and nearby boxes, other delegations were gathered, with most being from Outer Rim sectors, which made sense given the purpose of the summit.

Chancellor Valorum had called for this summit in response to the issues occurring in the Rim that gave rise to the Nebula Front, and other groups like it – including those that sparked the Stark Hyperspace War over a decade earlier. As such, he had two points of contention the summit was supposed to negotiate. The first was the removal of the Outer Rim as a giant Free Trade Zone, which was something the Trade Federation and others were vehemently opposed to. The second was brought forth by the Trade Federation directly, and that was a request to be allowed to further arm their trade vessels to protect themselves from groups like the Nebula Front.

With all that, it was clear this was the summit that gave rise to the Trade Federation's issues with the Republic, which in turn would lead to the blockade of Naboo. Palpatine was clearly expecting something to happen, centred around the Trade Federation, as even though it could appear he was simply observing them, I felt he was watching their delegation for more nefarious reasons.

Of course, the Trade Federation delegation was made up of their Directorate – seven members including Viceroy Gunray – and Senator Lott Dod. Since, as far as I knew, the other six members of the Directorate – four Humans, a Gann, and a Sullustan – weren't around during the invasion, nor in the Clone Wars, I suspected Sidious had them removed. Something that this summit might provide an opportunity to do so, which was why the fact that their guards consisted of thirteen B1 droids stuck out. While the droids weren't the most impressive things, they had seemed to work in groups of two, three, or four, hence why thirteen droids felt wrong. However, even when examining them with Force-boosted sight, I couldn't spot anything amiss with any of them, so perhaps I was simply seeing things that weren't there.

I shifted my head as the door to the box opened, and the exceptionally bulky frame of Senator Orn Free Taa of Ryloth – along with his aides and a trio of nubile Twi'lek females – stepped into the box. Since the Ryloth delegation was one of those that was sharing the box with the Naboo delegation, their being here was expected. Still, as the rest of the delegation moved to their seats, Taa approached Palpatine.

"An impressive showing," he began as he came close to Palpatine, seemingly catching the man off-guard. "Delegates from Sullust, Clak'dor, the Serex sector, Malastere, Falleen, Bothawui…" As he spoke he nodded his head at each and I followed the glances the Senators gave, taking in several alien races I'd not encountered before. "Why even some of the Hutt worlds are represented." At that, my head snapped toward the fat slugs.

I growled at seeing a pair of them taking up an entire box to themselves – if one ignored the two dozen attendants they had. For a moment, there was an urge to use the Force and arrange an accident for them, but as Palpatine turned, possibly to glance my way, I pushed the urge aside. Not only would Sidious likely sense my actions but there were Jedi throughout the building, including three members of the High Council.

Still, I used Observe to learn who the slugs were. The larger and older one was Oruba Gorensla, head of the Gorensla Kajidic and suspected member of the Hutt Ruling Council. The other was Zorba Desilijic Tiure, a member of Jabba's Kajidic. Neither name clicked with reports I'd read from the Lokella, though both were added to the list of Hutts on the off chance I ever was able to remove anyone of power from their organisation.

I moved forward, wanting to scan the rest of the hall, and as I reached the front of the box, I saw Saesse Tiin moving around in the basin below. That was where Valorum's podium would rise – mirroring how it worked in the Senate building on Coruscant even if the mechanics were different along with his aides. Adi Gallia was the only other Jedi I knew for certain was inside, but since she was assigned to the Chancellor, that made sense. The other Jedi, which included Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Ki-Adi Mundi and a rather strange short bird-like Jedi named Vergere, were outside. Most were helping to monitor the inflow of visitors, but some – including the ones I'd just thought of – were actively looking for potential threats to the Chancellor when he travelled to the building. While I knew Valorum should be Chancellor when Naboo was invaded, I worried that any attack here might succeed due to my pres…

"…King Veruna has abdicated the throne." Palpatine's words drew my attention back to the box. Veruna stepping down started the run that would see Padmé elected Queen. While there were about four months until she was fourteen – which was how old I knew her to be when Naboo was invaded – this was the starter's gun for canon events.

"I…" Taa seemed to pause as if caught off-guard by the comment. "I must confess, Senator, that I don't know whether to feel sorry or grateful for you. But where exactly does that leave you, in any case? Is there some danger of you being recalled?" I offered a silent prayer to the Force that would happen, even if I knew it never would.

"That remains to be seen," Palpatine responded. "Naboo will have an acting regent until the elections are held."

"Who is in the running to replace Veruna?" I already knew who should win the election. While it might be unethical to place a wager on Padmé, I doubted things had changed enough that she wouldn't enter and win, which meant, if the odds were decent, it'd offer an easy way to make some credits. Yes, I had a very large pile of them already, but you could never have too much, not when war was on the distant horizon.

"That, too, remains to be seen."

"Dare I inquire as to your hope?" I leaned closer, wondering if I'd get a hint of why Palpatine had supported Padmé. I didn't know if he did it publicly or privately, but he would've worked to get her elected. I had a few ideas as to his reasoning, so hearing a hint at that would give me further insight into his thinking.

"Only for someone enthusiastic about opening Naboo to the galaxy. Someone less – how shall I put it? – traditional than Veruna."

"Or more easily persuaded perhaps?" Taa asked, and I had to agree. Palpatine had been surprised when Padmé hadn't signed Gunray's bill, seemingly expecting her to fold. That suggested he had supported her with the impression she'd be malleable, controllable, and thus a more useful pawn for his machinations.

However, before Palpatine could respond to Taa, a murmur rushed through the hall. Quickly, everyone's attention turned toward the entrance near the central podium; the one through which Valorum would enter. He did so a moment later, with his aides a step behind. Applause, some genuine, some staged, rippled through the hall as Valorum moved toward the podium he'd be using for the summit. Behind me, I heard Tra shuffling around, and his quiet voice, which I strained to hear over the noise in the hall, began commenting on Valorum, and then Governor Harro as he and Tarkin emerged.

While everyone watched the Chancellor's arrival, I scanned the room. With all the focus on Valorum, this was one of those moments where an assassin could strike. While I still doubted Valorum was the true target, I couldn't discount some sort of false flag attempt on him to distract from whoever Sidious' target was.

… …

I let out a bored sigh as Governor Harro continued to drone. It's been ten minutes since he'd stepped to the podium and begun the summit, yet all he'd done was waffle incessantly. He was currently still going on about the honour Eriadu had been granted in hosting this summit, along with offering marks of respect to various influential figures such as Valorum. Behind Harro, I saw Tarkin staring at his superior's back. While he was keeping his face neutral, I wondered if he felt the same way about Harro and his need to supplicate to everyone while managing to make himself seem more important than he was.

Thus, having been lured into a state of bored numbness by the speech, I almost jumped when the comm-unit in my ear crackled to life.

"Go ahead," I whispered after opening the channel. While I didn't want there to be an incident, I did hope that whichever Master was contacting me – it was always one of the four I spoke to – would liven up events before my brain turned to mush.

"Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan have returned," Adi Gallia began. "A group armed with a rocket launcher was intercepted before they could attack the Chancellor's transport. While they have been taken away by local security, Qui-Gon feels the threat hasn't ended and I am inclined to agree."

I stepped forward, ignoring Palpatine as he turned to look at me. Down below I saw Gallia and Saesee Tiin moving around. While they were close to the podium and the Chancellor, they were far enough away that if an attack came they'd struggle to block any bolts before Valorum and others were taken down. "Are there any leads?" I asked as I looked over the lower boxes.

"No, and the chancellor is insistent that we remain distant from him so as to maintain an air of impartiality." I rolled my eyes at Valorum's decision. I also bit back a comment about the pointlessness of me being stuck in this box. "Has anything seemed amiss?"

My eyes darted to the Trade Federation delegation. "Nothing major, Master. However, the Trade Federation delegation has thirteen droids for security. I'd have expected them to have an even number, however, the extra droid might simply be a personal guard."

Gallia took a moment before replying, likely as she tried to use the Force to sense a threat. "That is likely the reason. However, it is something to remain vigilant about. Can you see anything amiss with the droids?"

I used the Force to again boost my sight. Each of the droids was standing in line, weapons on their backs and perfectly still. The only thing that stood out was that one bore slightly different markings on its head, though I'd already dismissed that as it simply designated that droid as a command model. "No Master. They are all at rest, and with the angle I'm at, I cannot tell if any are carrying extra weaponry or missing their restraining bolts." I could see the bolts of the six closest to me, but the rest were obscured by their squad mates, and even if one was missing a bolt, it didn't confirm anything.

"Very well. I and the others will either stay close to the Chancellor or seek to locate Cohl in the building. If you see or sense anything, inform us immediately. However, since there is still a chance Senator Palpatine is a target, you are to remain at his side until our targets reveal themselves."

"Yes, Master."

I frowned as the link closed. Palpatine wasn't in any danger. No, I was sure he was the hidden hand controlling whatever was going on today and had used the 'attempt' on him as a way to divert attention. And probably also, to generate a way to gain time alone with me. Yet without proof of Palpatine not being a target, never mind him being the one orchestrating everything, and with a direct order from a High Council member, there was little I could do but remain at my post.

Yet, even as I scanned the hall once more, taking longer on every empty box, walkway, and piece of scaffolding that might be used by an assassin, I couldn't feel anything amiss. Oh, there was the general sense within the Force that something was brewing, but without meditating, I didn't know what was off. And even meditation might not work as drawing hints from the Force was something I'd always struggled with.

Now, I sensed some trepidation from the Trade Federation. However, that could simply be because they were concerned Valorum would ensure the summit was against them on both measures that were to be discussed. Or would be if Governor Harro would shut up and sit down.

… …

Nearly twenty minutes later, after Harro had thankfully stopped talking, and while the orchestra that separated the viewing masses from the Chancellor and Governor were playing the Republic anthem, the commlink in my ear clicked once more.

"Yes?"

"You were right about the Federation's droids being a problem," Gallia began. "Move as close as you can without alerting anyone of your intent." I was moving the moment she mentioned the droids, though I grunted in annoyance when told to not draw attention to myself, as that also meant not leaping over to the Federation's box and obliterating the things.

"Can't we just remove the droids now and eliminate the threat?" I whispered into the link, not wanting Palpatine to hear.

"Sadly, no. While Cohl has confirmed the droids are how the attack will come, his word isn't enough for us to move. Doing so without definitive proof would raise questions about our impartiality and likely cause the summit to break down before it can begin."

"I doubt it will survive if the attack happens, Master," I countered. "Plus, with how the Order is tied to the Senate, I doubt any consider us impartial in any matter involving the Republic." I doubted my words would change anything, be it now or in future, but it was worth stating them anyway.

"Regardless, maintain your position and stay mindful of the droids for any unexpected movement." Gallia's reply was terse, almost as if she didn't like what I'd pointed out.

"Yes, Master." The channel closed and I kept moving, heading to the point that was closest to the Federation's box from this one. I had little doubt the extra droid was the one who'd attack, but nothing – be it something I could see or sense – hinted at which droid was the primary threat.

What I was beginning to realise was that I was right to think Valorum wasn't the primary target. No, the droids would likely fire on him, and in the confusion, turn on the Federation Directorate. Well, all of them bar Gunray and Dod if I had to guess.

"Cameron," I turned back as Palpatine spoke, though only far enough that I didn't lose sight of the Federation's box, "is something the matter?"

I smiled as I replied. "Just a potential security breach, Senator. Nothing to alarm yourself about currently." I turned back, taking my time to appear as if I was looking at other delegations. I wasn't sure if Palpatine believed me or not, but I remained as calm as I could, both physically and within the Force.

"Very well. Though I do hope you'll inform me if the matter becomes serious." I gave him a nod, my sight passing over the delegation from Kashyyyk.

While I was trying to appear calm, I was already running through options in my head. The problem with each was that they took time for me to reach or interact with the droids. Time that the droids could use to enact their programming.

The simplest option was to grab them with the Force and toss them away. However, that wouldn't stop them from firing and would result in civilian casualties. Which would then, in the aftermath, further degrade the public's opinion of the Jedi Order. Crushing them was doable, but I'd never attempted to crush so many targets so quickly, and there was the chance the droids or their blasters might explode as they were compacted. Electrokinesis was also out for the same reason, plus a stray bolt might incinerate a member of the Directorate. Ionize was another option, but I'd used that so sparingly that I wasn't sure if it would take out the droids without causing them to do something unexpected like spasm and continue firing.

The distance between this box and the Federation's was small enough that I could make it with a Force-boosted jump. However, beyond the sight of a Jedi leaping toward the droids – which if timed wrong would look belligerent – the issue was time. Even if I moved before as soon as the droids drew their blasters, it would still take precious seconds to reach them.

With all those ruled out, I was left with one option that, while it carried risk, should be possible. Teleporting. Yes, there was a moment when I reappeared where I was disorientated, but if I timed the move right, then I could have my lightsaber out and active to engage three, perhaps four droids before I was sure of my location. Still, I'd have to get the timing and location near perfect as the droids would likely target me the moment I appeared.

Just as the orchestra below shifted to a new piece, I saw a concerned Human approach Gunray. The others in the box could hear, but even with the Force boosting my hearing, I couldn't make out what was being said over the sounds lifting from below. I removed the Force-boosted hearing, grimacing at having the bad timing to enhance it just as the orchestra reached a crescendo.

As I watched Gunray, I saw him speak with one of the Human directors, and then he and Lott Dod stood. I gripped the hilt of my lightsaber as I watched the pair follow the grovelling Human from the balcony and activated my array of combat-oriented Force powers.

"Cameron?"

I ignored Palpatine, focusing on the Federation's box, on the thirteen droids, waiting for any movement from them that I could use as an excuse. A familiar stillness passed over, reminding me of those moments before a mission before the storm that was about to be unleashed. I waited patiently for the signal to act, to unleash hell on my targets, and found myself missing this serenity.

Movement high above caught my eye. I glanced up as the Force shifted, filling the hall with a sense of anticipation. Streaks of red moved around a shaft of green as two figures, the second clearly a Jedi fought. My attention returned to the Federation box, waiting for the slightest movement from the droids.

Everything in me screamed to go, to move before the signal was given, to break the calm before the storm. Yet I waited. Even if I hated everything about it, I had my orders. Plus, I was concerned at how much canon might change this close to the invasion if I moved too early.

This conference was the reason the Federation would invade Naboo, the reason Sidious could manipulate Gunray into doing his bidding. Yes, allowing it to happen would cost thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, their lives, but if I acted too rashly, too quickly, then I could alter the Sith plan, and I wasn't willing to risk that. Not now, at any rate. I was set in my belief that the war needed to happen, for the Republic to undergo strife in the hope it might emerge stronger and fitter, provided I was able to stop Sidious from founding the Empire.

Plus, on a more personal level, without the invasion, people like Padmé would never break from their blind idealism and faith in the Senate and the Republic. They would never question the ways things worked or demand change. By allowing the invasion to happen, by forcing her to confront the problems in the galaxy, and then by being there as a friend to offer solutions during and after, I hoped to gain her support for a more aggressive approach. I knew she'd never become pro-military, but the passive, peaceful girl she was now wasn't the strong-willed and demanding woman she should be.

All that meant that, as much as I hated it, I wouldn't act early. Instead, as much as it galled me, I'd allow Sidious' plan, whatever it was, to occur and then hope to stop it. I'd allow Gunray to slip away into the night to be there to invade Naboo at some point next year. And all of that sickened me, but it was for the greater good. Or at least, the good I wanted to bring about.

A voice rang out in the hall. Others joined in panicked screams. The orchestra stopped. The Force moved. One of the Human directors of the Federation stood and spoke. This was the moment.

My lightsaber slid into my hand, I sensed Palpatine move, and the world around me started to turn silver.

Yet, just as the silver engulfed my entire vision, I jerked. I felt a trillion volts of raw, unrestrained power slam into every fibre of my being. My skin went numb, I lost all sense of smell as every nerve in my body flared as if dipped in acid, and I stumbled back.

My hand twitched, my lightsaber falling from it as my legs stopped working. As my skull crashed against something, and my eyes flickered closed, I saw shadows move around me, above me. I wanted to scream, yet my throat refused to work.

Even as my body reacted as if it was dropped into the power core of a star destroyer, I felt something against my arm, and a moment later, the sweet, calming peace of darkness engulfed me.

… …

… …

As the darkness retreated, and I felt my eyes flicker open, I groaned. The light of the room hurt my eyes and every part of me felt tired, as if I'd run a triple-marathon without the Force to help. I moved, trying to sit from wherever I was only to feel a hand on my shoulder. The force kept me in place as a voice spoke out.

"Easy there. You were severely burnt when whatever you tried failed." I turned my head toward the voice, blinking to clear the blurry images I was seeing. Once my eyes were working properly, I realised it was Qui-Gon who was standing over me, a kind smile on his face. Behind him, closer to the far end of the room, I saw Obi-Wan. Qui-Gon seemed relaxed, but I could sense agitation from his Padawan.

"Wh…" I stopped, my lips hurting from how dry they were. After licking them tenderly, flinching as moisture reached them, I tried to speak again. "What happened?"

Qui-Gon's smile fell, replaced by irritation. "The droids were the key; however, we had the wrong target."

I groaned and leaned back, looking up at the clean white roof of the room, and from what I sensed I knew I was back in the Temple. "The Directorate?"

"Yes. It seems that one of their number activated an energy shield around their balcony. The moment that happened, the droids drew their weapons, turned, and fired upon the Directorate." I groaned again. I'd suspected that was Sidious' plan, but I'd not known about the forcefield, which must've been what interfered with my attempted Teleport. I'd remember that the next time I was faced with a shielded target because I had no interest in experiencing that pain again. "There was nothing we or Eriadu security could do to stop the massacre until the shield was lowered. Once it was taken down, security forces were efficient in destroying the droids."

"Wonderful."

"Yes. And with the droids reduced to scrap metal, there is little to be gained from them, meaning the investigation has achieved little in the week since it began."

"Gunray?"

"The reason for his and Senator Dod's departure was genuine. However, with the Viceroy now being the sole remaining Director of the Federation, and with diplomatic obstacles in place for questioning a sitting senator, that avenue of investigation is bogged down in legalities."

"Never changes," I muttered as I closed my eyes, the light from the room slowly giving me a headache. Even in this galaxy, those in power always found ways to keep themselves unavailable whenever the winds blew against them. And since the Federation had their greedy little hands controlling many Senators and other officials throughout the galaxy, it would remain that way until much, much later. Still, it was something I might be able to use in the years before war broke out.

"Sadly, yes," Qui-Gon agreed, and I sensed him move back. "As for you, whatever it was you tried…"

"Teleport."

"Ah, then that explains why it looked like you'd been exposed to a raw powercore. I assume the reaction was due to the forcefield around the Trade Federation's balcony being active?" I nodded, not wanting to delve too deeply into that at the moment. "Hmm. Well, when your teleport failed, you collapsed on the floor, your robes and skin severely burnt. If not for the swift actions of Senator Palpatine and his aides, I doubt you would've survived long enough for medical personnel to reach you." I nodded at that as well, knowing I'd have to thank Palpatine for saving me, and wondered how much he'd use that to further attempt to ingratiate himself with me. "The Senator also arranged, along with Governor Harro, your travel back to the Temple once your injuries were healed enough to allow transport. While he couldn't have known, it was a good thing he did. It seems that your tuk'ata and ship, along with Master Fay and others, sensed your pain. While the tuk'ata didn't hurt anyone, several members of the Order were concerned it might snap if your injuries became critical. Indeed, I'm told that Master Yoda was forced to stun the tuk'ata to avoid an incident and until now, the beast is being kept under sedation in a room nearby."

I frowned at hearing that. Both Raven and Fenrir sensing my injury made sense, but the fact Yoda had felt the need to stun Fenrir wasn't going to be easily forgotten by the tuk'ata. Now, I could understand Yoda's logic, but I doubted Fenrir was so uncontrolled that Fay, Simvyl – and possibly even Serra – would be unable to keep him from going too far. While I doubted I'd learn why Yoda had done that, I did plan to ask him once I was able to.

As for Serra, while it was reassuring to not hear Qui-Gon mention her name directly, I suspected she was in the 'others' category. Hopefully, she didn't let on about how close we'd become as I'd rather not get a lecture from the Council on the dangers of attachment.

"Why the Federation?" I asked, wondering if Qui-Gon could offer any other insight beyond my thinking that the attack was to give Gunray complete control of the mega-corporation.

Qui-Gon sighed. "It seems that the one responsible for the attack, the one who had hired Cohl as a diversion, had ulterior motives. He was a member of the Nebula Front, but he was also an Eriadu native who had been a vocal critic of the Federation before joining the Front. He used the summit taking place on Eriadu, and his connections in the Front, to his advantage. Along with directing attention to the Chancellor so we and security forces wouldn't see the true danger until it was too late."

I nodded, accepting that even if I wondered how much of this Sidious had controlled, and how much of it he'd adapted to suit his goals. The man was playing hundreds of simultaneous inter-connected games of holochess while the Jedi and Republic were, at best, playing just one. Frankly, it was scary just how good he and Plagueis were at doing this.

"While I and Obi-Wan are glad you have awoken, we are needed elsewhere." I felt Qui-Gon grip my shoulder. "I will inform Master Fay of your rec…" he was cut off as the doors to the room opened and I sensed Fay enter. "Or not as it seems." The amusement in his voice was easy to pick up. "Since you no doubt wish to speak with her, we shall leave you."

"Can I see the report?" I doubted there was anything there worth learning, but I wasn't going to leave anything unturned.

"I will have your name added to the data so that once one arrives from Eriadu, you will be informed." There was a slight edge to his tone, almost as if he was annoyed about something to do with the report. Still, I nodded my thanks and lay back, waiting for the doors to close as he and Obi-Wan left.

"How are you feeling?"

I opened my eyes and smirked at Fay. "Like I just lost a fight with a power station." My former master smiled, pleased to see my humour had survived. As she moved closer, bringing a chair with her, my mind turned to other things.

I opened the various notices I had, discovering that I was almost fully healed. No major damage had been done, or at least none that bacta and the Force couldn't heal, so I should be free of the bed soon enough. Once I was, after talking with Serra and making sure she, Fenrir, and Raven were okay and knew that I was well, I needed to leave the Temple.

My first step would be finding a broker and placing a large wager on Padmé becoming queen of Naboo. Hopefully, I could get a bet in before she announced her intention to run so I could secure more favourable odds. After that, I needed to make plans to depart the planet. My first stop would be Mandalore.

With Naboo – and the threat of Maul – just around the corner, I wanted my armour. I might also pop in on Anakin, and make sure that he was kept busy enough that he was not inclined to go anywhere near Naboo.

… …

… …
A/N: While it should be clear in the last scene, the reason Cam was burnt wasn't Sidious, but the energy shield that was active around the Federation's balcony when he attempted to Teleport.
...
This story is crossposted on Fanfiction.net, Archive of our Own, and now Royal Road.
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USSExplorer · Jul 16, 2023

A/N:
As always, thanks to those helping me write and plan out this story and checking it for continuality and logic errors.

This chapter was released at least 2 weeks ago to my Patreons (with them seeing a draft version around 2 months ago) and on the story's Discord server (in GDoc form) about a week ago.
Links for both are at the end of the chapter.
Hopefully, all the little mistakes have been found and removed.

Current Date: <1 year until the Invasion of Naboo

Strange Bedfellows
... ...

As I felt Raven's landing struts touch down on the ground, I eased back gently on the power flow to her manoeuvring thrusters. I chuckled at the disappointment I felt radiate through our bond. "Perhaps later, girl," I commented as I stroked her hull just above the console, letting my hand glide over her organic texture. "I doubt I'll be here long."

I stood and turned, sensing Raven's anticipation for what may come, and then left the cockpit.

"How long will this meeting take?" Simvyl asked as I stepped into Raven's common area to find him lounging at one of the luxurious sofas, a datapad in hand.

"Don't know for sure, but I doubt it'll be more than an hour or two. Though the Senator isn't one to waste his time or mine on unnecessary meetings, so whatever the summons was for, it'll be important." Then again, since I was sure Palpatine wanted to keep me close and maintain the idea that he was something of a benevolent uncle for me, it could be as simple as him wishing to check up on me personally.

It has been his request that resulted in me being on Eriadu for the summit, so he might well try and use that to slide further into my good graces by offering a sincere apology for what happened. Perhaps even gift me something to help strengthen the bond between us. I'd take the gift, depending on size, but since I knew what he was doing, I would be able to – I felt – avoid letting him gain any real connection to me. At least not something he could use to tempt me into becoming a Sith.

Yes, it was a dangerous game to keep him close, but it was better than antagonising him early before I was ready or able to counter the Sith plan.

"Should I have the droids refuel Raven?"

"Aye, why not," I replied as I left the common area. It took about a minute to reach the landing ramp. When I reached it, I sighed. "No, you can't come." Fenrir's ears drooped and he lowered and tilted his head. I chuckled at the behaviour as he was as tall as me already, yet it was easy to forget he was still a pup and acted his age at times.

Of course, this behaviour rarely worked with me, but with others – particularly Serra, who Fenrir considered part of our pack now – it was far more successful. Force, I'd even seen him use it successfully on Jocasta Nu after he'd run into the Archives one day. That hadn't saved me from having to clean up the mess he'd caused without using the Force.

"No. I don't want to get hauled in front of the Chancellor when you invariantly give some poor Senator a heart attack." I paused and rubbed my chin. "Although, depending on the Senator, I might not mind." Senator Dod and a few others came to mind, that was for sure. Fenrir's amusement flowed through our bond, and I chuckled again. "But no, not today."

Seeing him sulk, I reached out with the Force and opened a storage compartment. One that had no external lock. Fenrir's ears perked up as he heard it open, and then his tail started swishing around, making me glad there wasn't anything loose around the room as the tail would've destroyed it. A large chunk of Ewok jerky came out and as I floated it in the air, Fenrir leapt and grabbed it. Though to be fair, at his size, it was more a bounce-step than a leap. Still, the jerky was in his maw as he raced away, heading back for his quarters to devour it.

I shook my head and laughed as I pressed the button to lower the ramp, wondering what meat the jerky was really made from. There was no way it came from Ewoks as, from what I knew, they were from a planet that few, if any, had heard of on the very edge of Republic space, yet the jerky was relatively easy to find on most major planets, which I was grateful for since both me and Fenrir had developed a taste for it.

I blinked as I exited Raven, even as I fiddled with the controls of my vambrace, adjusting to the midday sun that was shining down on the Senate building through crystal clear skies. While I disliked Coruscant, I couldn't complain about having the weather be so clearly defined. Yes, it was entirely artificial, but it still generated some breathtaking sights, something Serra had commented on during our last trip in Raven.

Thinking of Serra, I turned to look toward the Temple. I could sense her inside, and I wondered what she was doing. My thoughts then shifted to Bultar Swan. I'd spoken with her not long after returning from Zygerria, and then again before going to Eriadu. She'd been taken on by Plo Koon to finish her training, and while she seemed to be doing well, I'd asked Serra to keep an eye on her simply because Master Giiett had been, along with Serra, the first to make me feel welcome in the Order.

I turned back to the Senate building. It glistened in the light, drawing attention to it, and in theory, showed the beating, beautiful heart of the Republic. Of course, when a large vessel passed overhead, the building was engulfed in shadow, revealing the fact it was a façade, much like everything and everyone within.

A squad of Senate Guards approached, resplendent in their blue uniforms though the rifles they carried always made me scoff. The sheer size of them made them look impractical as hell, and in a tight space, if the weapon couldn't be unhooked, then they'd need to resort to hand-to-hand.

"Master Jedi," the lead guard said once the squad was close enough. "This way. Senator Palpatine has requested we escort you directly to him."

I nodded in acceptance and fell in behind him. One guard walked at his side while the other pair followed behind me. I noticed people around the private landing platform looking my way, no doubt wondering why a Jedi needed an escort. I paid them no mind though, nor the trio of droids that moved toward Raven, one dragging a fuel hose behind it, even as Raven closed her ramp.

As we passed into the shade provided by the Senate, I let my thoughts drift to why I might be here. It'd been just over two weeks since I'd woken after the summit on Eriadu, though Palpatine had already reached out to me before requesting an audience. I'd managed to delay it until now as the Healers wanted me to remain within the Temple for observation as there were scant few records detailing how a Jedi recovered from teleporting into an active energy barrier.

The two weeks had passed quickly enough, as I'd spent most of my time helping Battlemaster Drallig with training Initiates – something I enjoyed – sparring with my friends, or prepping for Naboo.

While Padmé wasn't yet queen, she had become the strong favourite, which made me glad I'd been able to place a wager on the matter not long after waking. The odds I'd gotten for my hundred-thousand credit bet was five-to-one. While that was good, if I'd been able to place a bet earlier, like just after the summit before it was official that Veruna had abdicated, I'd have gotten odds of over twenty-to-one. Still, a half-million credits weren't something to sneeze at, even if I had around a billion stored in my account, a pittance compared to what I would eventually need but a good start.

As we entered the building proper, I saw the corridors were far quieter than I was used to, though that might be because, this time at least, I wasn't entering from the main entrance but from a private platform. That was one benefit of having a vessel the Council were happy to let me keep for myself. Minus the times they wished for me to take them out in it, which Saesse Tiin and Plo Koon did more than others. Still, the emptiness of the corridors, and what lay ahead, focused my thoughts once more on why I was here.

This was the second time in a month that I'd been summoned by Palpatine, and while he might wish to privately apologise, or even ask for my help on another Senatorial venture, I felt that wasn't the case. No, while he'd not outwardly confirmed it in our calls, he had hinted at wanting to discuss a possible threat he'd been made aware of, one that lay on the edges of the Republic. That had me pondering whether this meeting was to discuss the Vong, and I could only hope that he had some ideas to implement for preparing the galaxy – whatever state it may be in – to face the Vong when they invaded.

If that was the case, I had some suggestions for countering them in combat. Those had come from HK, who – after approving of the Vong's ability to counter Jedi – had revealed he'd analysed the recordings Bo had left extensively. As he rattled off ideas, I felt like a fucking moron for not consulting him more on Zonama Sekot as he'd seen more combat than Bo and I had combined. Even when factoring in my former life. Of course, since we didn't have a way to restore power to his brain while acting as resistance, I'd felt it safer to keep him offline and secure than risk damage to his memory circuits. It had worked out in the end, but I wondered just how things would've gone with HK serving as an advisor.

Still, I couldn't help but shake my head as I entered an elevator with my escort. If I'd been told before I'd been reborn, or just after I'd arrived in this galaxy, that I'd actively work with Darth Sidious against a common threat, I'd have laughed in the face of the messenger. Then likely shot them. Yet, I'd actively chosen to take the matter to him when the Jedi Council had publicly dismissed my concerns. Now, that wasn't to say some of them didn't agree with me, in part, but since the consensus was that the Vong weren't a large-scale threat, it left me shouting into the wind to warn of the danger the Vong posed.

Plus, by staying close to Palpatine, by appearing as an ally, not only would I keep his focus off Anakin, but I might be able to glean something I could use to counter him when war broke out. It was a long shot that I'd learn anything, but it was better than staying away and wondering what he was up to. As was keeping his focus away from Anakin as long as possible, so he couldn't ingratiate himself with the true Chosen One.

My musings were abruptly interrupted as we emerged from the elevator, and an air of tension permeated the surroundings. Puzzled, I furrowed my brow, confused for a moment as to the cause behind the heightened alertness. We had arrived at Palpatine's office, and there stood Kinman Doriana, a familiar face. Yet, it was not Doriana that captured my attention, nor that of the Senate Guard present. Our collective gaze fixated upon the quartet of formidable figures clad in resplendent golden armour, their presence serving as an impenetrable barrier to anyone seeking entrance into the esteemed office. Sensing our approach, their postures stiffened, and as one of them began to advance toward us, I used Observe and blinked in shock at what it revealed.

Alac Larkid
Race: Thyrsian
Level: 32
Health: 100%
Age: 30
Force Potential: Minimal
Threat Potential: High
Reputation: Disliked
Affiliation Loyalty: Sun Guard (100%), Hego Damask (65%)
Emotional State: Cautious/Distrustful/Curious
…
Alac is careful as his employer, Hego Damask is located nearby with clear instructions to limit who may enter the area.
Even though you match the description of the expected guest, he isn't willing to allow you entry without a challenge. The hints of Mandalorian armour you wear make him even more cautious.
That said, he wishes to test himself against you if the chance should arrive as he feels the Sun Guard are superior to any Mandalorian.
…

A surge of tension coursed through my veins as the realization dawned upon me. If the Sun Guard was present here, it meant that Hego Damask, Darth Plagueis, was in that office alongside Palpatine. My throat tightened, and a profound alarm echoed through my being as Alac advanced, engaged in a charged standoff with the Senate Guard. In that moment, I steeled myself for the impending confrontation.

I stood on the precipice of what Windu would likely classify as a shatterpoint, poised to come face-to-face with not one, but two Sith Lords. I knew all too well that my survival depended on concealing the knowledge that now gnawed at the recesses of my mind. Revealing even a fraction of my awareness would result in devastating consequences and if they decided to kill me I likely wouldn't even have time to draw my saber.

Reluctantly, the senate guards yielded, granting passage as Alac drew nearer. His voice radiated with authority as he demanded, "Your arm." Raising an eyebrow, I couldn't help but question whether he was genuinely foolish enough to issue orders to a Jedi, or simply unaccustomed to encountering individuals who would defy his commands. "To ascertain your identity," he clarified, sensing my hesitation to comply with his demands.

Complying with his request, I extended my arm, submitting to the scrutiny of the scanning device. At that moment, a flicker of contemplation and battle lust danced within me. How long would these four guards endure if I were to draw my lightsaber? Undoubtedly, they had been honed and trained to engage Jedi adversaries, as most of the highest elites in the galaxy were. Yet, a profound sense of confidence welled within me, whispering that I could dispatch them in a single minute if not less. Perhaps two minutes, should I aim to minimise unnecessary collateral damage. Even if this was some sort of trap to capture me – a far-fetched idea, but one I couldn't entirely dismiss – the Sith wouldn't reveal themselves. Plus, before coming I'd made sure Serra and Fay knew where I was heading. Force, I'd promised Serra another 'spaceflight' as a way of having to cancel a private meditation session we'd planned in the Jedi gardens.

Once Alac was satisfied, he stepped back without saying anything. That was when Kinman nervously paced forward. "Knight Shan, I'm sorry about the security, but the Senator has a rather important guest he wishes you to meet."

"With all due respect, Magister Damask, am I correct?" I chuckled lightly, noting the subtle arch of Kinman's eyebrow. "I remember seeing several dead guards attired like this lot in Keldabe. While the Sun Guard aren't exclusive to the Magister, I know he is friends with the Senator, so it seemed a logical choice."

"Yes, quite." Kinman gestured to the entrance even as his brow creased. "They await you in the study, Master Jedi."

The doors gracefully parted, granting me passage into the compact antechamber that served as a threshold to Palpatine's office and study, I considered for a moment withdrawing a thermal detonator from my Inventory. However, I pushed away that idea. Not only would the distinct beeping of an activated explosive betray my intentions, but I had little doubt the Sith could survive one exploding at their feet. And of course, should the attack succeed or fail, the fallout wasn't something I was equipped for yet.

Before stepping into the study, I wondered how the pair would spin this. Hego Damask was insanely powerful, and I had a connection to him because of the Battle of Keldabe, but that didn't feel like enough of a reason to bring him in on the Vong threat. Oh, Plagueis would be aware of the threat, but Damask wouldn't.

However, before I could consider what story they might spin, the door to the study slid open. "Ah, Cameron my boy," Palpatine began as he saw me standing in the foyer. "I was beginning to wonder how much longer you would be." He stepped back and gestured into the study. "Please, come in and make yourself comfortable."

I stepped forward and shook his hand, avoiding stepping into the study for the moment. "Sorry, uncle," as expected, that increased the size of his smile, "While I was making my way to the Jedi hangar, I ran into my former Master. She wished to speak with me about a private matter, and it took me a moment to extract myself." Truthfully, I'd sought out Fay, but by saying it this way, I hid the lie in the truth and made it clear someone in the Temple knew where I was.

"Of course," Palpatine replied as we stopped shaking hands and he once more gestured into his study. "Though on the matter of former masters, have you spoken to Master Dooku recently? I had hoped to speak with him regarding a private matter, however, he's been unavailable for some time."

"Master Dooku is dealing with a personal matter. One that is keeping him away from the Temple and Order." I smiled as I stepped into the study. "Though I do believe he isn't at all bothered by that development." That earned a small chuckle from Palpatine, as I'd planned. There was little doubt Palpatine and Damask knew of Dooku's issues with the Order as they'd existed before my arrival, as had his friendship with the hidden Sith Lords.

"Yes, I do recall him hinting at disagreements with the direction of the Order." As he spoke, a figure in the study stood, dwarfing the pair of us.

I moved forward and bowed slightly. "Magister Damask, if not for the Sun Guards outside, I would be surprised to see you here."

Damask chuckled, which sounded as off as always because of his mask. "Yes. I do hope they didn't inflict too severe of a security check on you. They've been cautious for the last month or so due to personal concerns."

My brow rose, wondering who would be dumb enough to target someone of Damask's power. "No. While blunt, they were professional." As I replied, we shook hands, his long fingers curling menacingly around the back of my hand. "Though I'm still at a loss as to why the Senator has requested us both to be here."

Damask glanced at Palpatine just before he answered. "The Senator brought your concerns about these Vong to me. As a concerned and loyal citizen of the Republic, I shared those concerns and requested a meeting so that we might speak at length about your experiences dealing with the Vong." As he explained the public reason for why he was here, my eyes noted that not only did his skin seem healthier, having regained some of its colour, the scars around his mask and neck had faded. Either he'd used the Force to heal himself – something rather alarming as the dark side was not famed for its ability to rejuvenate a user – or had hired some very expensive privatised healthcare. Why he'd only done so after the Battle of Keldabe wasn't something I could answer, though, from some simple research, I knew he'd been wearing the mask for a while beforehand.

I smiled and nodded as we stopped shaking hands. "I'm glad the Senator was able to find another concerned citizen. Particularly one as influential as yourself, Magister. Though I hope I wouldn't be out of line to wonder if your concern was more business-inclined than say the Senator's political inclination."

A chuckle escaped Damask's lips once more, sending a subtle shiver down my spine. I couldn't help but tense, acutely aware of the unnerving quality that accompanied that peculiar sound. "Indeed," he responded, his voice laced with a discernible mixture of amusement and underlying motives. "While I cannot deny that I hold a preference for the Republic to maintain its current state, with its steady influx of credits and thriving trade networks, I must admit that the prospect of war has its own appeal from a business standpoint. Naturally, this hinges on the condition that it does not fracture the galactic economy or jeopardise my existence. Does this pose a problem for you?"

"Not at all, Magister," I said as Palpatine silently suggested I sit on one of the sofas. "Just because I value a strong and secure Republic as a Jedi doesn't mean I expect everyone else to share those views." I moved around and took the sofa Palpatine was suggesting, one that left me between the two Sith like a bark rat between two nexu. "When I was young, my grandfather – a former Chancellor of the Old Republic – often said that not everyone will share my ideals, however, the trick is finding common ground where various ideals and beliefs intersect." He'd never said anything of the sort, but there was no way for either to prove that, and it was a good reason as to why I was apparently comfortable with this meeting between a Senator, a Jedi and a banker.

Damask nodded. "It sounds as though Vaner Shan was a wise man. One worthy of the office of Chancellor." He glanced at Palpatine, and I wondered if this was some sort of stage event to show a differing opinion regarding Chancellor Valorum, who'd earned his position, from what I understood, due to his name as much as his skill.

"The flaws of the Republic's current leadership aren't why we are here today, Magister," Palpatine replied, confirming my suspicions. He then turned to me. "If I might ask, how are you recovering from events on Eriadu?"

I smiled in thanks at his concern. "According to the Order's healers, I'm fully healed and able to take missions again. Hopefully, my next one won't be quite as painful." Palpatine moved to speak only to pause as I chuckled. "Then again, the mission before Eriadu resulted in a conflict that is why we're here today. To say nothing of my missions involving the Bando Gora and the Mandalorians." Truthfully, looking back on events, it was almost as if the Force or some higher power was throwing me into the fire to test me. So far, I'd emerged tempered from each event, but I did wonder how much longer my luck would hold.

"I was told the conference on Eriadu hadn't had any injuries beyond the Trade Federation's Directorate." I looked at Damask as he spoke. "Was something withheld from public knowledge?" His confusion appeared genuine, yet there was no way he didn't know about what had happened, which only showed how skilled the man was. And along with Palpatine, how dangerous they were.

"During the recent summit, Cameron attempted to do something to stop the droid attack," Palpatine began. "However, the forcefield had already been raised and whatever he attempted failed, resulting in Cameron being badly wounded."

The pair looked at me, and I saw no need to hide the details. Palpatine knew I could teleport as he'd have seen the recording of the obstacle course back when I'd been just an Initiate. "I attempted to use the Force to move instantly. However, as the Senator stated, the forcefield… interfered with what I attempted. So much that, if not for the quick actions of Senator Palpatine and his aides, I'd have likely died." Palpatine offered a smile and nod at that even as I continued. "What still irks me, is that we knew the droids were the threat, but the Council members present prevented me from moving against the droids before they attacked."

"I was unaware the Jedi knew of the threat to Chancellor Valorum before it commenced."

I nodded at Palpatine, letting some of my annoyance at the choice made by Master Gallia show on my face. "We were, however, the Masters present were insistent that we not move early, lest we bring the impartiality of the Order into question." I scoffed. "Something I doubt many in the Rim regard as true about Jedi."

"Sadly, that is true and regrettable. I know of many, and not just in the Rim, who feel the Jedi are nothing more than servants of the Senate and the veiled interests that control it." I gave Damask a nod, signalling my agreement.

"I wouldn't say the Senate is under the control of outside interests, though I will admit that some within this building have focuses other than the betterment of those they serve."

"Eh," I muttered, not wanting to entirely agree with Palpatine. "Anyway, while the droids were stopped, the Directors were killed; well, all bar Viceroy Gunray." I paused and frowned. "It is odd that both he and Senator Dod were called away mere moments before the droids attacked."

"The timing is unfortunate, however, their reason for leaving was confirmed by Eriadu security as genuine." I had little doubt it was, though again, when Palpatine spoke there was no hint of deception even though I knew he'd arranged it so they could be called away before the attack happened.

"It was," Palpatine cut in as I took a sip of the cup of tea he'd poured for me. "However, I'm led to believe that, beyond a basic statement, there is little Eriadu security, or even the Senate or Jedi can do to investigate the incident further. The Viceroy, beyond now being the sole leader of the Trade Federation, has diplomatic immunity. While Senator Dod could be called before a tribunal over this, the Federation has enough support in the Senate to ensure that will not happen. Not without valid proof that he was somehow involved in the attack."

My brow creased as Damask spoke. "The Viceroy has had a very fortuitous career over the last few years. Becoming the first Neimoidian to sit on the Directorate in almost a hundred years and now having all but total control of one of the galaxy's largest conglomerates."

As an oddly comfortable silence fell over the room, and I continued to sip at the tea – which, even if I wasn't much of a tea drinker, was remarkably good – I couldn't help but mentally chuckle at the situation. Not only was I sitting in the room, enjoying a civil chat with two Sith Lords, but they were able, with entirely believable faces, to sit there and ponder on how Gunray rose to prominence without ever hinting that it was because of them that he had.

I lowered my cup and turned to Palpatine. "Before the attack, I heard you mention to Senator Taa that King Veruna had abdicated. Might I ask if you've heard anything on who is likely to replace him, uncle?"

I smiled lightly at the way Damask frowned at my referral to Palpatine as my uncle. "While we refer to each other by such terms, I assure you there is no blood connection. Several years ago, young Cameron posed as my nephew to investigate the disappearances of children of prominent citizens across Coruscant. He was able to capture those involved and free many of the children, though we have maintained the terms as something of a private joke."

"Ah." Damask's eyes shifted from Palpatine to me and back as if trying to reconcile this apparently new information. There was no way he didn't know this already, but watching him and Palpatine dance around the truth was a masterclass in deception and misdirection.

Palpatine turned his gaze back to me. "As for Naboo, the current favourite is someone from the Tapalo family, however, he is fast losing ground to someone I believe you are familiar with; Padmé Naberrie."

I chuckled at that, wondering how much effort it was taking to ensure Padmé became queen. "That is good to hear. I'll admit that while not something the Order will approve of, I placed a decent wager on Padmé to win. If it pays off, I'll likely donate the winnings to the Refugee Relief Movement, or a local charity of her choice."

Palpatine smiled warmly. "A noble gesture, and one I'm sure she would appreciate." He leaned forward and his gaze narrowed. "If you weren't a Jedi and one I trust at that, I'd almost wonder if perhaps you are seeking some positions of power on my homeworld. Perhaps even as Royal Consort?"

A boisterous laugh escaped my lips, accompanied by a dismissive shake of the head. "You wound me, uncle!" I held a hand to my chest. "Padmé is years younger than me, and as a Jedi, I took an oath to not form bonds such as those." An oath I'd broken twice now with Serra, and multiple times with Bo though there wasn't as strong a Force connection between us as existed between myself and Serra. In this situation though, The Jedi Code was, to me, little more than a set of guidelines for those unable or unwilling to control their baser impulses.

"Understandable, even if I feel you might be one the Order could make an exception for. Like they have with Master Ki-Adi Mundi." I wondered where Damask was going with that, as in Master Mundi's case, it was due to issues with his species and not him proving he could handle having wives and children. "However, I also wonder if you might donate some of your proceeds from your holonovels to support the new Queen." I was glad I wasn't sipping my tea as I'd have likely spat it out in shock. However, even without the spit-take, my reaction made the Munn chuckle. "I was only recently able to link the Lord of the Rings trilogy to you, and only then due to Damask Holdings being a partner in several companies involved in converting the works into holomovies."

I blinked, processing that Darth Plagueis knew about my hidden stash of credits. Or at least the larger, more public one. With little effort, he'd easily be able to link me to funding the Lokella and possibly determine their location. That was a concern as it might lead him, and Sidious, to Anakin, which would fuck up my plan of placing him with the Lokella to keep him safe and hidden.

As for the credits, of which there were about a billion now, I could easily move them into other accounts. The one on Mandalore for Clan Shan would be an option as I doubted it was with the IGBC or an offshoot. The other easy choice would be to use my Inventory. However, if I pulled all the credits, or even a large enough minority of them, soon after this meeting, then Plagueis might get suspicious. I'd have to work slowly, filter them through various other dummy accounts and then withdraw and deposit in new, hopefully, untraceable accounts across the galaxy.

"I think," I began slowly, "I might need to speak with my publisher and his company. I was assured that my name would never be linked to the works until I wanted them to be."

Damask raised a hand, palm facing me. "I assure you that neither he nor the publishers revealed this information. At least not directly." Damask spoke slowly, though it was clear he was amused at my reaction, not understanding my pause was me panicking about the Sith knowing of my money. "I simply wished to learn who the author was after discovering the novels and enjoying them immensely and then learning my company was involved in their adaptation." He leaned forward, hints of a smile showing around his mask. "Perhaps, at a later date, I might even trouble the author for a set of signed copies? No doubt their value will increase when the movies are distributed, and perhaps more so if the author is ever revealed to be a Jedi."

"Of course." I paused and then looked at Palpatine. There was some surprise on his face, more than likely meant to show he didn't know of my credits. However, as always, it was impossible to tell if the shock was genuine or not. "With your permission, uncle, I'll have the copies delivered here." I turned back to Damask. "Since I have no idea where to send them otherwise."

"You may send them to the penthouse of Kaldani Spires here on Coruscant," Damask began with an odd amount of amusement and pride. "My former residence was recently damaged in an act of corporate sabotage, though it only served to hasten my move to Coruscant. I have come to understand that being closer to the corridors of political power has many financial benefits, and in preparation for the move, I purchased Kaldani Spires. It will also allow me to return from my self-imposed isolation at a time of critical need."

I wasn't sure how much of that was true, but his moving to Coruscant made sense if, as I suspected, the plan was for him to become some sort of advisor to Palpatine when he became Chancellor. While Kaldani Spires weren't as impressive as 500 Republica – where Palpatine had a suite – or within the Senate District, I knew they were considered some of the finest suites on the planet. That Damask would simply buy the entire building was hardly a surprise. "I'll arrange for your copies to be sent there, then."

"Thank you. Although," he paused and tapped his mask. "It occurs to me as we speak of the Spires that it would behove us if you also had a place of residence there."

My jaw involuntarily dropped, stunned by his proposition. Not only would such an arrangement situate me near Darth Plagueis, but the opulent suites within the Spires commanded exorbitant prices, numbering in the hundreds of millions of credits for even the most modest. Yet here he stood, casually offering me one. "Th-that's not necessary," I spluttered.

Damask waved his hand. "But it is. If not for your actions on Mandalore, I would have long left this mortal coil. For that alone, even ownership of the entire building would be a small price to pay."

My mouth fell open once again, stunned by what I had just heard. That grand structure must have been worth well over three hundred billion credits, and yet he spoke of granting me its rights as if it were spare change. While I had been aware of his immense wealth, witnessing it in action was a stark reminder of the Sith's formidable power, even when masked by their public personas. Composing myself, I managed to find my voice amidst the astonishment.

"I…There's really no need for such a gesture, Magister," I replied, working to keep my voice steady. I couldn't help but notice the smug smirk playing on Palpatine's lips as he observed my reaction. "The blade you bestowed upon me was more than generous for the completion of my duties, Magister."

As tempting as it would be to take a suite, never mind the whole damn building, the place would be bugged from here to Kashyyyk and back again.

"If I might ask, what blade is this?"

Both Damask and I turned to face the Senator. "An artefact from my collection. After the events on Mandalore, I considered for some time what would be a suitable gift for not just a Jedi, but a Mandalorian." Palpatine nodded in understanding of what was said so far. "Pondering it, my mind turned to a blade once used by Jedi before the advent of lightsabers. Since I knew he carried a Mandalorian beskad already, I felt it a suitable gift."

"I must confess, Magister, that I still find myself unworthy of such a historically significant gift," I admitted, my tone genuine and humble. "Had you personally extended the offer, I would have insisted on refusing it. However, given the circumstances, I found myself with little choice but to accept, and for that, I am eternally grateful."

Pausing for a moment, I continued, "That being said, I have taken great care to keep the blade safely stored within its case. While the temptation to wield it is undeniable, I cannot ignore the nagging concern that even the slightest mishap or excessive force might risk damaging this priceless artefact."

By explaining my cautious approach, I hoped to dispel any inquiries he might have regarding the blade's continued confinement within its protective casing. It was undoubtedly bugged, and the desire to test its capabilities burned within me. However, I knew I had to exercise prudence and find a suitably secluded location where I could assess the case and blade meticulously, searching for any hidden tracking or surveillance devices that might have been concealed alongside it.

Palpatine's chuckle drew my attention back to him. "Yes, I can understand that reaction." He gave Damask a nod. "I believe I know of the blade you speak of." He turned back to me. "I saw it several times when I spoke with the Magister at his former residence. I am relieved that not only did it survive the sabotage there, but that it has found its way into the hands of a worthy inheritor."

I bowed a fraction in thanks for the compliment before I let my brow crease. "If I might ask, how did you two first meet? Details of your acquaintanceship are common knowledge on the Holonet, but I don't recall reading about how and when you first crossed paths."

The pair shared a look before Palpatine responded. "It was many years ago when I was not much older than Miss Naberrie is now. The Magister had arrived on Naboo to begin negotiations with the candidates for the throne over the plasma reserves recently discovered on Naboo. It was, I believe, a chance encounter when the Magister became lost on the Legislative Youth Program's campus in Theed and needed directions to return to his quarters."

"Yes, that would've been our first encounter," Damask cut in with what felt like practised ease. "Though it wasn't until many years later when Palpatine became an aide to the former Senator of the Chommell sector that we began a regular correspondence, and I took him under my wing. And even after becoming friends, I dare say we've disagreed at least once every few months over various proposals and issues facing the Senate and Republic. Still, he is one of the few people I consider a genuine friend."

As I watched, Palpatine nodded in thanks and agreement. Nothing stood out about the interplay to suggest it wasn't the truth, once more proving just how kriffing skilled the pair were and hiding facts within fiction. Even if nothing was decided about the Vong from this meeting, it was a masterclass in how to say one thing and mean another while making everything seem true.

"Ah. My thanks for indulging my curiosity," I said with a smile. One returned by Palpatine while Damask nodded. "With that settled, should we perhaps move on to the reason I was summoned?"

… …
(Sidious' POV)
"Yes, of course," Sidious began. He placed his cup of Karlini tea down, and after glancing at his Master, continued. "I've spoken with the Magister about your report, and what you told me. However, we would be interested in hearing a more detailed recounting. One that, unlike the formal report, would cover everything that happened with the Vong. We hope that by hearing such a retelling, we might be able to determine elements about their society, culture and thinking to better prepare for them when their threat is revealed to the wider galaxy."

Cameron nodded and lowered his cup. Sidious had considered adding some serum to make the young Jedi more inclined to speak truthfully, however, he had decided against it. Most Force-sensitives, even Jedi Padawans that would never become Knights, would sense such a thing, and since Cameron was as far beyond those Padawans as Sidious was beyond all but a handful of Jedi Masters, it would be an insulting blunder to have done so. "Certainly. Where should I begin?"

Sidious watched as his master leaned forward. "You mentioned in your report that these Vong are immune to the Force, that they cannot be sensed by Jedi. While I know some of how the Force works," Sidious cackled internally at how far from the truth that was, "I'm confused as to what exactly you mean by this."

Cameron paused and leaned back, taking time to consider his words. To Sidious, this was a clear sign of Dooku's influence. The elder Jedi was deliberate in his actions as well as his word choices and it appeared much of that had rubbed off on Cameron. Which would make it easier for Sidious and his Master to see through any attempted deceptions.

Yet Sidious pushed that aside as, for the briefest of moments, he sensed anger – no, delicious, unbridled fury – emanating from Cameron. The feeling vanished almost as soon as it came, but what drew Sidious' attention, and no doubt that of Plagueis, was that Cameron didn't release that rage into the Force as a Jedi was trained to do. No, instead he seemed to push it down, as if unwilling to let go of the emotion. "The Vong aren't immune to the Force per se. Much like a taozin, which I had the unfortunate luck to encounter not long before travelling to Zonama Sekot, the Vong present as… for lack of a better term, a null presence within the Force. The very fact they cannot be sensed means they can be detected, though I admit it took me time to fully understand how to do so." Sidious nodded, understanding what Cameron was implying, though he wondered when and where the Jedi had encountered a taozin. The creatures were believed to be extinct, and Sidious did not doubt that, if it could be recovered, Plagueis would want a sample for research. "They are though immune to directed Force abilities."

Sidious felt the Force shift around Cameron, though it reacted slightly faster and oddly to what Sidious would expect from a Jedi. With but the slightest movement of his fingertips – a sign of his skill with telekinesis – Cameron lifted his cup. "When I attempted this common Jedi trick on the Vong, it failed as if nothing was there. The same was true of using the Force to generate a barrier which I tried to use in my first encounter with Vong warriors. However, while the Force cannot be used directly on them, I could still, if one was present, toss the cup at them with enough kinetic impact that it might stagger them."

"There are certain species, like the taozin you mentioned – and I would be curious to hear where and when you encountered such a beast – that are, from what I understand, difficult for Jedi to manipulate. The Hutts are the example most would choose. However, they, and the others I know of, could still, from what I believe, be affected by direct application of the Force, could they not?"

Sidious was glad Plagueis had brought up the taozin. Such a creature, if it could be studied, could be a useful tool for eliminating Jedi.

"I can't say I've ever tried lifting a Hutt. That much bulk would no doubt cause problems," Cameron replied with an amused chuckle. "To say nothing of the smell." At that Sidious allowed himself to grimace. He'd had the misfortune to once encounter a Hutt and be forced to kill them. While far harder to eliminate than most sentients believed, they were still susceptible to the Force. Though Cameron was right to say that moving them with the Force did release some rather unpleasant odours. "But yes, I believe they could be lifted. Or Toydarians, who are also highly resistant to mind tricks. The Vong are… something else. Even concentrated Force energy used akin to a blaster bolt did not affect them."

Plagueis leaned back and castled his fingers, resting his chin on the tips. "That is most concerning. While I do not claim to know how the Order teaches a Jedi to fight, from what I have observed, using the Force to move objects is a default practice for many." Cameron nodded even as Sidious snarled internally at the narrow-mindedness of the Jedi. The Force was capable of so much more if they only opened their eyes and saw that it should serve them. "How, then, did you survive your first encounter with the Vong?"

"I almost didn't," Cameron replied with a dark chuckle. Sidious found that interesting, as it showed that perhaps, Cameron found being almost killed amusing, or perhaps even challenging. Something to learn from and ensure never happened again. A lesson he had instilled in Maul just as Plagueis had instilled in him. "After my attempted barrier had no effect, and I felt Master Fay's attempted push come to nothing, they closed on me." Cameron paused here and looked away as Sidious felt the return of that rage from earlier, along with some hesitation. As if there was something Cameron had left out of his report. If he was a lesser being, Sidious would've leant forward, curious about what was brewing in the Young Jedi. Thankfully for him, the Sith and the Grand Plan, he wasn't. "I'm unsure of how much you understand Magister, Senator, but the Jedi rely on the Force to guide them. To warn them of danger. Now, that… sensation isn't perfect. A kill shot from one who can mask their thoughts, or one the Jedi considers a friend, from what I understand, can occur before the Jedi senses the shift. However, in active combat, until Zonama Sekot and the Vong, I'd never known it to not warn me of danger. Yet against the Vong…" Cameron sighed, the sense of conflict within him growing stronger and further intriguing Sidious. "It failed entirely. If a Vong wasn't in my line of sight, I didn't know what they were doing."

… …
(Plagueis' POV)
Plagueis sat quietly for a moment, considering Shan's words. He pushed his curiosity about the faint tremors of rage he sensed from the young Jedi. While that was interesting, the fact these Vong were not just immune to manipulation, like the Yinchorri, but confirmed to not be affected by direct applications of the Force was troubling. In his decades of research, he'd never come across such a species, and from all he had learnt, it simply should not be possible. Even those species like the Hutts which were immune to mental manipulation were still connected to the Force. These Vong, apparently, weren't.

While they were undoubtedly excellent warriors, they posed a threat not just to the Jedi, but, in large enough numbers and skill, potentially to him, Sidious and the Grand Plan. That concern was his primary reason for arranging this meeting, one that now pushed the secondary reason of observing Shan at close quarters with Sidious, further to the periphery.

"You are saying that these Vong are immune to everything a Jedi can do?" He asked. Even if aware they were not, he wanted to learn in greater detail what techniques Shan had developed to counter the Vong. From there, Plagueis knew he would be able to devise at least a dozen theorems to counter the Vong. Though most would only be applicable in smaller-scale combat.

"No," Shan replied with a quick shake of his head. "Anything directed against them, or their weaponry at least, that uses the Force won't work. However, as I mentioned with the cup, applying Force techniques in more brute-force methods was effective. Often to begin an ambush, I'd use the Force to accelerate a few dozen decently sized rocks at the Vong. While their armour would weather the attack – bar the odd case where I struck something like an eye – it would knock them off-balance."

"Something akin to a scatter gun?" Shan nodded, confirming the concept. "Interesting." He tapped his chin as he considered this. It was a very crude way to control the Force, but against a large group, such approaches often had their appeal. However, it wasn't the only method Shan mentioned as being successful. "In your report, and the recording you provided Senator Palpatine, you used something akin to electricity against them." Plagueis was well aware of the Jedi's inferior imitation of Sith Lightning, however, if the Jedi's imitation could, as the recording suggested, drive back and stun a Vong, then Sith Lightning could undoubtedly kill them.

"I call it Electrokinesis; as in the ability to control and manipulate electricity." Plagueis nodded. The name was suitable and hinted that Shan saw other uses for the power than simply combat applications. Additionally, it sounded better to Plagueis' ears than what the Kel Dor Council member called it. "Master Plo Koon uses something similar, though he terms it Electric Judgement." And there was that pathetic name. Plagueis could respect the Kel Dor Jedi as, like Plagueis, he applied science to the Force. Sadly, the being was too deeply rooted in the illogical ways of the Jedi to understand the truth. "Other abilities, such as those that enhance my body, also worked. Which is a good thing as the Vong are stronger, faster and more agile than most other sentients I've encountered."

Plagueis felt the Force shift as Shan stopped. The hints of rage within him flickered as if calling out to the Jedi to take control of him. No, as Plagueis watched, Shan took control of that anger. Most interesting. He had not expected the young Human to have the understanding to control the Force, and the rage one needed to bend it to your will, so easily.

"There was one other power that I used that worked." Shan's voice was quieter now even as the fury inside became clearer. The temptation to reach out and sense the source, the reason for the fury was there. However, Plagueis did not. He and Sidious needed Shan to trust them, to work with them for the Vong threat. If, over time, Shan proved himself, then perhaps he might, as Sidious implied, have a purpose in the Grand Plan. Or at least one outside of Plagueis' standing interest in how the Human had increased his midi-chlorian count. "When Master Fay fell… I," Shan sighed loudly and looked away for a moment to steady himself. Around him, around the room, Plagueis could feel the Force moving. Something about this moment was critical. "I lashed out. She… I thought she was dead. Her blood… It dripped from the tip of the Vong's spear to the ground. In that moment… I lost control. Rage the likes of which I'd never felt before rushed through my veins, telling, demanding, that I kill all those who killed my Master."

Plagueis felt himself lean forward, savouring the emerging hints of rage and power that were slowly seeping out of Shan into the Force. His count had indicated his potential, but the hint of power Plagueis was sensing now was on another level entirely. Easily comparable to Sidious when Plagueis first pushed him to the very edge of losing control. Yet what truly caught Plagueis' attention was that this fury that he felt was not something summoned in the moment. No, it was tied to the Vong, and the injury Master Fay had taken. Nearly a year later, Shan still held it, and it seemed he had learnt to bury it so deeply that neither the Jedi Council nor he or Sidious had sensed it until the seal upon it loosened.

"How exactly did that affect your battle?" Plagueis glanced at Sidious, grateful his apprentice had prodded for further details as he did not want to shift his focus from Shan. Not when, as subtlety as he could, he was probing the darkness coming from the descendent of Darth Revan. The ancient Sith most responsible for Bane adopting the Rule of Two.

Shan gulped and looked down at his hands as if ashamed of his actions. No. Plagueis sensed he was not ashamed of them, merely conflicted about revealing what he had done. Intriguing. "I… I don't fully understand what happened," Plagueis sensed the deception there, but it was understandable a Jedi would not want to admit to knowing what he had done. Even to non-Jedi. "But the rage… it strengthened my Electrokinesis. Darkened it. When it struck the Vong, they were flung back, some dying on contact." Shan lifted his head and Plagueis saw the confusion in his eyes even as conflict swirled around him in the Force. "I… What I did wasn't what a Jedi should do, but they hurt my Master. And if I hadn't… others would've been hurt."

A flash shot through Plagueis' mind. The Mandalorian girl. Duke Adonai's daughter. Hmm, so Shan was close to her. That would require discussion with Sidious to see how she, and her people, might be adapted into the Grand Plan. For now though, Plagueis stayed focused on Shan.

Before this meeting, he and Sidious had spoken of Shan's potential for the Dark Side. Not only was it, if such a thing existed, in his blood, but he had endured much before Zonama Sekot that would break lesser Jedi. The methods the Bando Gora used to create converts were primitive and imprecise, but still effective. That Shan had survived months under their mercies spoke to a strength of will few Jedi younglings possessed, yet Plagueis remembered vividly the tremors he had sensed when Shan had been freed. He had not sensed such tremors from Shan on Zonama Sekot, but as the report stated the planet was strong in the Force, perhaps it had masked Shan's reaction. And possibly more than one as this event that Shan was admitting to occurred within the first battle of a nearly year-long insurgency.

"I was unaware a Jedi could do such things," Sidious spoke, playing the role of a scared and concerned adult figure to perfection as he reached out tentatively for Shan's hands. "Did you speak to the Council about this?"

"No. If I had… What I did was against the Code, but I had no choice." Shan's head lifted and Plagueis stared into the Human's soul. "If I hadn't… Fay would've died, B… the others would've died. I would've died." Plagueis smiled internally. Yes, Shan was not ashamed of what he had done, only that he had lost control. This was highly encouraging and not something he had anticipated learning today. "It was one moment in a battle where I lost control, a moment of weakness. But, if I had to do it again, I would." Plagueis sensed Shan was holding back something else, something more. However, he knew that it would not be revealed today.

"Do not fear, for we won't reveal this to the Council," he offered sincerely. No, doing that would only result in the Jedi imprisoning him in one of their nigh-unknown locations. At that, Shan would be removed from the galaxy, and his potential, his power, and his ability to alter his midi-chlorians would be lost.

On the other side, Sidious nodded. "Yes. Anyone faced with such a situation would do whatever they must to ensure the survival of their friends and loved ones."

Even as Shan weakly smiled his thanks, Plagueis was beginning to consider possible uses for the Human. Shan was not as fully corrupted by the Jedi's teaching as someone like Dooku or C'baoth, however, he also lacked the gravitas due to his youthful age. It would be easier, in theory, to instruct Shan in the correct way to use the Force, to reveal the underlying power of the Dark Side when one bent it to their will. Plagueis was unwilling to share power with another so close to the Grand Plan entering its final stages. Yet, once the Plan had finished, and the Jedi and Republic replaced by a new order, there would be a need for those beneath himself and Sidious.

If Shan could be turned before the Plan ended, then not only could he be of use against the Jedi, but it would allow Plagueis to examine the Human and learn how he had managed something that shouldn't be possible. However, before all that could occur, the boy would need further testing; further challenges that would force him to draw upon the Dark Side. If he survived those encounters, then Shan would turn to the two beings he could trust to talk about further lapses in judgement: Sheev Palpatine and Hego Damask.

Perhaps Shan might even one day be tested against Sidious' assassin, Maul. Yet, when Plagueis' thoughts turned to the Zabrak, he remembered the recent report the assassin had submitted. While the alien Maul had fought on Cog Hive Seven was unknown to him, based on the report, Plagueis believed, and Sidious agreed, that it was likely a Vong. Sadly, for Plagueis, Cog Hive Seven, and the dead Vong, were gone, depriving him of a new subject for experimentation.

Plagueis' thoughts returned to the present as Shan stood slowly. "If I might have a moment."

… …
(Cam's POV)
"Certainly," Palpatine replied as Damask nodded in agreement.

I moved slowly away, making sure to let hints of my rage leak out. While I'd have liked to watch their reactions as I told them I'd used Force Lightning – though not with that term – I felt it better to play the part of a slightly confused and concerned young Jedi. Thus, I'd kept my head down and let my genuine worry about what I was doing seep out. From what I could tell, they had bought the performance, though I worried they might've sensed more than what I wanted them to.

The reason I'd revealed this was two-fold. First, it was simple logic. The Vong were more vulnerable to Force Lightning than Electrokinesis and that needed to be known. I wondered what other Dark Side-aligned powers might work as well, but the battlefield wasn't a place to test out new theories when you were continuously outnumbered when entering combat. I was sure the pair would know of other powers that might work against the Vong, and while having them improve themselves for a potential invasion was only going to make taking them down that much harder, the benefits still outweighed the drawbacks. If only just.

The second reason I'd done this was Anakin. Or more specifically, to keep the Sith focused on me and not him when he finally was revealed. There was no way they wouldn't be interested in him due to his count, however, the longer they failed to see he was the true Chosen One, the less chance there was for him to become Vader. Of course, this made the idea of taking Anakin as my Padawan – which I'd been toying with for a while now – a more dangerous option, however, there might be a way to use it. If I hid Anakin's power behind mine and passed off his impressive growth as a result of my teaching – at least with a lightsaber that would be believable I felt – then it might just work. Additionally, after Naboo, I wanted to spend some time travelling. Not just to potentially gain allies for the war to come, but to learn more than what the Jedi taught. There were other Force-sensitive groups in the galaxy that might know something useful. If I took Anakin as my Padawan after Naboo, then slipped into the ether, it would be harder for the Sith or Jedi to realise who Anakin was and would be.

Figuring I'd taken long enough, I took a deep breath, pushed aside the wisps of anger I'd released and brought myself back under control. While I could use Player's Mind, they'd sense its activation, and other than wondering why I'd suddenly blocked my emotions, might grow concerned that I knew more about them than I should.

"Ok," I muttered as I returned to my chair, giving the pair a weak smile.

"How much more effective was this… anger-driven lightning compared to your Electrokinesis?"

I turned my attention to Damask as he spoke. "When I lost control, I don't exactly know the specifics. However, Bo-Katan Kryze, who was travelling with me at the time, was able to use the sensors in her armour to compare the first battle to later ones. From what she showed me, it was clear this… darker variant of the power was several orders of magnitude more dangerous to the Vong." Or to anyone really. "However, since I was… ashamed of drawing on that rage or losing myself in my desire for vengeance for what they did to Master Fay, I didn't risk using that anger again."

The pair were silent, likely seeing the holes I wanted them to see in my story. I'd not let go of that anger. Even now, it was still there, though that was heavily influenced by my Eidetic Memory bringing the raw emotions to the forefront the moment I thought about those events. I knew it was dangerous to keep hold of it, to bury it deeply, but I understood that if I tried to let go of it in the Force, then the next time I encountered a Vong, I might be overwhelmed by those emotions all over again.

"It is good you restrained yourself," Palpatine commented. "Since we all agree these Vong pose a serious threat, losing control of yourself in battle would've been… fatal. Apart from that meaning we wouldn't now know of the threat; it would also have resulted in your death. Something I for one would deeply regret."

I nodded in thanks for his assurance, however, I stayed silent. What I'd revealed on a personal level was as far as I was willing to go. At least regarding how I'd drawn on the Dark Side. There was no way in hell I'd ever bring up having King Adas' holocron, though as I thought about that, I realised it had been some time since I'd last spoken to the first Sith King. While understandable since I'd not had any time away from Jedi – even my excursion to the ShaDo system had been with Dooku – I needed to spend more time speaking with him before Naboo.

"Returning to the primary topic, I'm curious how you, and Miss Kryze, would rate their combat tactics," Damask said methodically. "How a military operates can often provide insight into their culture, especially if it is one orientated toward battle."

"Aye, that's true." I looked away for a moment to collect my thoughts. "Ignoring that first battle, as it was chaotic, most of our encounters took place in ambushes. Initially, their patrols were small, no more than four beings, and kept to set paths. Once we started to have success against them, the size of the patrols grew, and they varied their routes enough that there were times when we couldn't ambush them due to them choosing a different path."

I stopped there for a moment and sipped the tea. "Eventually, they learnt enough from our tactics to prepare a counter-ambush, and we lost an Antarian Ranger along with a unit of locals in that battle. It was also when I encountered what I considered their elite warriors."

"The ones who you referred to as clawed-Vong?"

"Yes," I replied with a nod at Palpatine's question. "Like all Vong we encountered, they'd undergone modifications to their bodies, though for them it was their hands, and the claws they'd had attached that stood out."

"How would you rate these elites compared to their base soldiers?"

I leaned back and pondered Damask's question for a moment. "To start, I'd rank a base Vong as good as, if not better, than a comparably aged elite soldier. Different armaments, yes, but similar tactics. Though the Vong are superior to a baseline Human in every physical way. When using the Force to engage them – and as my report mentioned, they favour close-quarters-combat over ranged assaults – I became able to handle three to four base warriors with relative ease. The appearance of just one clawed-Vong changed that entirely. When fighting that one, I struggled to deal with even a single regular warrior. Though I will admit that I only had one encounter with an elite before the invasion reached its climax."

"From this, and your report, it seems safe to assume that the Vong are highly trained with a preference for engaging an enemy personally." Damask paused and tapped his chin just below the mask. "For now, using a baseline built from shared ideals of groups such as the Mandalorians, Trandoshans, the Sun Guard and other warrior cultures would allow us to generate a very simple outline of their combat doctrine." His eyes narrowed as he continued. "Though this… choice to alter themselves is most peculiar. While there are some species that I know of that have ritualistic self-mutilation, the Vong seem to use it to increase the combat efficiency of their warriors. Most concerning."

"And dangerous," I added with a chuckle remembering how close I'd come to losing an eye in my duel with their leader, my hand gesturing toward the scar I bore from that battle. "Their armour is also an issue. Like certain alloys and elements, such as beskar and phrik, it is resistant to lightsabers, though it can be pierced with effort. However, my beskad was able to pierce their armour easier, even if it could get lodged in place."

"So not only are the Vong seemingly impossible for a Jedi to sense, but their famed weapon has reduced efficiency against a Vong's armour. That is extremely concerning." Damask rested his chin on his fingers which he had once more interlocked. "How would you compare a squad of Vong against a Mandalorian one?"

I took my time to consider the hypothetical. I understood why he was using Mandalorians, as it was the culture – outside of the Jedi – that I knew best, but I was worried he was also using it as a way to judge my opinion about the Mandalorians. "In full armour, I'd say it would be a close thing. Vong are stronger, and faster but Mandalorian armour and weaponry could give them an advantage as long as they maintained their edge. The acid shot from the Vong's staff weapon had a negligible effect on Bo-Katan's beskar armour, though it caused considerable damage to durasteel when it struck that."

"Very well. This can be used to further the model." Damask leaned forward. "We could be looking at an invasion comparable to the Mandalorian one that your ancestor fought against. Perhaps more as if these Vong come from, as you suggest, beyond the known galaxy, they may well have ships of a size hereunto unseen in Republic space."

Even as Palpatine gulped, I nodded, aware of that idea. If the Vong were from outside the galaxy, and I had little reason to doubt Sekot's words when he referred to them as from Far Outside nor that the Interface was being accurate in saying the came from the Void, then they'd need ships capable of travelling through the void between galaxies. To say nothing of them also being able to support an entire civilisation. Assuming that they came from a galaxy at least the size of one of the companion galaxies to this one and that they held at least one planet – which was probably a massive underestimate – then the invasion force would number in the tens of billions at least. And be aboard ships massive enough to carry them.

"Moving on slightly. I'm curious as to why, when you and Master Fay spoke to the Vong leadership, you felt a challenge was the correct approach to take."

"After we approached their base, and Master Fay had begun her attempts to seek a peaceful resolution – something I was aware would never work," I added with a smirk, "the way the Vong spoke drew my attention. Not only did they seem to have religious reasons for the occupation of Zonama Sekot, but there was enough there that hinted at it guiding their society. Sensing the Force react to that thought, and drawing on what I'd learnt on Mandalore, I pushed for the challenge." A chuckle escaped my lips. "That said, I may have insulted their sense of honour to goad their leader into accepting."

Palpatine smirked at the image while Damask nodded. "Something I have learnt in my many years is that sometimes what one person considers underhanded or dishonourable is entirely acceptable to another." That made perfect sense in a galaxy full of over a million differing species, many with variant values depending on the world they came from. Honestly, I wasn't bothered about insulting the Vong. Even if it hadn't worked, it was fun to screw with them like that. "Though on the topic, I must ask how, beyond a general sensation from the Force as you put it, you deduced such an approach would draw a response. And what you could infer from that, and other encounters, about the Vong's culture. Specifically, why Zonama Sekot was important to them."

"That was the only time I spoke with a Vong. At least beyond cursing them and getting something odd and guttural thrown back at me." Even if I didn't know what they'd said, I could remember them and if, as I suspected, many were curses, I planned to use them against the Vong. Provided I lived long enough to face their invasion fleets. "From the short talk, it was clear they placed an almost religious significance on whatever mission they were on and believed that Sekot was their goal. They claimed the planet was a seed, if such a thing is possible, of their lost homeworld. It was implied they felt the planet belonged to them simply because of this almost fanatical belief. That religious element was reinforced by their leader remarking that fighting and dying in the name of their mission was a worthy service to their gods. Though that feeling of importance was what drove me to strike at their honour and openly question its existence. They didn't take that very well." I finished with a grin.

"Yes, I've seen similar tactics employed on the Senate floor. While underhanded, it is often successful in disrupting a debate," Palpatine offered with a grin of his own. "As I'm sure the Magister has seen in various negotiations across his long, expansive life."

"Indeed," Damask commented with a nod. "While your affront to them was a risky manoeuvre given your lack of knowledge, it was successful in drawing their leader into single combat. It also grants us a small insight into the importance of their beliefs, which we may be able to exploit when their fleets arrive in Republic space." He paused and seemed to contemplate something. "We will need to use our limited information to search various religious sects and species within the Republic. Much like with their combat capacity, we can use those that share a similar mindset to generate an elementary template for the Vong.

"I'll leave that up to you and the Senator," I remarked. "I lack the… patience for such a long-term and detailed project. Something my former masters have commented on, and I believe you've observed in our chess matches Senator?"

Palpatine nodded and chuckled. "Yes. While you are improving it's clear you prefer to rush into situations."

"A failing that is sadly common for many Jedi," Damask added. "Though I understand one not shared by either of your masters. While I cannot speak for Master Fay, I have known Master Dooku in passing for several decades and he is a patient, considered individual. Still, that is a side matter. I shall instruct various employees to begin developing these research threads, though I will likely need to reach out for further observations as progress is made."

… …
(Sidious' POV)
Sidious watched quietly as his Master spoke with Cameron. While Cameron had indeed shown a tendency to rush in, there was more to it than Cameron stated. He was rash, arrogant and headstrong. A failing common among the Jedi who'd grown complacent with a millennium without the Sith to challenge them. However, with Cameron, Sidious knew there was more to it. He was aggressive, and from when he'd first spoken with the young Jedi about the Vong, Palpatine had sensed hints of enjoyment when he'd spoken of combat. Much like Maul exhibited, though in a far more restrained manner.

Still, of greater concern was the interest his master was displaying in Cameron. Sidious was secure in his place. He knew that his place beside Plagueis was safe, that when the time came if Sidious was unable to remove Plagueis as the Rule of Two demanded, then they would rule together with him in the light and Plagueis in his shadow.

Yet the interest in Cameron threatened that balance.

Oh, Sidious understood the potential Cameron held for the Dark Side, even before Sidious had tasted the rage within the young man. Yet, the way Plagueis spoke and observed Cameron, it was clear to Sidious that he didn't see him as just a science experiment on how to control and manipulate midi-chlorians, but as a potential third member of the Order of Sith Lords. Perhaps even a replacement for Sidious himself if a need arose. And that was something, no matter Cameron's potential, Sidious wouldn't allow.

Gifting Cameron the blade that had belonged to a member of the Legions of Lettow – a precursor to the Order of Sith Lords that they claimed lineage from – was a powerful move. Though Sidious was pleased to see Cameron be wary of a gift from a man as powerful and connected as Hego Damask. Sidious had coveted the blade for his collection, but he could see the value in gifting it to Cameron. Not only was the Jedi fond of a Mandalorian beskad, but the faint embers of the Dark Side within the blade would help open the crack Cameron had created to the Dark Side, turning it into a fissure through which he could be turned.

"Moving on, you mentioned their technology was heavily organic?"

"Yes, though I'll admit I didn't see everything they had. The armour they wore certainly was, though until we carried out a battlefield autopsy, I'd honestly thought it was just some unknown alloy. Their main base was surrounded by walls that weren't made from the environment, as were the glimpses I caught of buildings and flyers inside, however, I never got close enough to confirm that. The same goes for their starships, as I was only able to perform simple scans when we were engaged as my focus was on surviving and then escaping."

"Yes, I admit I found that part of the report odd. You said the planet warned you to escape, and then when you returned it had seemingly gone to hyperspace." Sidious bit back a snort of amusement. When he'd relayed the report to Plagueis, his Master had seemed genuinely shocked by the revelation that the planet wasn't just strong in the Force, but was in essence alive. At least enough that Cameron spoke of a telepathic conversation he'd shared with the planet before its disappearance. To say the idea caught Plagueis' attention would be like saying a star was dangerous when it went supernova.

"Yes, though even after experiencing it, I'm still struggling to understand how it could be sentient."

"Indeed."

Cameron shook his head before he continued. "While the idea that the planet entered hyperspace sounds… insane, the facts support that theory. The area where the planet had been was soaked, to incredible levels, in the residual energy one would expect of something entering hyperspace." Sidious noted that Cameron was slowly becoming defensive of the idea that the planet had escaped into hyperspace, suggesting he was still receiving pushback from within the Jedi over it. That was, potentially, something he and Plagueis could use. "The Vong fleet was still there, and their escape vector toward the Galactic Edge added credence to what Sekot said about them being from far beyond. Yet, the fact that, when you consider there were no remains to suggest the planet had been destroyed, and the gravitational field in the system had shifted rather suddenly, I'm left believing that, however improbable it might be, the planet entered Hyperspace."

While not as scientifically inclined as his Master, Sidious could still understand the sheer power such an action would need. Yet, as Cameron said, based on the facts provided, it was the only logical conclusion. Something he knew Plagueis agreed with.

"There is no need to be concerned about this, after reviewing the sensor data you provided, I concur that the planet leaving into hyperspace is the only logical conclusion to draw. However, I admit I am uncertain if it, and its inhabitants, could survive such a voyage." Plagueis waved a hand, dismissing the matter. "Unless the planet reappears, it is no longer of concern. What is, is the fact that the Vong seemingly use organic technology and weaponry."

"While rare, it isn't unusual," Sidious remarked, re-joining the conversation. "The Gungans of my home, for example, heavily use organic technology, as do many species within and without the Republic." As he spoke, Sidious' thoughts turned to the Gungan's energy balls.

"Yes, though I don't recall hearing of any species that has the technology to counter a Jedi in combat, or use it in place of standard orbital technologies." As Plagueis spoke and tapped his mask, Sidious ran with the thought he'd just had.

Those energy balls – boombas if he recalled correctly – shorted out any piece of technology when they struck, and Sidious wondered if it would work against Jedi. While the Gungans and Naboo were at odds, with the upcoming invasion, it shouldn't take much convincing to ensure the snivelling Neimoidian Gunray acquired examples of these boombas. With that in mind, once this meeting was concluded, he would speak with his agents to further ensure Miss Naberrie was victorious in the election, as, unlike Tapalo, she was young, predictable, and controllable.

"The fact that the Vong consider Zonama Sekot a seed of their homeworld would be something to explore, if not for the planet's disappearance," Plagueis added with a sigh, bringing Sidious' thoughts back to the meeting. "It is a shame that with it gone, and the rare vessels it produces now withered and dead, we lack an example of technology that might share a common ancestry with what the Vong use."

Internally, Sidious smirked. Plagueis had made sure this little trap was ready beforehand, and now was the time to spring it. "I believe that Cameron's current starship is a product of Sekot." With Plagueis he turned and faced the young Jedi, watching as he tensed up. It appeared he was reluctant to let them examine that vessel, however, access to it was something both Sith desired.

… …
(Cam's POV)
As the pair turned my way, I barely resisted the urge to freeze. I knew Raven would come up, but knowing and preparing for it and facing off against two hidden Sith Lords who wanted access to a ship that was, in some way, Force-sensitive, was another matter entirely. Like standing on the surface of a star, or standing in the Oort cloud and comparing the heat.

"The Raven is. However, many of its components, including the powercore and hyperdrive, are mechanical," I spoke slowly, doing my best to refer to her as a machine only. I'd do everything I could to deny access to Raven to these two or let them gain access to her schematics. Yet, there was a valid point in that she was born on Sekot, and should, in theory, share some root similarities with Vong-tech.

"Still, even if your vessel is only partly organic since it is Sekotan built, there will be some shared ancestry between it and Vong biotechnology."

I sighed, accepting the fact. "That is true, though I'm not sure what more I could do beyo…" I cut myself on purpose, drawing on the only way I had to avoid letting either Sith Lord onboard Raven. "The Council requested a full report on Raven. From a mechanical and biological stance, and on any potential Force presence it held." I paused and rubbed my chin. "I'm not sure if the report is finished as even before I left to come here today, there were still technicians and Jedi examining it." I focused on Palpatine. "As a member of the Senate, you should be able to access that report. If not, I can gain a copy and pass it along." After seeing if there was anything I'd rather they didn't learn about Raven and if I could alter the report to hide said information. "I know it's not ideal, but I'd rather not lose access to my ship, and thus an ability to come and go as I please, again."

There were a few moments of silence before Damask lowered his elongated head. "That will suffice, for now, I feel. Though I will admit that I have long held a fascination with Sekotan vessels. Perhaps, if time allows over the next year or so, you might permit me," he glanced at Palpatine, "us, to come aboard and experience a short flight on the Raven?"

"I believe that should be doable, Magister," I replied even as I considered the long list of reasons I already had to delay such a flight. They ranged from anything from needing to spend time instructing Initiates in elementary lightsaber velocities to outright faking a mission and running to the Outer Rim for a few months. Truthfully, I felt I only had to delay the trip until the Invasion of Naboo as after that, whether I took Anakin as my Padawan or not – and the more I considered it, the more the reward was greater than the risk – I planned a long time away from the Core. Hopefully, the Council, or Palpatine after he became Chancellor, wouldn't summon me back until I was ready.

Behind his mask, Damask's face shifted into what looked like a smile. "I look forward to it."

"As do I," Palpatine chimed in. "And while we are on the subject, perhaps you might provide your opinion on the Vong starships? We have read the report and seen the sensor logs; however, I often find hearing someone speak on a matter to be far more illuminating."

"There's little I can add. I was far more interested in guiding the ship I'd just taken control of for the first time away from combat. The only thing I'd draw attention to was the readings that they don't use anything akin to blasters or lasers. From what the sensors showed, and what I observed as we dove between their fire, they used some form of superheated material, akin to plasma weaponry possibly, to target us and Sekot. It might seem primitive compared to turbolasers, but the Raven's sensors suggested we'd have not survived many direct hits."

"Others will undoubtedly see it as primitive, which might be one reason why your Council dismissed the Vong threat, however depending on how exactly they generate this plasma, it might cause Republic vessels problems. Particularly in early engagements." Damask paused and again tapped his mask as he considered something. "Is it safe to assume that, based on what you observed, the Vong ranged weaponry scales with size?"

"Yes, though the largest vessel in their invasion force was perhaps double the size of a Judicial cruiser. I'd consider it a good bet it holds true for large ship classes, but there's no proof they don't have something far more dangerous on their largest warships."

"How expectedly concerning," Palpatine remarked but my attention remained on Damask. He was the one leading this meeting, which made sense as he had less of a read on me than Palpatine did. Plus given the way he spoke, he seemed far more scientifically and logically inclined than his apprentice.

"Yes, but I would consider it more probable they simply scale up their weaponry, much like most vessels go from lasers to turbolasers. That said, while the overwhelming majority of starships built in the Republic use such technology, I do believe there are a handful of specialist manufacturers who use more esoteric technology." That he knew this would be impressive, though I suspected he'd already researched those companies long before this meeting. Just as he likely had for the other topics we'd discussed. "Does your vessel have any such weaponry?"

"No. The Sekotans, at least until the invasion, never considered the need for offensive capabilities on their vessels." That was something that irked me greatly. While the Jedi Council approved of the fact that Raven was unarmed, I hated it. I had some ideas for adding weapons to her, but I'd not had time to examine the technical details of such modifications, though I would admit that, since Vong and Sekotan technology seemed to share a common ancestry, I was wondering about plasma weapons for Raven. Of course, regardless of what weaponry I gave her, or when, I'd have to make sure to do so without telling anyone first. The Council would no doubt complain, particularly if I armed her as much as I wanted – to say nothing of HK's suggestions, which would've given her more firepower than a dozen Judicial cruisers – but she was my ship, and I could apologise after the modifications were done.

"It is unfortunate that they didn't have any vessel comparable to the Recusant or Munificent classes, to say nothing of something akin to the Assertor class. Without those, it will be difficult to convince many of the military threat the Vong pose to the current Republic military?"

A dry chuckle escaped my lips. "What military?" I couldn't help but retort, causing both to turn their attention towards me. I let out a sigh, realising my words might have come across as disrespectful. "Apologies. It's just that I recall, even from my childhood, the sheer magnitude of the fleet stationed around Talravin. And that was merely one isolated world within the Core. But now, apart from key systems like Coruscant, Kuat, and Corellia—all of which are located in the Core—the Republic lacks anything resembling a formidable military force."

"The Senate relies on the Judicial force, supplemented by local defence forces, and the Jedi to deal with incidents inside Republic borders. Though I'll admit they have been found… wanting in anything beyond small skirmishes." Palpatine leaned back in his seat and took a sip from his cup. "As for those systems you mentioned, and others like them, most of their fleets are… limited to intra-system operations. The Ruusan Reformations made clear the limits for any vessel of significant size."

I snorted again and shook my head. "While I understand why, at the time that was passed, the idea was… short-sighted." That was being kind as, if the Republic still had even a basic standing military, it would've helped in hundreds of conflicts over just the last few decades, from the Stark Hyperspace War to the recent issues with the Nebula Front, through wars like that between the Kaleesh and the Yam'rii - which had been brought to an end, badly in my opinion, by the Senate.

That war stuck out in my mind as it was where Grievous was born. However, the war had ended several years ago and from what I could discover, he'd become an agent of the IGBC. If I could, I wanted to eliminate or turn him before he became a cyborg, but details on his assignments were redacted from the Holonet. That made sense as, since he was an agent of the IGBC, he'd be a target for those with grudges against the bank.

"Sorry," I resumed after clearing my head. "I just have a hard time wrapping my mind around why the Reformation was never altered to allow the Senate, or at least the Chancellor with Senate oversight, the ability to call upon a rapid-reaction-force."

Palpatine offered me a sad smile. "It's an entirely understandable reaction. I have lamented on this very issue many times over years working in the Senate." His tone was soft, like a grandfather, and I realised he was using this moment to strengthen the bond he felt existed between us. "There have been many moments where something akin to rapid reaction force as you called it, would have helped. Alas, every attempt has failed, with the most recent being, I believe, the creation of the Outlands Defence Force around a decade ago. No such effort has ever gained enough support in the Senate to even make it to debate, never mind a formal vote."

I barely resisted an urge to roll my eyes. "When the Vong make their presence known, the Republic shall face its inevitable downfall unless it is adequately prepared. Even a solitary fleet bearing a hundred million warriors has the potential to thrust a searing dagger deep into the heart of our Republic, perhaps scorching even the sacred grounds of Coruscant herself." I knew I was being poetic, but I wanted to drive home just how much danger the Vong posed. I knew they were going to invade; I knew it would be more than one fleet, and while I couldn't say as much to others – particularly not the Sith Lords sitting with me – I wanted them to understand how fully I supported a military build-up.

I understood well the sheer insanity of the fact I was in lockstep with the Sith over the need for a military, even if our reasons behind it were vastly different. Yet without the fleets, no matter which of us was still standing when the Vong arrived, the galaxy was doomed. If I could get in with the Sith here and now, I might just get some of the curtain pulled back, perhaps even enough to learn ways to exploit events to my benefit.

"Then we three, and other like-minded individuals that we can find, must prepare for what is to come." I let some surprise creep onto my face at hearing Damask's words. "While I would prefer to reach an agreement with the Vong that could potentially be beneficial to my interests, from all I've read and heard, I can see that won't be possible. Not unless the Republic is able to shatter the Vong fleets almost entirely. What we must arrange, slowly, cautiously, and without drawing the attention of the Senate, the Jedi Council and others who might oppose us, is the development and construction of instruments of war the likes of which the galaxy has not seen for a thousand years."

They were already planning that, but they didn't know I knew, so Damask's pronouncement would, in theory, draw me deeper into an alliance with them. And, as they no doubt hoped, make it easier to slowly manipulate me into turning to the Dark Side. Even knowing this, I understood there was a chance I might fall, but better the devil you know, than the one you don't. Plus, if I played this right, and kept them close but not too close, there were ways I could use this alliance to prepare to counter their plans for the galaxy.

"Can we not count on the Jedi to defend the Republic against the Vong, just as they've defended it against threats for millennia?"

I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose to hide my reaction to hearing Darth freaking Sidious suggest, convincingly, using the Jedi to defend the Republic. It was fucking rich to hear him suggest that, when using them to defend it was exactly how their plan would ensure the destruction of the Order and the Republic.

After taking a breath to calm myself, and hoping that they misunderstood my need for a moment, I replied. "While the Jedi will fight for the Republic, our numbers aren't enough, uncle." I shook my head and sighed to hopefully drive home that point. "Even if the Council supported us now, I would say only a third, perhaps at best a half, of the Order, would be ready and willing to fight against the Vong. The majority of the Order aren't Jedi as you'd expect. Most are Initiates, Younglings or assigned to a service corps such as those deemed unable to become a Padawan; never mind a Knight. And even then, of that half that could conceivably fight, I'd say half again wouldn't survive their first engagement with the Vong. We're taught to be defensive, to react to a threat and not go for the kill. That mentality, when combined with the common Force abilities a Jedi would use – such as trying to push back or throw a sentient away – would get them killed within seconds of battle commencing."

"Are you not, perhaps, underestimating the Order? After all, you survived your first encounter with the Vong, and many more thereafter."

"Perhaps I am," I responded with a shrug. "However, I'd rather underestimate than overestimate the Order's fighting ability. That said, I'd expect most Jedi Knights and Masters to fare better against the Vong than I did." I hoped that was true, but I knew many Jedi only learnt enough of the lightsaber to be decent with it, preferring to concentrate on other aspects of the Order. Those Jedi would be slaughtered by the Vong and would be among the first to fall in the Clone Wars.

"Indeed, from the recordings I've seen of many senior Jedi, their skill with a lightsaber is most impressive." Damask shared a quick look with Palpatine when he finished speaking, and I wondered if they truly felt that, or were dismissive of all but a few of the Order's fighters. After all, Sidious had slaughtered three Council members in seconds when they'd gone with Windu to arrest him. "I would also speculate that groups, such as the Mandalorians, Sun Guard, Echani and others would be just as, if not more, proficient against the Vong during planetary combat when compared to a baseline Jedi. However, if we cannot develop the forces to counter their suspected orbital superiority, then any advantages Republic forces might have on the ground would be irrelevant."

"Aye. While Bo-Katan did well enough against the Vong once she'd fought them a few times, she was never able to truly go toe-to-toe with them. However, since we were always outnumbered and she is still a young warrior, I'd rate her as average at best for her people." I mentally chuckled at that comparison as I knew it was untrue, compared to any truly seasoned Mandalorian, Bo still had a lot to learn even with all her talent. "The Antarian Rangers with me weren't as useful, though the surviving member is new to their ways while the Lieutenant was overwhelmed in the Vong's counter-ambush."

"And what of your beast?" Plagueis asked, leaning forward. "How did the adolescent tuk'ata fare?"

I smirked, both thinking of Fenrir and that Plagueis had brought him up. I'd left him off intentionally as I knew the Sith would want to hear how a Sith-created beast did against the Vong but wanted them to mention him. "Like everyone, he struggled in the first battle. While he did kill the beast the Vong had with them, he lost a spinal crest. After that though, he got better and better, even managing to take down two of their beasts in a later ambush with only a few scratches to show for it." I chuckled for a moment. "The only downside is that now, after the battles, he no longer finds the Temple as… comforting as he once did."

"A feeling you perhaps share?"

I smiled at Palpatine. "Maybe, though unlike Fenrir I know that not every problem can be solved by violence. Sometimes you have to use words," I shifted my focus to Damask, "and other times, the promise of financial motivation can gain you what is needed." The pair nodded, seemingly accepting and glad that I understood, I knew that point as Palpatine offered another grandfatherly smile.

Before either could respond, a gentle beep came from my vambrace. I glanced down at it, surprised to see that the timer I'd set as I'd exited Raven had expired. I'd set it to avoid being stuck talking with Palpatine for too long, though now I realised it was cutting short my discussion with him and Damask. "Forgive me, but I must return to the Temple," I began as I turned off the alarm. "The Battlemaster has requested my help with teaching several Initiate clans the very basics of lightsaber combat, and unless I leave soon, I fear I'll miss the class." Even if the alarm hadn't been needed for what I'd expected, it was allowing me to end this unexpected meeting on my terms, which I made clear by standing.

"Of course, of course," Palpatine replied as he and Damask stood as well. "I understand that you couldn't have known why I'd summoned you. I kept my message vague to ensure others didn't learn of the Magister's presence, or the topic of our conversation." He moved closer and shook my hand while gripping my arm near my elbow with his free hand and smiling. "While more time would be useful, what we've covered today allows us to move forward with initial plans, though I expect we'll have to meet again to review how those plans are coming along."

"I would expect the same," Damask added as Palpatine released my arm and hand. "Though I suspect if we continue to meet within the Senator's office, others might grow curious as to why." Even as I shook his hand, I couldn't deny he was right. "Therefore, the suite I offered earlier might be a way to remove some of that issue." I opened my mouth to argue against the idea when he raised his free hand, extending his long, thin fingers. "I understand your reluctance to accept another gift, however, I'm not offering simply for that now. Since I will normally be present within the Spires, it would allow us an easy method to speak privately, away from almost all prying eyes, since I will be located within the penthouse."

As I stopped shaking Damask's hands I sighed, seeing no way to avoid accepting the offer. "Then under that condition, I accept, Magister. Though perhaps you might ensure it isn't placed under my name as I'd rather not have to explain such a place to the Jedi Council."

Damask chuckled, which still sounded strange because of his mask. "Yes. I suspect your Council wouldn't look favourably on ownership of a suite in such an exclusive location. Would placing it under your pseudonym be acceptable?"

"It would, and while my former masters would realise this, I'm more concerned it might draw any fans of my works to the Spires. Especially once the holomovies are released."

"Yes, that is true, though be assured the security around Kaldani Spires is second to none. I wouldn't allow anything less." I nodded my thanks to Damask about that, and so long as no one linked me directly to the stories, the comings and goings of a Jedi would, I hoped, avoid too much scrutiny.

"When the first movie is ready, will you attend the premiere?" Palpatine asked. "And might I request several early tickets to the event?"

I laughed at that. I didn't know if he was a fan of the works – Force I hoped not as the Nazgul were something I hoped they never used as inspiration – but by the time Fellowship came out, he'd be Chancellor. Getting him to attend would drive up interest exponentially, meaning more credits for me to use to, hopefully, counter the Sith plan. "Of course. I'll have to ensure Padmé receives some as well, though if she is Queen then, it might be difficult for her to attend."

"I'm sure she'd make room in her schedule for you," a sly smile crept onto Palpatine's face. "While I've only spoken to her a few times because of the upcoming election, each time she asked after you. It seems your work with the Shadda-Bi-Borans had a greater effect on her than I'd realised."

"I hadn't known you were involved in their relocation," Damask commented.

Palpatine's smile shifted into an amused one. "Yes, that was when Cameron here met Miss Naberrie for the first time, which sparked their friendship." Palpatine turned back to me. "I believe it was you who sent the lightfoil when she became Princess of Theed?"

"It was." There was little point denying it as Palpatine would've researched who sent such a gift already. "Though I haven't managed to return to Naboo to give her any lessons."

"Perhaps, if she is successful, after her coronation? Having the support of a Jedi would help secure her position."

"If time allows, I'll see if I can manage it." Palpatine nodded, no doubt looking forward to it as it would give him an in with Padmé for ensuring my return, and as he said, help secure her position. Though for me, it would allow me to map out the Royal Palace for the invasion, though I wasn't sure how long I had from her coronation until the invasion, and I had certain things to sort out before then.

My vambrace beeped again, making me chuckle as I turned off the secondary alarm. "Right, I really have to leave now." The pair smiled at me. "Still, I'm grateful to both of you for believing in me regarding the Vong threat. It's… comforting to have that after the blunt dismissal the Council gave." Well, the Council had done so as a group, but others including Windu had sought me out for information, letting me know that they agreed the Vong could be a threat. While not what I wanted, it was better than nothing.

As for the Sith, I knew they'd be interested in the Vong as both a threat to their plans and a way to get closer to me. While the former was a risk, the latter was worth it if the galaxy, in whatever state it was in, was ready to face the Vong when they appeared with their full might.

"I'll admit that I'm hesitant to believe they are as great and immediate a threat as you do, however, I can't deny that from this single encounter, they pose a danger. That being said, you've shown a tendency to not overreact to issues, which lends credence to your worries." Damask nodded in agreement with Palpatine's words.

I bowed deeply to the pair, making clear my gratitude for their support. "Senator, Magister, until we next speak, thank you for your time."

After nods from them, I turned and left the study and then Palpatine's office. The Senate Guard were gone, though the Sun Guard were still present and tensed as I emerged and then walked past. I kept my mind still until I'd not only left the floor but had reached the exit to the landing platform where Raven waited. Once I was there, with Raven in sight as the droids moved around her, I stopped to consider the meeting.

I had to chuckle and shake my head at the sheer insanity of the fact I was now actively working with Sith Lords to defend the galaxy, even if this was one of the rare moments where the term 'The Greater Good' could be applied. The Vong were a clear danger to everyone, though I understood enough that by stopping them on Zonama Sekot I'd bought the galaxy several decades, perhaps up to fifty years, to prepare.

That meant the galaxy, whatever shape it was in after the Clone Wars, had to be ready. I fervently hoped I could stop the Sith before things got too insane, or failing that, at least ensure the Empire didn't rise to the same heights nor last as long as canon. However, even if I couldn't, and my actions somehow resulted in the Sith and Empire ruling for longer with a stronger military, I'd take it. For all their flaws, the Empire had to be a better choice than a galaxy dominated by the Vong.

My thoughts drifted to the vision I'd shared with Anakin several years ago. If, as that hinted, we had to shatter the galaxy, the Republic, to save it, then that might well be a better situation than having the Republic survive the Clone Wars, or be reformed after the Empire fell, and had to face the Vong. Smaller states would mean weaker individual navies, but since the galaxy would be unstable, those states would have larger militaries that, when combined, would surely outnumber anything the Republic or its successor might have.

My eyes drifted off, trying and failing to see Kaldani Spires. There was no doubt it would be bugged to hell and back, and it was close to Darth Plagueis. Yet, ignoring all that, the offer made sense. We couldn't keep meeting in Palpatine's office. Especially after he became Chancellor, as that would tie me explicitly to him, which I didn't want. Plus, as we got closer to the Clone Wars, then depending on the situation, I could use the suite to ensure false, or at least not-entirely-accurate, information was overheard by the Sith.

Also, by keeping away from the Senate and Palpatine directly, Dooku wouldn't consider me hypocritical. Back when the Coalition of Jedi was formed to prepare for the coming darkness, he'd wanted to reach out to people like Palpatine. I'd argued against it, so if now, as the darkness grew closer and more encompassing, I spent time with Palpatine, Dooku might begin to doubt my sincerity. Fay could've also been a problem in that regard, but with her now focused on Tython, I wondered if she'd be around as plans began to take shape for the wars to come.

A third advantage of the suite, though I was reluctant to consider it currently as it would give the Sith a hold over me, was that it would no doubt be a wonderful place to retire with Serra on certain days. There'd come a point where taking her into orbit in Raven would draw questions and while not as aggressive about things as Bo, Serra clearly wanted what we had to continue on a more regular basis. Yes, taking her to the suite would bring her to the attention of the Sith, or more so since there was no doubt in my mind that they already knew of her due to our friendship, but I knew she'd love the place. Though before I brought her there for the first time, I'd have to be explicitly clear about what could and couldn't be discussed openly in the suite.

Of course, thinking of Serra brought to mind the last time I'd been with her. The faint squeaks of delight she emitted whenever I nibbled her neck or other points. The way her heart raced when I pulled her close, of how her breath seemed to freeze whenever I captured her lips, or the way…

I shook my head. This wasn't the time nor place to think about her like that, and not just because I was still close enough to the Sith that they might pick up on a stray lustful desire. No, when I returned to the Temple, I'd no doubt end up sparring with my friends, and we had to be mindful of our thoughts within the Temple's walls.

I started moving, letting the sun blaze down on me. A wave to the droids had them removing the fuel hose and other connections to Raven, and as I reached her, and ran my fingers along her hull, I sensed her desire, her need to race between the stars once again.

"Soon, my dear," I whispered as I moved toward the ramp that had just begun descending. "Soon we'll enter the vastness of space, and you can bask in the light of different stars."

On her hull, light patterns raced around my fingers, making clear she understood my comments. I chuckled as I removed my hand and stepped onto the ramp. The meeting today would be playing in my thoughts for a while. I felt I'd seen most of the Sith ploys, but until I reviewed it all again, multiple times, in solitude, I doubted I'd sense all of them. If I ever would.

… …

… …
(Plagueis' POV)
Plagueis sat quietly as the door closed behind Shan. Neither he nor Sidious spoke, which allowed him time to consider the meeting.

Shan was cautious, which was understandable since he had been blindsided by Plagueis' presence at the meeting. However, while Shan had adapted to that rapidly, Plagueis felt there was still something Shan was holding back on. Or at least more so than the faint images of a female he sensed from the Jedi when Plagueis had made the second offer for the suite in Kaldani Spires. However, the female was not Miss Kryze, which was unexpected, yet Plagueis felt certain this female was another Jedi. If the pair were close, it could potentially be used as a way to drive Shan from the Order, though Plagueis felt that it would take far less than a scandalous relationship to eventually drive Shan from the Jedi.

A soft beep drew his attention to the door that led to the short foyer. A second beep, this time accompanied by a light that only stayed active for a moment, was the signal Shan had left the office.

"He has the potential to be a powerful Sith," Sidious offered quickly. "The fury he held within when he spoke of what happened to his former master, and what might've happened to the Mandalorian girl was impressive."

Plagueis inclined his head. "Yes. Beyond his obvious potential with the Force, and the legacy he bears, that instance proves he has already tasted, and dominated the Dark Side. That he admitted it was interesting, but it proves he considers us trusted allies."

"Yes, Master, though I feel he did so more to show that there were ways to hurt the Vong beyond simplistic Jedi approaches. In addition, the choice he's made to maintain, and hide, that anger within instead of releasing it into the Force was unexpected."

"Indeed." Plagueis glanced at the door Shan had left through, his brow creasing. "Still, there is something, perhaps several things, he is withholding from us. I postulate that the exact details of his usage of the Dark Side is one such instance – as there is little need to explain what he did to non-Force-sensitives – I feel there is something else he's keeping from us. Something linked to either his vessel, the planet, or perhaps both."

"Yes, and the way he spoke of the Mandalorian girl, Miss Kryze. He cares for her, and I believe they may have grown close during their months stuck on the planet. I suspect that, if there had been a point where she'd been in mortal danger, Shan would've drawn on the Dark Side again to protect her."

"Yes, the girl might be of use. She is the daughter of Duke Adonai Kryze, correct?" Sidious nodded. "With the recent shift in Mandalorian politics, there may well be a way to either bring the culture into the separatist faction or perhaps use them alone to strike at the Republic as they've done many times in the past. Use them to fuel the flames before war consumes the galaxy."

"There might be another avenue to consider. When he accepted the suite, there were flashes of another, who I believe is a member of the Jedi. A Padawan around his age named Serra Keto." Plagueis' brow rose at this. The Keto family had once, millennia before, allied with Exar Kun against the Republic and Jedi. "The girl came to my attention some years ago, and from what I can gather, while not overly special as a Jedi, she is connected to the Keto family of the Empress Teta system. A lineage with a strong historical link to the Dark Side. When she first came to my notice, she lusted for Shan, and from the glimpses I sensed today, it's clear Shan feels the same way. They may well have already broken their vow of non-attachment."

Plagueis leaned back, his fingers tapping his mask as Sidious spoke. "Hmm, that will require observation. Even if she cannot be used to control Shan, her connection to the Keto family might make her susceptible to conversion into an acolyte. Not on par with Shan or your assassin, but any that we can ensure fall before the Grand Plan's final order could be useful in what will arise from the ashes of the Republic."

Plagueis wondered about the young Miss Naberrie, as from how Sidious and Shan had spoken, it was clear the future queen had an interest in Shan, though there was no hint Shan reciprocated. As Miss Naberrie was nothing more than a pawn to ensure Sidious's rise to Chancellor, Plagueis doubted she would be of any importance. Still, it was another possible tangent for corrupting Shan and showing him the true path was to dominate the Force, not submit blindly to it.

"What if Shan cannot be turned, or even tempted, Master?"

Plagueis allowed a faint smile to come to his face. While Sidious hid it well, he could sense his apprentice's concern. Shan was potentially more powerful than either of them, and Sidious feared being replaced. Even if Plagueis had made clear the Rule of Two would be removed once the Jedi were gone and they would rule as equals, Sidious was still the Apprentice and always at risk of replacement. If Shan could be turned, then Plagueis did not foresee a need to have him replace Sidious. No, Shan would serve as the one directly below them, controlling elements of their new empire that neither he nor Sidious wished to concern themselves with. In time, perhaps Shan would ascend to join them, but by then Plagueis did not doubt that he would have discovered true immortality.

"I have little doubt Shan can be tempted, Sidious. The desire to know more about his new powers will be enough to ensure that. However, even if he cannot be turned fully, he will be of use. An obvious role may well be to assume control of the Mandalorians and ready them for war. Perhaps he might even be able to convince other Jedi to leave with him."

"I don't feel he can cause another schism, master. While powerful, he is young and seen by many in the Jedi as an outsider. Much as Master Dooku is. The chance he could cause enough Jedi to rebel against their council is small enough to not be factored into the Plan."

Plagueis lowered his head, accepting the point, even as he ignored the faint hints of annoyance he felt regarding Dooku. Of all the Jedi that might serve the role of the instigator of unrest, Dooku was the ideal candidate. Well known to many in power, a respected member of the Order, and with a family name that carried weight in the Rim. Dooku would have been the perfect tool to create a force to challenge the Republic. That it was Shan who had inadvertently taken Dooku away from a place in the Grand Plan was not lost on Plagueis. Though he did acknowledge that as the Force hides one path, the Sith forced open others, in this case, Shan and C'baoth.

"Yes, he is still young and unknown to many." Plagueis paused and tapped his mask. "It would benefit us if we might glimpse some of Shan's potential paths. Since we have time on the matter, there is no rush, but before the invasion of Naboo, I require you to perform a ritual and gaze into Shan's future."

"Yes, Master." Sidious.

Plagueis cursed his former Master, Tenebrous. The fool had, with his dying breath, somehow robbed Plagueis of his ability to foresee what was to happen. While that had not disrupted the Grand Plan, it had caused Plagueis issues until Sidious was sufficiently skilled enough to peer into what might and will be. The thought always remained at the back of Plagueis' mind that perhaps, on occasion, Sidious omitted a detail here or there from what he saw. Not enough to affect their plans, but enough that it might place Plagueis in future danger. However, he considered Sidious an equal and knew they would soon rule the Republic, and enter the final stages of the Grand Plan, at each other's side.

"It is unfortunate that your assassin destroyed Cog Hive Seven prison during his escape," Plagueis commented slowly, watching his apprentice for any reaction. "While its destruction helped remove a minor nuisance, from the reports he submitted, I believe the assassin fought and killed a Vong in one of his deathmatches."

Plagueis was sure there was more to that mission than the removal of Iram Radique, but so far he had not found any connection to Sidious. Through either Radique or Jabba Desilijic Tiure. Yet that suspicion that there was more to the mission than Sidious let on remained, even after questioning Sidious for several days.

"Yes, Maul was, regrettably, highly efficient at removing the evidence of his presence with the prison's destruction. Though since we now suspect that it was a Vong, it is possible there are other infiltrators spread across the Outer Rim, learning the strengths and weaknesses of the Republic?"

"That is likely. Cog Hive Seven is far from where Zonama Sekot once was. For the Vong to have travelled there would mean placement on a planet that used the prison. With effort, it might be possible to determine which planet he was captured on, but I suspect that road will lead to nothing substantial."

"I don't believe we will be able to locate other infiltrators, Master. Even if they do nothing to hide their unusual appearance, it is probable that by the time any rumour can be substantiated, they will have moved on."

"I concur; however, we should still send out feelers into the underworld. With the Vong as fearsome as both Shan and Maul contend, there is a chance one or more might be taken on as muscle for powerful figures or cartels. The odds that we will be able to acquire a specimen before the Grand Plan is initiated are slim, but it shouldn't be overlooked."

Regardless of if or when a Vong was acquired, Plagueis would need a new location for his experiments. The loss of Sojourn was unfortunate, but there were several places on Coruscant alone where he might be able to set up a new facility. The LiMerge Building in the Works district was one such option, however, that would be placing it near other critical facilities, and centralising the Sith operations.

"If the Vong are probing our defences, perhaps we might return the favour." Plagueis raised an eyebrow, wondering what Sidious was thinking. "Master C'baoth has spoken rather passionately about a desire to seed colonies in the Unknown Regions. The effort will require significant capital, but allow us, with the right investments, to use this expedition to determine if the Vong are active in the Unknown Regions, or if, as Shan believes, they come from across the galactic void."

Plagueis ran through the scenario in his head. C'baoth was now, with Dooku seemingly no longer an option, the prime candidate to act as the figurehead of an Outer Rim insurgency against the Republic. C'baoth didn't have Dooku's gravitas or flair, but he had a way with words and people that would ensure others rallied to him regardless of the cause.

This expedition C'baoth wished for was a folly, but one that could, if used properly, ensure the removal of a substantial number of Jedi before the Grand Plan entered the endgame. Still, if it was supported, plans would have to be enacted to ensure C'baoth was removed from the vessel before it left Republic space. From there, it could be used to explore the Unknown Regions, however, any outposts it set up would have to be removed when the project outlived its usefulness.

"There may be some value in this project. I doubt C'baoth would take much convincing to expand the scope of it to include a larger contingent of Jedi and exploration and research components. Even if, as I suspect, it failed to make contact with the Vong, an enlarged mission would mean more Jedi could be removed when we inevitably end it. The largest issue though is ensuring we do not sacrifice C'baoth with it." Plagueis nodded. "Reach out to C'baoth and arrange a meeting between us."

"Yes, Master."

"I will take the reports and files Shan has provided and provide them to trusted sources for examination. I'll also enquire for information on all species that either use organic or bio-mechanical technology or are, in some way, immune to the Force. While the Yinchorri have been removed from the board, we cannot discount that a race like them, or the Vong themselves, might not emerge to interfere with the Plan at a critical juncture. "

"And what of Shan?"

"We will continue as we have. Monitoring his movements and actions and continuing to provide an outlet for any resentment he feels toward the Jedi. I suspect he might choose to move his funds now that he knows I am aware of them, however, contingencies are in place to monitor any significant outflow credits and the creation of new accounts with accounts of similar amounts. It is clear that even if he doesn't understand what, he senses change on the horizon. With the right word in his ear at the right moment or the correct reveal of certain information, he can be guided as we need to ensure the Jedi and Republic fall."

Sidious nodded in understanding and Plagueis stood. He left the study and office steadily, his Sun Guard falling into step around him. While they were new, Plagueis was assured that unlike their predecessors they would not commit the same mistakes that led to their forerunners' death when Sojourn was attacked and destroyed.

Still, it should only be a few short years until Palpatine became chancellor. When he did, and named Hego Damask as his primary advisor and co-Chancellor, there would be little any could do to stop them from bringing the Grand Plan into its final stages.

Soon the Republic would burn, and from its ashes, a new Sith Empire would rise. One ruled by himself and Sidious.

… …
(Sidious' POV)
Sidious watched Plagueis depart, keeping his mind calm and centred. Once he was alerted to Damask's transport leaving the Senate, he returned to his office and frowned.

Plagueis hadn't mentioned how Cameron would be used, but it was clear to Sidious that Plagueis was considering Cameron for his own devices. This, Sidious would not allow.

While Cameron was young, his potential, if worthy, would be Sidious' alone to harness. First, though, he would have to be tested. Perhaps during the blockade of Naboo. If, as Sidious expected, Gunray was forced to invade the planet, there was little doubt in Sidious' mind that Cameron would intervene, regardless of what the Jedi Council ordered. From there, it would be a simple matter of ensuring Maul was deployed to Naboo and Sidious would have them tested to determine who was worthy of being his apprentice.

As for Plagueis, while Cameron's actions had brought his master out of his seclusion, the last moments of Plagueis' life were drawing near, though Sidious did wonder if that moment was now further away than it would've been without Cameron's intervention. Still, the day would come, be it in one year, five or ten, when Plagueis would have served his purpose. From then on, Bane's Rule of Two would give way to a new order: the Rule of One.

… …

… …
A/N: Alternate name for this chapter: Deal with the Devils
...
This story is crossposted on Fanfiction.net, Archive of our Own, and Royal Road.
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USSExplorer · Aug 16, 2023

A/N:
As always, thanks to those helping me write and plan out this story and checking it for continuality and logic errors.

This chapter was released at least 2 weeks ago to my Patreons (with them seeing a draft version around 2 months ago) and on the story's Discord server (in GDoc form) about a week ago.
Links for both are at the end of the chapter.
Hopefully, all the little mistakes have been found and removed.

Current Date: READ THE TITLE (LOL)

The Calm Before the Menace
… …

As my eyes wandered away from the sycophantic gathering of nobles, diplomats, and dignitaries, I found myself staring in awe at the intricate and majestic ceiling above. The exquisite painting and artistic style of the architecture reminded me of the grandeur and elegance of the Sistine Chapel. However, this was far more magnificent, making it a fitting venue to commemorate the crowning of Naboo's new monarch.

Those present were watching as various people of importance – both from within and without the sector – approached the throne to offer Queen Amidala congratulations and often a gift in recognition of her reign. The ceremony to crown her had taken several hours in the main square of Theed, though thankfully the sun had been out all day without it ever feeling hot, and now those of status were in the Celebration Hall, which was built to commemorate the founding of the colony on the planet several millennia ago.

The parade through the streets of Theed that led up to the formal coronation on the steps of the Royal Palace was a joyous one. Everyone seemed welcoming of their new queen, and thanks to Observe, I knew many were happy to finally see King Veruna gone and replaced. Hope and expectation emanated from everywhere, and I did my best to hide concerns about how that hope would be shattered inside of a year by the Trade Federation. Now, there were a few who were concerned about Padmé's age, but they were in the small minority, and even they were joyful and hopeful.

Padmé was wearing a long, regal, red gown that bore a striking similarity to the one she'd worn when the Trade Federation had blockaded and invaded the world, so I assumed red was a colour the Naboo associated with royalty. While the gown was fine, the headdress – made from the tail feathers of a local bird of prey called a Twirrl – was distracting, and I was glad that now she was sitting on a throne greeting her well-wishers that she wasn't wearing it. Yet as much as I disliked the headdress, I couldn't help my smile knowing the lightfoil I'd gifted her when she'd become Princess of Theed was given a place of importance at her hip. Something I felt her advisors weren't overly happy about, but it pleased me to see that she valued my gift.

Of course, I had to remind myself that no matter how much she looked like how she had in the Phantom Menace, unlike the actress who'd played her, Padmé was only a child. Yes, at fourteen she was considered an adult by the Naboo – and Mandalorians – but she was under the Republic age of Responsibility of 16, and until she was twenty-one, her parents decided what she could or couldn't do. Though I suspected that last part was void now that Padmé was queen.

The other issue was that, as much as I liked her, and I knew she liked me, I was involved with someone. While Serra was accepting of what I shared with Bo – and, I felt, interested in experiencing the redhead for herself – Padmé wasn't someone that had come up during our talks – be they serious or joking – about others around us. Though I did find it amusing that Naz, Sia-Lan, Aayla and Rachi's names all came up during those discussions.

Beside me, Fenrir shifted, which failed to draw much response from those around us. Still, as I was positioned far to the back of the hall with Fenrir out of sight of the throne intentionally, and since this was further from the more important dignitaries, it meant those nearby had to stand closer than any would've liked to the hulking beast at my side. Only the fact I wore a lightsaber and that two Naboo guards stood behind me prevented a mass panic from breaking out. Still, even with that, and Palpatine's express approval to allow us to be present, I was using Force Cloak to conceal Fenrir and Force Persuasion to convince others to mind their distance. It wasn't perfect, but it had calmed the ripples of fear that had radiated out when we'd first entered the hall.

Palpatine, who had insisted I attended the ceremony, had wanted me to have a position of prominence near the throne, however, I'd declined. This was Padmé's day, and I didn't want either myself or Fenrir distracting from that. Still, I would eventually be moved to join the line to offer congratulations as Palpatine had insisted I do so, and I felt no need to argue against it. Though I couldn't deny the reactions of those watching, seeing a Jedi and Tuk'ata as large as any man step close to the new Queen was something I was looking forward to. Almost as much as I was looking forward to Padmé's reaction to my presence.

As I continued to watch, a young male – perhaps around Padmé's age – approached the throne. He dropped to a knee, which was an odd choice as few of those who'd come before had done so, and held up a box that, with some Force-assisted sight, I saw was very intricately carved. The boy appeared nervous as a man moved from the side of Padme's throne to stand next to him. I couldn't hear what the man was saying clearly since I was so far away from the throne on purpose and wasn't willing to use the Force to boost my hearing. While the hall was generally quiet, when I'd done that before, I'd been bombarded by comments from others in the hall. None had been particularly loud, but it had been unnecessarily annoying.

"Kun Lago, former Prime Counsellor of King Veruna, and his son, Ian." I stiffened as Palpatine whispered the details from behind my shoulder. I hadn't sensed his approach even when I wasn't entirely focused on Padme and those around me. That was a clear sign of how easily he could hide his presence. "No doubt he hopes to regain some of his former glory with our new Queen."

"If the rumours about Veruna's corruption are true, I don't see that happening. Hells, I'm honestly surprised he hasn't been brought in for questioning."

Palpatine chuckled as I turned to face him. "While I'm sure that has happened, he and the former king have enough supporters remaining, that any investigation would be squashed before the details could reach the public."

I grunted and glanced back to see a guard take the box from Ian even as Padmé spoke to Kun. "Hmm, in that case, might I suggest the new queen grants him a position? One that involves managing Theed's sanitation needs."

Palpatine's smile grew. "While it would certainly be a worthy appointment, I fear the new queen is less vindictive than we would be in her position. A trait that has helped her rapidly rise to the throne. That and adding someone with Kun's reputation to her cabinet, even in such a suitable position, would undermine confidence in her government before it could begin."

I nodded, accepting his words even though I noted he'd not replied to my comment about Veruna. I had little doubt he knew where many of the bodies were buried and had likely – through people like Sate Prestige – made sure those bodies were found at opportune moments to undermine Veruna. Just as I had little doubt he'd helped subtly to ensure the seemingly malleable Padmé could assume the throne not long before he brought about the blockade and invasion of Naboo.

"The boy appeared nervous," I remarked as he guided me and Fenrir – who he never seemed bothered by, but also avoided bringing up – toward one side of the hall. "Is his father hoping to seek a betrothal for the queen?"

The Senator stopped and placed a hand on my shoulder, ignoring the faint growl that action brought forth from Fenrir. On some level, I suspected that the tuk'ata could sense something off about the hidden Sith, though I never brought it up. Not after communicating, as best I could, with Fenrir and making him understand that I knew Palpatine was trouble, but that I needed to stay close to him, for now, to avoid him suspecting I knew his true intentions.

"Kun might well seek such an alliance; however, I am certain the queen would reject the overture." He smiled warmly. "I suspect Queen Amidala, if she were to pursue a consort, has already set her eyes upon another."

"Said suitor would be a lucky man."

Palpatine nodded and then turned, his hand sliding from my robes. As he moved, I glanced at the place he'd touched. No obvious device was present, but I'd still check the robes later to be sure. Now, I didn't expect him to ever be so open, but I wasn't discounting him, or someone working for him, might try to bug or track me. Thus, I'd made it obvious at times – around him and others – that I checked my robes for such things. Most felt I was being paranoid, but just because I was, didn't mean people wouldn't try to track me.

Palpatine led me and Fenrir toward a small door. There, a guard tensed as he saw Fenrir approach, but said nothing as he pressed what looked like an ID tag against the door. As it silently slid open, he stepped to one side and allowed us to enter without incident. The door closed behind us, leaving us in a darkened, narrow corridor that was only illuminated by coloured light strips along the wall.

As I was guided through the corridor and others, I took in the various strips of light that seemed to take different paths, guiding those who used the tunnels to different locations without any signposts. It was an ingenious and effective layer of security that I had not anticipated from the peaceful Naboo. As we passed by larger intersections, I noticed guards stationed at strategic points and several servants and droids bustling around, tending to their duties. Despite our presence, only the mouse droids scurried out of our way, while even Fenrir's appearance from the shadows failed to elicit any reaction from the other individuals. It was as though we were invisible, and our movements went unnoticed.

Eventually, the path we were following – a light purple strip – reached an end. With practised ease, Palpatine ran his hand over a section of the wall and a door slid open. I blinked, caught off slightly by the shift in brightness, and when it passed, I saw we'd arrived at a part of the line waiting to greet Padmé. Thanks to having already walked the hall the day before – while it was quiet and Padmé was busy with other preparations so she wouldn't know I was present – I'd formed a map of it, as such I knew we were no more than a hundred metres from her.

When I'd initially agreed to Palpatine's idea of attending the coronation, I'd wanted to remain in the shadows until the banquet tonight. However, the Senator had been insistent that I announce myself no later than in this hall. To do otherwise, he claimed, would be a grievous insult to her and the people of Naboo.

Several people, both those waiting in line and their attendants, turned our way as we emerged. None reacted to the presence of the Senator and a Jedi, though most did when Fenrir emerged. I was still using Force Persuasion to calm everyone, but the sudden emergence of a nearly two-metre-tall beast from a hidden passage unnerved many. Several guards moved closer, only stopping when Palpatine raised a hand.

"Here," he said as he indicated a slot in the line. As I moved closer the man there bowed and shifted away, allowing me to take the spot. Clearly, he'd been standing to reserve my spot and I wondered how many other guests had someone do that for them. "While I understand you'd prefer to join the line later, none can approach the queen until they pass the final security checkpoint." He turned and indicated a wide arch where a dozen guards were stationed. I could sense two more on each side, manning laser-cannons that were hidden behind closed windows.

"Thank you, Senator," I said as I lowered my head.

"But of course, Master Jedi," he replied, which drew the attention of several nearby. Something he no doubt intended as it would likely look good for him to be associated with a Jedi friendly to the new queen.

Behind me, I heard someone move, only for Fenrir to turn. A quiet but high-pitched squeak escaped from there before I heard footsteps of someone rapidly moving away. Palpatine glanced passed me and chuckled. "I wonder if I might one day borrow your companion. I feel having him with me would allow me to avoid the worst of those wishing to monopolise my time in the Senate."

I chuckled and shook my head. "While Fenrir would certainly help with that, I fear how he would react having to deal with those who frequent the halls of power in the Republic.

Palpatine glanced at Fenrir and a faint smile, one that hinted at malevolence slipped onto his face. "Yes, as amusing as imagining such a scenario is, it would be unwise to allow it to happen. Still, one can but dream." While most would ignore the smile, thinking he was simply enjoying the dark humour of my remark, I felt it might well be a hint of his true self showing through. Though I had no proof of that. "I must leave you here. When you arrive at the throne, I will be on hand to deflect some of the queen's attention."

"Until then."

With a nod, he moved off and I waited. It took about twenty minutes to reach the security checkpoint, with the guards there tensing the closer I and Fenrir got. Once it was our turn to pass through the checkpoint, the two that were directly checking guests tensed and gripped their rifles tighter as they approached.

"Sir, your, uh, beast…"

I grinned knowingly while casually parting my robes, revealing the gleaming lightsaber at my side. "Fenrir stands as my loyal companion, bound to my in the Force. His fangs are reserved solely for those harbouring malicious designs against me. The Jedi Council allows his presence, as do Senator Palpatine and Queen Amidala—though she remains unacquainted in person as of yet." Slipping an identification chit to the guard, I watched as it was scanned. The other sentinel inched closer, halted abruptly—much like the scanning guard—when Fenrir emitted a discontented growl. "Patience, Fenrir. They are merely doing their jobs; even if their intentions soured, this would not be where they'd mount an assault." Fenrir advanced, nudging my shoulder with his powerful head, nudging me into motion. To regain my balance, I adjusted my stance, scratching his chin with the hand that bore the lightsaber. "Indeed, once this affair concludes, a brisk run would likely do us some good." Fenrir exhaled in approval, coinciding with the return of my identity chit from the guard's grasp.

"You are free to pass, Master Jedi."

I nodded my thanks, hiding my amusement at the fear wafting off him and walked through the checkpoint, entirely unconcerned with the dozen blasters levelled at Fenrir and myself. If they even thought about attacking, they'd be lucky to survive Fenrir's response let alone mine. To say nothing of the bollocking Palpatine and Padmé would certainly give them.

As we emerged through the checkpoint and came into view of the masses, a small commotion started. I placed my hand on Fenrir's side and smiled at the crowds. "Easy Fenrir. They're just afraid of you. As they should be." He snorted in agreement. "If you behave, then I'll see if you might be allowed to hunt a native beast." Even if he didn't lift his head and expose his teeth in an animalistic grin, I'd know he was excited by the chance to prove himself against the local predators. His desire to be the alpha, to dominate all challengers, resonated through the Force.

Sensing surprise from a familiar presence, I turned to the throne and saw locked eyes with Padmé. Her eyes were slightly wider than normal, though there was no other outward hint that she was shocked to see me and Fenrir. After getting over the surprise, she returned her attention to the lady speaking to her. One who'd seemingly stumbled over her words after Fenrir's emergence into the light of the hall.

After waiting for about fifteen minutes, it was finally my turn to approach the throne. I could sense Padmé's growing interest and curiosity as I neared her. As I climbed the steps to greet her, Fenrir wisely remained below, knowing that any sudden movements might provoke Captain Panaka and the others to open fire. Just then, Palpatine emerged from the shadows and stepped into view. "Your Majesty, may I have the honour of introducing Jedi Knight Cameron Shan. Though, given his companion, I suspect you were already aware of his presence for some time." The people around us chuckled nervously as I knelt a few steps below the throne, awaiting Padmé's response.

"Yes, I had observed their approach for the last few minutes," Padmé replied regally. "I believe when we last spoke, you told me you would be unable to attend."

I stood and smiled at her. "I beg your forgiveness, my queen. The Senator was able to convince me to alter my plans, though he at least agreed with keeping my presence hidden until the last possible moment so as to not distract others during your glorious celebration."

Padmé remained stoic in her seat, not outwardly letting on how she felt. However, thanks to the Force I could sense her delight at me referring to her as my queen, and amusement at my reasoning.

"I see." She turned her head to Palpatine, who looked resplendent in his Senatorial robes. "Normally I would be concerned about you keeping secrets from me Senator; however, in this case, I accept your reasoning. Nor do I deny that seeing Knight Shan again is an unexpected delight."

"Your Majesty." Palpatine bowed deeply as he accepted her comment.

"I see that you weren't lying when you spoke of Fenrir's size," Padmé said, looking beyond us toward Fenrir. "While I have seen him through Holocalls, laying eyes on him in person is another matter entirely."

I chuckled and glanced back at Fenrir, who as if knowing he was the centre of attention, lifted his head high and turned just enough to expose his spinal crests. In particular, the one he'd lost on Zonama Sekot. "Tuk'ata are not normal creatures, my queen. They are as connected to the Force as a Jedi, and it enables them to grow rapidly." Fenrir shook his head and then locked eyes on the queen. "He is but a pup yet already fully grown, or so the Council hopes."

Several chuckled, though there was still a nervous undercurrent as I turned back to Padmé. "Ah, yes. I almost forgot." Slowly I reached into my robes. "The Senator informed me that a gift was customarily given to a new monarch upon their ascension." I tilted my head toward her as I continued. "While finding a gift that would surpass your lightfoil on short notice was difficult, more so that it might be misinterpreted as a gift of courtship," I sensed a rush of embarrassment and desire from her as I spoke, "I do hope this meets with your satisfaction."

I pulled a small box from my robes and handed it to Palpatine. He took it and brought it toward Padmé. As he opened the box, she inhaled sharply, as did several of her handmaidens. One of her hands twitched as if she would make a move to take the necklace, but that was the only physical reaction she made.

"It is beautiful, Master Jedi. Might I inquire about its design?"

My smile widened as I replied. "Based on your love of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, I had it made in the design of the Evenstar. If Your Majesty might recall, it was…"

"...The necklace Arwen gifted Aragorn before he set off with the Fellowship."

I nodded as Padmé finished the description. I had considered gifting her a copy of the first book in the KOTOR trilogy as that was due to release in a few months, but I'd decided against it, choosing some from the Lord of the Rings given Padmé's love of that series. "Yes, though this one is framed around a pearl taken from a greater krayt dragon, your majesty."

"I hadn't realised a Jedi could afford such a gift," Palpatine commented calmly.

"Knight Shan killed one on Tatooine several years ago as a Padawan," Padmé replied as I realised Palpatine's ploy. He was feigning ignorance to bring up that not only was the gift personal, but I had killed the krayt dragon personally. By associating with me and Padmé like this, I suspected he was securing his position even further. "Something done without the use of the Force or his lightsaber."

"Ah yes, forgive me for forgetting, Your Majesty," Palpatine remarked as he closed the box. "I find it hard to dwell on how close our young Jedi came to dying during that trial." Padmé's eyes followed the action, making clear she liked the gift, though she made no move to take it now. From what I'd seen, she'd not touched any gift directly, so to accept it like that would break decorum. And possibly, start rumours about us. "Even knowing he survived, I feel as if my heart has stopped whenever the memory returns."

"An understandable reaction, Senator. And one I admit to having shared." Padmé finally dragged her eyes from the box and returned them to me. "I thank you for the gift, Master Jedi, and hope we might speak more at the banquet this evening."

"I'm at your service, Your Majesty," I replied with a bow. When I came up, even if she had to keep a smile off her face, I could see the delight dancing in her eyes.

With nothing more to say, I turned and walked down, patting Fenrir once next to him again. As we walked away, I ignored the gazes coming our way. They could be impressed, shocked, jealous or infuriated all they wanted. I knew none would make a move against me. Not now or at the banquet. That little display that Palpatine had on showed that he, Padmé and I were on friendly terms. Something I knew he'd used to his advantage.

Still, since he'd created the link, I'd have to do the same. While most people here held little long-term value, gaining connections with people like Panaka and Padmé's handmaidens would be beneficial soon. Though I hoped that the banquet tonight wouldn't be as extravagant and long as the ones I'd endured on Zygerria. I'd take a whole-in-the-wall cantina, a few shots of Mandalorian ale, and good company over galas and government functions any day.

… …

… …

Later that day, after the banquet had ended, I found myself walking around the palace. Padmé had insisted that I stay the night inside the palace, and after accepting, I'd returned to Theed's spaceport and flown Raven into a private hangar. Ironically, it seemed to be the same one Naboo fighters had launched from in the Phantom Menace. The short trip with Raven had allowed me to check up on Simvyl, and Fenrir. The Cathar hadn't been interested in being at my side during the festivities, preferring the peace and quiet of Raven, and while the banquet tonight had been better than those on Zygerria, I felt he'd gotten the better end of the stick. As had Fenrir who I'd decided against bringing to the event on the chance someone made the mistake of irritating him and thus lost a limb.

As I neared my assigned quarters, a guard stepped into my path. Sensing no ill-intent from him, even though his hand rested on his blaster, I made no move for my lightsaber, though I still made note of the dozen other beings within fifty metres of us. The closest one stepped out to join the guard, revealing themselves to be a servant.

"Master Jedi," the servant began, being far more relaxed than the guard. "Her Majesty wishes to speak with you privately." It took me a moment to realise the servant was likely Sabé, one of Padmé's handmaidens. Sabé's eyes were filled with curiosity as she waited, though it was hard to make out her full face as it was hidden by a hood that left shadows dancing over her features.

"Of course." Sabé turned and I followed her into a side passage. Like the ones in the hall from earlier today, it was unmarked save for the light strips. The guard fell into step behind me, his posture making clear he was still tense.

"May I know your name?" I asked as a door closed off the passage behind us.

"I'm Sabé," she replied without turning, confirming my suspicion. In less than a year, she would be at Padmé's side when the Trade Federation invasion and, in the canon timeline at least, had stood in as her decoy on several occasions. Hopefully, that level of subterfuge wouldn't be needed with my presence, but I was still relieved to learn she was at Padmé's side. "Might I know your full name, Master Jedi?"

I smiled slightly, though she couldn't see that as she led me down the darkened corridor. "Cameron Shan, but my friends, of which I hope you might one day be, call me Cam." As I'd expected, Sabé seemed to pause mid-step. It only lasted a second, but that was enough to confirm that Padmé had spoken about me to others.

After that, we moved in silence through the corridor, following a pale blue strip until it ended. There, a door slid open, and we emerged into a new corridor. I could sense a dozen beings nearby as we emerged, though only four were visible. Those four stood outside a set of large doors. Like much of the decoration in this corridor, the doors were overly ornate, verging on ostentatious. This didn't seem like Padmé's style, so I assumed this was left over from Veruna and Padmé hadn't yet had time to redecorate.

"The queen has requested the presence of the Jedi," Sabé said as she led me toward the large doors. Two of the guards looked me over carefully while one at the rear shifted, bringing his arm closer to his face. I could see the light of a small display flare to life as he examined something upon it.

"He's clean," the guard said, which had the others relax.

The four stepped to the sides, allowing Sabé and me access to the large doors. She pressed against the door, her fingers moving to enter a code, and a moment later the doors swung open. Once we were inside, the doors pulled closed, leaving us standing in an open antechamber. There was a large table with freshly cut flowers and a bowl of fruit in the centre, along with a jug and four ceramic cups, that had a half-dozen comfortable-looking chairs around it. Doors led off in three directions, though I suspected that only the double one directly in front of us, given their size, led to the royal chamber.

Seeing we were alone, Sabé turned and pulled back her hood, smiling as she looked me over. That let me see her face clearly for the first time, confirming she matched what I remembered from the movie. And since I knew the actress' name, I knew what she'd likely look like as she aged. "Master Jedi, might I ask, but are you the Cam that Padmé has so often spoken of?"

I smiled at the question. I reached past her and picked up a cup, taking a sip once I realised it contained water. "And which Cam would this be?" I replied, taking a step toward her.

"The Cam she spoke of meeting several years ago during the evacuation of the Shadda-bi-Borans," Sabé responded with a smirk. "The one she claims is the author of the Lord of the Rings trilogy of holonovels as well. The one Padmé speaks of when…"

"Sabé!"

Padme's call cut off whatever little secret the handmaiden was about to reveal and drew my attention to the doors to the royal chamber. Padmé was there, having exited a moment before, without any of the gaudy clothing her station seemed to demand. Instead, she wore an apparently simple, yet no doubt expensive, gown over what appeared to be her sleepwear. "I asked you to bring him here, not place him under interrogation."

Sabé curtseyed. "Forgive me, Your Highness. I was simply curious about your interest in the Jedi, and then learnt his name matched that of the one you…"

"Sabé!" Padmé called out for the second time within a minute. She looked at me, some panic evident in her eyes. "I... I'm sorry for her behaviour. She's got this idea that…"

I held up my hand, stopping Padmé before she finished. "It's fine, Padmé. Truthfully, I feel better knowing those around you know the real you, and not Queen Amidala. It eases my concerns about you being in danger from those who might try to exploit a new, young monarch." Sabé's smile grew as I spoke, which caused Padmé to blush. I turned back to the handmaiden. "While I don't know what it was the queen cut you off from saying, I am the author of those novels. And the series of holomovies that are in production." Both girls perked up at hearing that, indicating that Sabé was just as much a fan of the trilogy as Padmé was. "However, I'd prefer that little nugget stays between us."

"Yes, yes," Padmé replied absently, a smile spreading over her face. "Sabé, you may leave us."

Sabé, a smile also on her face, glanced between me and Padmé. "With respect, Your Highness, I am to always remain by your side." She fixed her eyes on me as her smile evolved into a grin. "Even when your thoughts are on things with less than pure intent."

"Sabé!" That was all Padmé managed to get out as she gawked at her handmaiden. For my part, I simply chuckled and shook my head. "Cam!" I shrugged in response, not willing to risk speaking and somehow making this more embarrassing for the young queen.

Padmé took a few deep breaths. While those calmed her, they did nothing for her rosy cheeks. "Sabé, please leave us. If I cannot feel safe with a Jedi at my side, then how could I with anyone else?"

"Your Highness." Sabé curtseyed again, though as she stood, she fixed me with a glance that made clear she knew what I was thinking. She was wrong, though only for the next few years. I watched as she walked away, though toward one of the smaller side doors. No doubt, those led to the handmaiden's quarters. Something confirmed by two female heads that popped into view as Sabé stepped into the room.

"And close the door behind you!" Padmé called out, though her attention was on me and not her handmaiden. If it was, she'd have seen the door fail to close as something blocked it from closing, allowing those on the other side to watch discreetly. While that might have been because of simple curiosity about me and Padmé, I felt it was more to do with watching the queen even when she didn't wish to be watched. That thought calmed my nerves regarding her safety over what was no more than half a year away.

"So," Padmé began, drawing my attention from her handmaidens to her. She took a step toward me, only to stop as she craned her neck to look up at me. After blinking, she took a step back. "have you been well?"

"Very well," I replied with a shrug. I nodded at the table, and the chairs around it, and after a nod from her, escorted her into one of the chairs. "Had a few adventures, lost one starship, gained another. Made some new friends, said goodbye to others and fought more battles," I explained as I sat next to her.

As I sat, she pulled her chair close. Her hand then moved toward my face. "Yes, I can see that." Her fingers brushed aside some of my hair and then traced the scar, over my left eye, left by the Vong. "And I saw Fenrir's wound as well. He seemed… proud of it?"

"Tuk'ata are bred for war. Being wounded in battle and surviving is a good thing for them."

"And what else does he enjoy?" she asked as she pulled her fingers from my face, letting them drift down my arm.

"Battle or hunting are the only things that seem to calm him," I replied before chuckling. "He might settle if he found a mate, but he's not yet shown an interest in such things."

"And what about you?" I stared at Padmé. For her part, the blush grew stronger, and she imitated a fish for a few moments as she realised how what she'd said could be interpreted.

I placed my hand on hers, cutting off her flailing to find a way to escape her slip. "I find spending time with friends is a good way to unwind after a stressful situation. Such as spending all day dealing with people wanting something from you because of a promotion." She blinked as I spoke. "Congratulations on your ascension."

"Thank you." She turned away and reached for a cup of water.

"Of course, once I heard you were standing, I had faith you would win. So much in fact, I may have broken some minor Jedi rules and placed a wager on you winning. One that paid off and I'd now like to donate to the Refugee Relief Movement and a local charity of your choice."

The cup had frozen at her lips when I'd said I'd bet on her winning and hadn't moved since. "You really don't have to do that."

"No, but I want to. And it's harmless fun. Credits matter little to a Jedi." I bit off any mental retort about how much bullshit that was with around a billion credits in my name. I'd moved some to other accounts, under various aliases, though it was surprisingly hard to draw more than a few million from the account without having to deal with the IGBC. I doubted that was Plagueis' work, as stopping withdrawing the credits would be an odd move for an ally, but he certainly was made aware I was trying to withdraw and transfer the funds into other accounts. "Since I won, because of you, I might as well let you have some say in how they're used. So, who should I make the donation to?"

"T-the Naboo Children's Fund," she answered slowly. "They help young, underprivileged children to follow their dreams. Sabé was one helped by them." When she finished speaking, she took a sip of her water.

"Good. A half-million to each then," I commented just as she swallowed. As she coughed and spluttered I laughed. I expected this would defuse any lingering tension between us and was proved corrected when, after she stopped coughing, she slapped my arm.

"Cam!" Of course, the blow didn't hurt, and I kept laughing, which quickly diffused her anger, and soon she was chuckling along with me. "Are you certain?" She asked once the laughter had died down.

"Yes. What's the point of making a wager if there's not some risk involved?" I shot back, a wide smile on my face. Only part of those donations was coming from my winnings, the majority was coming from my funds. I had little doubt Padmé would mention this around people and Palpatine would hear word of it. When that got back to Plagueis, I hoped the Sith would think I'd used most if not all, the credits I'd withdrawn so far – around fifteen million. If they did, I'd have some leeway to use those credits off the books – as almost all of it was now stored in my Inventory – without them trying to track my actions. "So, when should I, oof!"

My question was cut off as Padmé leaned forward and onto her tiptoes, cutting off the distance between us, and pressed her lips against mine. As I tasted the faintest hint of something sweet on her lips, my brain froze.

When it unfroze, I cursed the fact my attempt to remove the tension had failed even as I felt myself begin to kiss her back. Thankfully, she pulled back before my hands could move as I feared they'd bring her closer instead of pushing her away. Before I could say anything, she blinked, slipped from her seat and then raced away.

I turned, watching as she pushed the large doors to her chamber open enough to slip through. As they closed, I caught sight of the large, luxurious bed within. When the doors closed behind her, with the Handmaiden's one following a second later, I facepalmed.

"Haar'chak!" I spat into my hand as it dragged down my face.

I'd hoped to avoid that happening, to distract her with the wager. Instead, it seemed that had been the final straw she'd needed to make her move. Oh, she was embarrassed that she had, but it had happened. If I could, I'd avoid seeing her again until she was a few years older, however with what was right around the corner, that wouldn't work. For so many reasons.

I stood, placing the mugs back next to the jug. "Thank you for the meeting, Your Majesty," I said loudly so my voice would carry to her, the handmaidens and the guards outside. "However, the hour is getting late, and I feel it unwise if I remain any longer. You undoubtedly have a busy day tomorrow and I need to return to Coruscant."

With my piece said to the empty room, I walked toward the main doors. With each step, I hoped what had happened here didn't ruin my friendship with her, and wondered how Serra would react when Padmé likely reached out to talk about this. I then grunted in annoyance as I realised that I'd have to explain this to Serra before Padmé called to avoid her reaction.

As I exited the antechamber, I wondered what Nar Shaddaa looked like this time of year.

… …

… …

A little over a week after Padme's coronation, I was back on Mtael's Gift. I'd left Naboo two days after the banquet, not having managed to speak to Padmé again, as she was busy being the leader of Naboo. While part of me did think she was avoiding me – which was enforced by the fact each time she looked my way I felt her embarrassment – it had allowed me time to scout out Theed. Palpatine himself had given me the formal tour, no doubt using the fact he was close to a Jedi who Queen Amidala was friends with to further his reputation with the locals while attempting to worm deeper into my trust.

After that, I'd left Naboo and travelled a little, taking my time before arriving in the ShaDo system. When I'd arrived, I discovered they'd just completed another successful raid against a minor Hutt on Makeb. Thus, last night there'd been a feast that celebrated the freedom of new members of the community. There I'd discovered that most of the freed slaves had been pleasure slaves, and as the night had worn on, and tales of my actions in founding and supporting the Lokella were told, I drew the attention of many of the newly freed slaves. While most were polite in their thanks, a pair of Zeltron twins felt I deserved a more personal reward.

With my thoughts focused on Padmé and Naboo, I'd turned them down, though that hadn't stopped the pair from trying their best to bed me. If not for the Interface activating Player's Mind automatically to block their pheromones, I doubt I'd have been able to resist. The pair were fucking gorgeous. Yet I had resisted, though only by leaving the feast before the drink flowed too much.

Because of the feast, the corridors of the station were quieter than usual. Those that had assignments were going about them but most of the other inhabitants of the station were seemingly sleeping off the effects of the night before. That was useful as it gave me time to take a slow, leisurely walk toward the Skywalker's cabin, which was my reason for stopping here on my way to Mandalore.

On Mandalore I planned to bring HK back to full functionality, or as close as my mediocre skills would allow. I'd already spoken to Bo via the Holonet about the project, and she was excited. Though that might also be because I'd revealed that I was now with Serra. No doubt the red-haired warrior wanted details, and probably wished to learn when she could have her chance at my fellow Jedi. Still, Bo was happy I was bringing Anakin along with me for HK's rebirth. As much as she might deny it, she had a sweet spot for the kid - a fact I enjoyed teasing her about whenever Anakin had come up in conversation between us. I doubted Bo wanted children as of yet, but I also knew she'd make a great mother. At least in terms of allowing kids the freedom to learn by doing, even if that meant making mistakes along the way.

"And here I thought this morning's walk would be wasted."

I paused mid-stride at the sensual, almost musical voice that floated toward me from my right. As I turned, I saw Surmi, one of the Zeltron twins leaning against the wall. While she wasn't actively trying to show off her frame – at least I didn't feel she was – the way she rested did little to hide her impressive figure or assets.

"Surmi, I figured you and your sister would've found someone to warm your sheets at the party," I spoke softly with a smile, letting her know I wasn't bothered if she had.

Surmi chuckled and pushed off the wall, drawing my sight to her chest as it swayed in the tight shirt she wore. One that was unbuttoned just enough to reveal a tempting amount of cleavage. "We did. Our night was enjoyable, and our companions were enthusiastic. Syshe is still sleeping off our escapades, however, I find my thoughts continually drawn to just what a Jedi might be capable of. Even as slaves, stories of the prowess of Jedi in battle had reached our ears and I cannot escape wondering if such prowess extends beyond the battlefield. Preferably to actions that are far more pleasurable for all involved." Each step she took toward me had her hips swaying evocatively and even if she was limiting how active her pheromones were, I could feel myself reacting to her presence.

"As I said last night, while the offer is incredibly tempting, another holds a place of importance in my heart. As much as I'm sure we'd both enjoy time together, I'm unsure how she would feel about me bedding someone as beautiful as you. Especially as we've only just met."

Surmi's smile grew as she moved closer and placed a single finger against my chest. She wasn't short, but I still towered over her, forcing me to look down and making it hard to avoid my eyes wandering to the opening in her shirt. "This other means much to you, does she?"

"She does. More so than I suspect the Jedi Council would approve of," I replied with a smile coming to my face as I thought of Serra. Though thoughts of her were soon joined by Bo.

"She is the one the others talk of. The female Mandalorian?"

"No. Bo and I separated due to our paths parting," though I knew our paths would soon cross again. Serra knew this too, and while I'd sensed some trepidation from her over me reuniting with Bo, for the most part, she was accepting of it. Even going so far as to say she was happy if I slept with Bo again. While she didn't say anything else, I felt her curiosity and desire flare for a moment when she said that, making me wonder if Bo was right about Serra being just as attracted to females as she was to males. Or at least to me.

Surmi blinked and tilted her head. "The Mandalorian is comfortable with this?"

"Yes, as is the other. Both know each other, and I think, perhaps, they might like each other as well."

Surmi chuckled and ran her finger down my chest, letting the contours of my skin guide her path. "Then you are very lucky. As are they to be able to enjoy you." Her finger stopped just above my waist, and she stood on her tiptoes. "If they are amenable," she whispered into my ear, "my sister and I would be more than willing to join all three of you for however long you'd take us." As she finished, her lips brushed against my cheek.

I stayed still as she pulled back. The idea of her and her sister joining Bo, Serra and me in bed was… going to rattle around my head for some time to come. I knew Bo would take the offer without issue, but I doubted Serra would react well. Though, I did rather hope she'd be interested.

"Until later, Mtael," Surmi finished as she slipped past me, her fingers dragging over my side until she could no longer maintain contact. It took most of my self-control to not react to the way she made that title sound positively scandalous, and for the first time, I found I didn't mind being called that.

Turning, I watched her go, my eyes drawn to the way her hips moved, defying gravity with each step, until she slipped from view. "Fucking hell," I muttered to the empty corridor. I already had issues with Padmé – and possibly Sabé if the way she'd looked at me before I'd left Naboo was any indication – to sort out. Never mind the affection Miraj had shown me. "When did my life turn into a freaking love novel?"

After shaking my head, I resumed my walk toward the Skywalker's cabin, pushing aside thoughts of females that seemingly wanted to bed me and each other to one side. I really didn't need those bouncing around my head when I spoke to Anakin and his mother.

Once at their door, I pressed the buzzer. Since neither had stayed at the feast until late last night – not unless they'd returned after I'd left – they should be up. I could sense them inside, though as Anakin moved to the door, I frowned as Detection indicated someone else was inside.

"Who is it?"

I smiled, glad to see that Anakin wasn't just opening the door whenever someone buzzed. He was far too trusting and open with others, and I'd feared someone might take advantage of that – and of the clear fact I visited him whenever I stopped in the system – to target him and Shmi to get to me. "It's Cam."

The door was opened even before I finished, making me wonder if Anakin could sense it was me.

"Cam!" I barely had time to hear his excited call before he barrelled into me. Since he was only nine, that meant the hug was locked around my waist, trapping me. Thankfully, I'd know this was coming and braced for it.

"Good morning, Anakin. I hope I didn't wake you."

"No, we were just getting ready for breakfast," I looked into the cabin, failing to hide my shock at seeing Ferox standing in the main room in something akin to a toga and his hair was damp at the edges. "I suspect Anakin will insist you join us."

"Yes, come in!" Before I knew it, the boy had dragged me into the main room. While I was puzzled to find Ferox here, the former gladiatorial slave seemed amused.

"I'm… surprised to find you here at this hour," I said to Ferox even as Anakin tried to drag me to the sofa. No doubt he wanted to show me something he'd learnt while I was away. Normally, I'd let him, but the presence of the Corellian had my attention.

"Oh, Cameron. I hadn't realised you were going to come over." I turned, as did Ferox, to see Shmi step into the room. She was wearing a simple dress with a towel wrapped around her hair. "Please, won't you join us for breakfast?"

I looked over to the table and saw three places were already set. My eyes turned back to Ferox and Shmi as I put it together. "Ah, I'm sorry. I didn't realise you already had plans." I didn't know when, where, why, or how it had happened, but between my last visit to the station and now Shmi had gotten close to Ferox. Close enough that he was staying over, and Anakin seemed comfortable with it. That was certainly a surprise, but not one I was upset about, Anakin could use another positive male role model.

"You're always welcome," Shmi responded as she moved closer to Ferox, taking his hand in hers, confirming my suspicions. "If not for you, all of us here would either still be slaves or dead. To us, you are family."

I nodded my thanks, not finding the words to reply to such a statement. As I sat, I watched the pair. Ferox was headstrong and aggressive while Shmi was incredibly gentle and caring. It was an odd pairing, at least on the surface, but I sensed they did truly care for each other beyond simple infatuation. Nearby, Anakin pulled utensils out of a drawer that sunk into the wall for me. I smiled in thanks as he placed the plate, cup and cutlery on the table for me.

"If I might ask, how long have you been close?" I asked as Ferox held out the chair for Shmi to sit on.

"Around two months," Shmi replied as Ferox sat beside her, kissing the top of her head as he did so. The smile on his face was an odd one. I mean, I'd seen him smile before, but that had been when he'd been sparring or fighting. Then, there'd been an almost reckless abandon to him. This smile was soft and tender; an expression I never expected to see on his face.

"I had returned from an assault on a slave market two sectors away," Ferox said as he took over the story. "While we liberated most of the slaves, I was wounded in the fight. Shmi here watched over me for a week as the bacta healed my wounds, spending every meal with me so I wouldn't feel lonely."

Shmi smiled and leaned against Ferox's shoulder. "Once he was healed, and after one of his training sessions for Anakin and others his age, he came over and asked me to join him for a meal." Shmi's smile grew as she turned and looked up at Ferox. "From there, things developed quicker than I think either of us expected. It was Anakin here that first mentioned how happy I was with Ferox, and said how happy he was for me."

I smiled and ruffled Anakin's head upon hearing that. While the boy disliked my action, it gave me a moment to quickly consider this development. Obviously, by taking her from Tatooine, her eventual marriage to Cliegg Lars – and then death at the hands of Tusken Raiders – wasn't going to happen, so I couldn't consider this change a bad thing. Still, I'd have to speak with Anakin and others about Ferox, especially if Shmi was managing to smooth out his rougher, blunter edges.

As I returned my gaze to the loving couple, I felt something subtle shift in the Force. Curious, I used Observe on both and was surprised to see their feelings were genuine, that both were concerned I wouldn't approve and that the pair had an awkward conversation coming in a month or two. "I'm happy for both of you," I said, easing their nerves, "and wish you joy for what the future brings."

Both frowned, wondering at my choice of words, however neither could say anything as something pinged in the kitchen. As Shmi stood and moved to gather breakfast, I watched her go, processing that I now knew, thanks to Observe, that she was with child. While I suspected the child wouldn't have much, if any Force sensitivity – as neither parent did, and Anakin was an anomaly – their existence was going to affect Anakin dramatically. Any formal training at the Temple was now out as I knew the boy would reject going if it meant leaving his mother and sibling.

"Where have you been this time?" the boy asked, drawing me from my thoughts on the changes occurring to the timeline. I didn't need the Force to know he was excited to hear of my latest adventure.

"Nowhere exciting," I replied with a shrug before passing my plate to Shmi as she returned with a bowl. "I attended a diplomatic summit at the request of a Senator and then spent time in the Temple." I brushed over the details of events on Eriadu, and time spent with Serra simply because I didn't want to worry him. "Though before coming here, I attended a royal coronation." I didn't go into detail there as I didn't want him looking up Padmé on the Holonet. Ignoring that he might be fated to fall for her, if he knew of her now, then he might well try and somehow sneak there when Naboo was invaded. Plus, taking him would've placed him in Palpatine's sight, something I wanted to avoid for as long as possible.

"Wizard! What was that like?" He asked, barely managing to sit still even as Shmi placed food on his plate.

I chuckled at his behaviour and ruffled his hair once again. Though that did little to change his mood. "Honestly? Boring. Lots of pageantry, formality, and false politeness."

Ferox grunted. "Sounds awful."

I nodded as I put my fork into the food. "It had its moments," I countered. Of course, the main one that stuck in my thoughts wasn't one I wanted to dwell on.

From there on, we spoke of mundane matters over breakfast. Shmi and Ferox updated me on the size and strength of the Lokella – now numbering just under seventy thousand between the station, fleet, and colony below – while I let them know a few titbits of information about what was happening on Coruscant. Ferox offered some blunt – but, I could admit, appealing – ways to handle the more tedious Senatorial debates I'd watched, which made me chuckle. All the while Anakin tried to enter the conversation, asking questions about what I'd done and telling tales – sometimes tall ones – of his adventures on the station.

About thirty minutes later we finished the meal and I stood, collecting up my plates.

"You don't have to do that," Shmi commented with a gentle smile. "You're our guest."

"It's the least I can do for inviting me to join," I replied as I placed Anakin's plate on my own, and then took them and the cutlery over to the automated washer. Anakin tagged along, our cups in his hands. After that, I glanced at Shmi and then nodded my head toward Anakin.

"Anakin, go and wash and brush."

"Do I have to?" He whined. "I want to stay with Cam."

"I'll be here when you get back, I promise." He smiled at that and rushed through the main room. "If you rush though I won't take you out on Raven!" I added as the door to the washroom slid closed. With him gone, and after letting Ferox chuckle at my idle threat, I turned to Shmi,

"The boy loves flying almost as much as he loves taking things apart and rebuilding them," Ferox commented, making me smile. Anakin had a knack for technology, and a desire to understand it that few other sentients had. Something that would've existed even if he wasn't Force-sensitive. "Just as he does for combat training."

"I thought he wasn't allowed to join?" Shmi asked with a frown.

Ferox shrugged. "I told the instructors to keep him away, but he always finds a way into the training area. Besides," he continued with a shrug, "it's better he knows how to defend himself if the worst should happen." I nodded in agreement. While Ferox's style of fighting wouldn't suit him, especially once Anakin got a lightsaber, having a sound base was never a bad thing.

"Baalta promised me she'd keep him away," Shmi commented with a sigh and a shake of her head. "I sometimes fear that boy will be the death of me."

I kept thoughts of her canon death from my face. With her here now, beside Ferox, that fate had been averted. "Perhaps then, I might have a way to keep him from those classes and getting into trouble – which he no doubt does daily." Shmi's frown deepened, and I raised a hand. "I'm not asking to take him to the Temple. He will one day be trained, of that I'm certain. However, I feel, for now at least, he benefits more from spending time with his family." The main reason for not taking him to Naboo – Palpatine – was even more prevalent for taking him to the Jedi Temple.

There was also the fact that taking Anakin there would bring him to the attention of the High Council. They would, undoubtedly, be reluctant to let me train him, especially if they learnt his midi-chlorian count was higher than mine. Of course, if I didn't train him, that issue would be null and void. However, the only option I could see beyond me was Qui-Gon, but that needed Obi-Wan to be knighted, which only happened after he killed Maul. Dooku might be an option, but I had the distinct feeling that beyond sharpening up Anakin's lightsaber styles, my former Master had no interest in taking another Padawan.

"For several years now, I've had a droid head and brain in my possession. It belonged to my ancestor and Anakin, along with others, has been helping me design a new frame for the head. Since I plan to attach the head to the frame soon, I wondered if Anakin might wish to be there to see it happen."

"HK?" Shmi asked, making me glance toward the bathroom. "Anakin has talked animatedly about the droid. Particularly the stories the droid told to him, along with Bo-Katan, about its adventures with Revan." Shmi frowned, making me wonder how detailed Anakin had been in his retelling of HK's tales. Though beside her, I saw Ferox lean closer slightly, as if he was curious about these tales. Or perhaps he'd learnt some of my history and wanted to hear about Revan.

"Aye, he's… well, I guess I could say he's a family heirloom at this point," I remarked with a chuckle. "Since I'm a Jedi Knight, I have more leeway in what I can travel with, thus I want him up and around. So to speak." Plus, I wanted him at my side for the invasion, and not just so I could hear his commentary about battledroids. Missing out on that would be something I'd regret for the rest of my life. Along with introducing HK to R2-D2. I found the concept of releasing those two in an unsuspecting galaxy a way to lift even the deepest gloom.

Shmi looked at Ferox, though if she was hoping he'd be against things, she was disappointed when he nodded his support. After sighing she turned back to me, only for the door to the bathroom to open. "Anakin," she said without looking back, "Cameron has something to ask."

Anakin felt like a star going supernova in the Force with how much excitement and energy erupted from him. I knew the Interface diluted my connection to the force, but even with that, I was taken aback at the power that radiated from the young boy. "Anakin," I began once I'd recovered from his presence, "how would you…"

"Yes!" He shouted, cutting me off. "I want to be a Jedi!"

I blinked before shaking my head and laughing. Something I heard Ferox do as well. "No, Anakin. I'm not taking you as my Padawan or to the Temple. At least not yet," I added quickly as his mood fell. "No, what I wanted to ask is if you'd like to come with me to see HK come fully online?"

Any disappointment on his face vanished as I explained myself. "Yes!" He shouted, punctuating his excitement with a jump. Though as he landed, he paused and looked at Shmi. "Um, what about my mother?"

"Once HK's online, and we've put him through his paces," something I knew Bo would take immense pleasure in doing, "I'll bring you back home. I just felt you'd want to be there with Bo and me when HK came online."

He nodded, the smile on his face brightening the entire room. Somehow it grew wider when I mentioned Bo. "Wait… you mean we're going to Mandalore?" I nodded even as I saw Shmi tense. "Wizard!" Anakin jumped again. "I'll go pack." Without waiting, he turned and ran toward his room even as I returned my focus to his mother.

"Will he be safe? I mean, I know their war is over, but from all I've heard it's a dangerous place."

I chuckled. "No more so than many places in the Outer Rim." Ferox nodded in agreement. "Besides, something I've intentionally kept from most is that Bo's father is Duke Adonai Kryze. After the war, he and Duke Torrhen Ordo control the sector, and both consider me an ally."

I was a little surprised that neither had moved to become Mand'alor, as with the defeat of Death Watch – bar whatever Pre Vizsla was able to save – and Duke Varaud, they had the power and influence to claim the title. Perhaps neither felt taking the title was worth the renewed chaos it would bring or had other reasons to not do so. Regardless, I was glad they hadn't as it would place Serra and me in the awkward position of having to choose between the Order and Manda'yaim. I was semi-certain of which way I'd go, but I couldn't be sure of Serra, and wouldn't want her making a choice to please me.

Focusing back on the present, I noted that Ferox seemed interested, and I wondered if he'd want to visit with us. Mandalorians had started returning to the station since the war ended to help train the Lokella and he'd undoubtedly sparred with a few. Honestly, he and Validus would make excellent Mandalorians.

"If it was anyone else, even Ferox, I'd say no," Shmi said slowly, her eyes drifting to Anakin's room. "However, since it's you, and I know Bo-Katan, I… I'm ok with him going."

I smiled and nodded. "If anything, or one tries anything they'll have to get through me and Fenrir first." The mention of the tuk'ata made her lips twitch. "Provided Bo and her father don't declare a crusade first. He would be under the protection of House Kryze and, well let's just say, Mandalorians have a hair-trigger when it comes to protecting family and allies."

"Thank you. It's just," she sighed again and shook her head. "Ever since he was born I've known he was destined for something special. Since we met you, I've known his path isn't one I can walk, but I don't think I'm ready for that day to come. Not quite yet."

"I understand. And I assure you that while I do think I'll be taking him to the Jedi, there is no rush. Most aren't taken until they are ten or older. Even if I don't take him as a Padawan, which I'm not sure Anakin would like," that earned a smile, "I'll keep a close eye on whoever does take him as a Padawan." My eyes glanced down at her belly. "If the Force wills it, and he becomes my Padawan, then I'll do all I can to ensure that not only will he stay in contact, but that we return as time and the Force allow."

"I thought that was against the Jedi rules?"

I nodded at Ferox's question. "It is, but Anakin will be far from a normal Jedi."

"Nor are you," Ferox shot back with a smirk. "You travel with warriors, fight when needed and have a beast that would shame many that I stood beside in the fighting pits." I knew he was trying to reassure Shmi, but it wasn't the best way to phrase things.

"I'll admit the Force has shown a, shall we say, willingness to place me in volatile situations more than most Jedi might encounter in such a short span of time, but I don't feel that will continue." Or I hoped it wouldn't as I didn't want something to come up that forced me to be distracted when I should be on or near Naboo. Afterwards, if the Force had things it wished for me, then so be it. Each adventure I'd had so far, even – as much as I hated to admit it – my time dealing with Komari Vosa and the Bando Gora, had helped shape me for the battles to come and were generally enjoyable.

Shmi smiled, though there was sadness behind it. "Cameron, even I know you have a purpose in this life, one greater than anyone else on the station other than my son," she glanced at Anakin's door, making sure he was still inside before continuing. "One that's tied to…" her words were cut off by Anakin rushing out of his room, a bag almost as large as him being dragged behind. "Anakin," she said with a resigned shake of her head, which had Ferox and me exchange amused smiles.

"We're not leaving this minute, Anakin," I said as he dragged the bag to the table. "Not even today, I suspect. I wish to speak with Master Dooku first, and the Ruling Council. It's past time I used some of the phrik they placed aside for me."

"I'll let Validus know you wish to speak."

I gave Ferox a nod of thanks then turned back to Anakin. "For now, just keep doing your classes and chores. Later, if your mum allows, you can play with Fenrir, though I warn you he's grown more since you last saw him." I held my hand out, lifting it to roughly my height when I stood. Anakin's eyes widened as the last time Fenrir had been here, he'd been at about my neck. Smirking at the boy's reaction, I looked at Ferox. "Provided you promise to only use blunted blades, I think Fenrir's at the stage he can spar with others."

Ferox smiled widely as he accepted the terms with a nod. He and others had been wishing to take on Fenrir in a combat session to see what he was capable of. I'd been reluctant to allow it as Fenrir was still young and growing. Both of those were still true, but I felt he was at, or near, his full height, so wrestling with others would do him some good. I'd just have to remind him to not bite down on anyone and still remain close just in case things got out of hand. While he was gentle around me – most of the time – he wasn't a pet.

… …

… …

I watched patiently as the shuttle from Gaia's surface came into view. I knew Dooku was onboard and could sense his presence as the shuttle – which was a converted light freighter – slipped through the shield holding the atmosphere. While I'd already spoken with him over local comms, I wanted to speak with him in person as this was likely to be the last time I could do so before Naboo was blockaded. There were, I felt, still several months to go as Padmé was still inside her first month as Queen, but I couldn't be sure of that and thus was working on a tight clock.

Time passed as the shuttle touched down, and the ramp descended. If he wished, Dooku could've exited first. To the Lokella, his position was almost as high as mine, yet I knew he wouldn't. For all his stature, grace and belief in superiority, he believed that using that status was pointless in most situations. Thus, I waited as a dozen sentients from a handful of species exited the shuttle. Most moved off toward their station or cabin onboard Mtael's Gift though some were greeted by friends, lovers, and in the case of a Twi'lek, family.

Dooku stepped off the ramp calmly, and even though he was the last to disembark, many still stopped to watch. Some even moved to give him a clear path from the shuttle. I smirked at the little display that proved how highly the Lokella regarded him, enjoying someone else having to endure their respects for once.

At the bottom of the ramp, he turned and looked up at me. Several people around did likewise, and I could sense the awe and delight as they realised that I was present. Dooku lowered his head and moved off as I felt his amusement at transferring the worship to me. I pushed off the railing I was leaning against and sighed. I'd long since accepted the Lokella's feelings toward me – even from those who'd not been present when I'd helped free them – but I'd prefer if they moved past it and simply treated me as a regular visitor to their system.

I moved along the balcony and waited at the steps until Dooku came back into sight. "Master," I said with a respectful bow.

When he was close enough, he placed a hand against my upper arm and offered me, what was for him, a warm smile. "You no longer need to do that, Cameron."

"I will regard you as my Master, even if, one day, I become Grandmaster of the Order, Master," I replied with a smile of my own.

I was caught off guard when Dooku laughed, even more so in that it felt genuine. "If one day, you did become Grandmaster of the Order, I fear what would've befallen the Order that the Council would ask you to lead them." I chuckled, wondering, depending on how my life turned out, I might somehow fill the role that Luke was meant to have after Return of the Jedi. "Now come, tell me why you wished to speak in person."

I lowered my head in acceptance, and as he moved, I turned to walk at his side. "It's about the boy, Master, and other things. Other events." The balcony I'd waited on was a quiet one, rarely frequented by any bar those, like Anakin, who might enjoy watching shuttles and smaller freighters come and go from the bay below.

"Do you intend to take him as your Padawan then?" I glanced at Dooku as we walked. "While you've denied this plan several times, Master Fay and I both sense the connection that exists between you. The Force moves around you enough that even I, someone without interest in visions and prophecy, can see what Masters Nilas and Sifo-Dyas spoke of many years ago. You two share a path through the coming darkness, one I have little doubt you can walk."

I smiled at the compliment and slowed as we neared the end of the balcony. Some people were moving around the corridors nearby and I'd rather the conversation we were having remained private. "I won't deny that I wonder if I should take Anakin as my Padawan, but I don't think either of us is ready for that step currently."

"You may be young in body Cameron, but you are wiser than you appear, more so than even many Knights twice your age. I have no doubt that any you train will grow to become exceptional Jedi, regardless of when you begin their training. That said, if you do eventually take the boy on to train, perhaps you might attempt to curtail his desire to rush headlong into anything he'd set his mind toward."

I chuckled and shook my head. "I fear that is a lesson I'm ill-advised to teach, Master."

Dooku gave a very gentle grunt. "Yes, I suppose that is true. Though I suspect that your tendency to rush in will be tamed by concerns for any Padawan you train. It would be best for both of you if you learnt to take even a brief moment to determine a situation before acting."

"Yes, Master." I looked back at the bay, watching as various droids and crew checked the shuttle and prepped it for its return trip in a few hours. "How goes your time with Vosa?" While I'd rather not discuss someone who darkened my thoughts whenever they were mentioned, avoiding the topic was a worse approach to take. Though I was far from ready to face her once more, even if she was disarmed.

Dooku took some time before replying as if carefully weighing his options. "As well as it can, I believe. Komari will never rejoin the Order, something we both agree upon, but I feel she is nearing a moment where her path will be tested. Still, while I believe she will make the correct decision, I cannot place much trust in that belief."

I nodded, accepting his words. Provided I survived Maul – something that was troubling my thoughts when I slept – I might be ready to speak with Vosa. But not until then.

"Have you felt the shift?" I turned to Dooku, confused by the sudden change in topic. "The darkness Master Nilas and Sifo-Dyas spoke of is growing stronger. I can sense its lingering touch upon you, almost at times as if it might engulf and consume you; extinguishing the light you radiate within the Force."

"Aye, I can sense it," I replied slowly. "Though I'm not entirely sure from where it comes," which wasn't entirely true, "only that a moment, a tipping point, approaches." I looked up at the pipes running along the ceiling of the bay and sighed. "I've seen… new glimpses of something coming. Trade Federation droids marching on fields of green, blades of blue clashing with one of red, a distant, deranged cackle at the very edges of my thoughts. I don't know what they mean, or what they're trying to warn me of, but I know I need to try to, if not stop them, then at least… lessen their impact."

The idea that my existence, and my actions since arriving in this era, might somehow make things worse for Padmé, the Naboo, and the rest of the galaxy was a nagging one. One that grew stronger the closer it got to the invasion. I knew things had changed, that the plans Sidious and Plagueis had placed in motion had altered slightly because of me, yet how those changes would affect others was a complete unknown.

I turned to Dooku, noticing with a hint of surprise I could almost look him eye to eye now, as he placed a hand on my shoulder. "The future, as Master Yoda is fond of saying, is always in motion. Our actions can, at best, cause ripples, but the flow of time and the will of the Force are hard to alter. The glimpses those of us connected to the Force are granted plague our thoughts with worry. However, you must push aside that worry, and place trust in yourself, those around you, and the Force. Even when others say your actions are unwise, if you believe deep within yourself that the path you walk is the correct one, that the actions you've taken are right and just, then you'll find the strength of will to continue on that path." He offered me another smile, one that oddly reminded me of Palpatine's grandfatherly ones. "This darkness around you, one I can feel more clearly as our bond has grown over the years, has become stronger. It does threaten to engulf you, and those close to you. However, I know that when the critical moment comes, you will do what is right. You won't face it alone; this I am sure of even if I suspect I won't be beside you when the time comes. That said, I have little doubt you will prevail and drive back the encroaching darkness."

I smiled and lowered my head. "Thank you for the kind words, Master. I'll be sure to heed them when the moment arrives." As I continued, I felt my smile slip slightly. "Yet, even when I do, I worry for Anakin. In my visions, I see him at my side as the darkness approaches. Yet, I fear bringing him near, as if it might somehow empower the looming threat. He is young and I worry my choices will in some way damage him irrevocably."

Dooku squeezed my shoulder. "Which is why you are concerned about taking him as your Padawan currently." I nodded, confirming his statement. "That is another sign of your wisdom. One far beyond your years. Though again I say I have faith that your training of the boy – be it as his Master or simply as an advisor – will help guide him toward the path the Force wishes him to take." I grimaced as an image of Vader striking down Obi-Wan flashed through my thoughts, making me wonder if I would replace Obi-Wan in that destiny. "And that you will remain on the path the Force has laid out for you, even if, I'm sure, at times you find yourself feeling lost and confused. Just like the boy, you have a significant role to play in countering the darkness that has fallen over the galaxy." He pulled his hand back and took a step away. "Normally, I would be reluctant to say such things to a newly risen Knight, particularly one of your tender years. Yet I know you won't allow ego or pride to interfere with your choices. No more so than any sentient would."

"Thank you, Master." I reached out and grasped his forearm. "For everything you've taught me so far and will certainly continue to teach as the years pass." When I'd first been assigned to him and Fay, I'd felt I would learn more from Fay, that she would be the more important Master. Yet, nearly a decade later, I knew that I had been wrong. While Fay's teachings proved useful, I'd gravitated toward Dooku. More than just from a need to prevent his fall to the Sith or complete the quest linked to that fate. My path had moved from the one Fay walked, coming to lay closer to Dooku's. Though not, I was glad to say, one that led to him rising as Darth Tyrannus.

"And thank you, Cameron, for showing me that the future, no matter how bleak and corrupt the present is, still carries with it hope. For a long time, I believed my actions, my choices, as a Jedi had been for nought. Yet, from teaching and learning from you, I have come to see that I was wrong. My choices matter. Not just those I have taken, but those I will take." His free arm came around and he gripped me just under the shoulder. "Whatever dangers this darkness brings, the Force will be with you, my friend."

… …

… …

"Woo-hoo!" Anakin called out as I pushed Raven down into the atmosphere of Mandalore. Enjoyment and excitement radiated around me as Anakin and Raven both revelled in our rapid descent. As a smile spread over my face, my fingers flew over the controls, controlling Raven's entry even as I sensed her guiding my actions on how to manipulate her power systems. "This ship is so wizard!"

"Aye, she is," I agreed with a chuckle as I flicked the thrusters and Raven rolled on her axis even as we accelerated through the upper clouds of the atmosphere. However, I sensed the moment was over as a light blinked on one console and the sensors detected four fighters closing in rapidly from the north-east. Pressing the relevant control, the holoprojector on the bridge flared to life.

"Unknown vessel, state your purpose or be fired upon."

I grinned at the blunt but effective challenge from the armoured warrior that appeared as a hologram. "This is Alor Cameron Shan aboard the Jade Raven. I'm here on clan business with Alor Adonai Kryze." As I spoke, I sent a file containing my clan and personal sigils along with a secure code the duke had given me to use whenever I returned to the sector. The code had gotten me past the orbital defences – and seeing a few dozen large cruisers patrolling the system was an interesting change since I'd last visited – with ease.

The Mandalorian looked away from me, likely to confirm the file I'd sent. "Alor Cameron, welcome. I will inform Alor Adonai that you will be arriving. Will you require an escort to Keldabe?"

"No thanks. I think I remember the way." The Mandalorian nodded and then clasped one hand to his chest before the signal ended.

"That was cold."

Even as the sensors showed the fighters turning away, I replied to Anakin. "It wasn't. Mandalorians just prefer to get to the heart of a matter without any needless time-wasting and grandstanding. Something I feel the rest of the galaxy would do well to copy." Even as I spoke, Raven banked, turning away from Sundari toward the old, original capital of the planet. I'd hoped he'd not be based in Sundari as the city was linked to the New Mandalorian faction, but I couldn't be sure of that. Plus, the area where the city, and those nearby, was built was nothing but desert. That made it the perfect place to cut loose and let Raven push herself during low-altitude manoeuvres. "Of course, if you think they're cold, I'll have Bo cancel your training sessions."

"Training?" While his tone was cautious, thanks to our bond, I could feel a spike of excitement.

"Well, we came all this way, so what sort of mentor would I be if I didn't let you train alongside some of their young warriors?" His hesitancy fell away as the excitement grew and when I glanced his way, there was a wide smile on his face. "Just don't mention this to your mother, otherwise I'm not sure if she'll let you travel with me again." He nodded so rapidly I feared he'd hurt himself and with a laugh, I turned my full attention back to the controls and the fast-closing white sand of the planet below.

As the desert ended, I pulled Raven back, letting her race mere metres over the tops of the forest that sprang up. I knew leaves would be sent flying, along with animals disturbed by the flyover, but Raven was enjoying herself and I wasn't willing to end that. At least not until Keldabe came into sight. Once it did, I lowered the power to Raven's engines, and as a sense of annoyance filled the cabin, I gently patted the framework, letting her know I understood.

Keldabe appeared much as it had in the past, with the Mandalmotors tower now fully repaired from the damage it had previously sustained. As I circled the city, I noticed activity within the training centre, and the gentle yet persistent alarms reminded me that any attempt to fly over would trigger defensive batteries. It was a change from my time there, but it was one I strongly supported. The flyby also jogged my memory to potentially seek out conversations with Commandant Kraviss and Rangemaster Marod if time permitted.

Keldabe, resembling a neglected factory complex carelessly discarded within a forest, presented an unusual sight. A vast hillfort encircled by a bend in the Kelita River, surrounded by settlements dotting the nearby woodland. Dominating the landscape was the extensive sprawl of Mandalmotors, now repaired from the damage it had taken, with its towering hundred-meter structure acting as a navigational reference. Utilizing the comm mast as a guide for the spaceport, he could precisely align his descent onto the landing strip. This city was Mandalore, characterized by Mandalmotors, a multitude of small engineering workshops, subsistence farms, ore mining, and a profusion of trees. Excluding the unique beskar deposits, the exceptional Mandalorian iron ore, there was little to set the place apart other than its inhabitants.

Eventually, as I neared the landing area on the northern edge of the city, I pulled back further on the power, and gently lowered Raven onto an empty pad; one that had broadcast a signal to me as I reached Keldabe airspace. While there were no permanent landing pads – at least not for most Mando'ade – as a clan chief, I was assigned one by flight control.

Even before Raven's engines had started to cool, Anakin was up and racing for the exit. "Anakin!" I called out just as the cockpit door slid open. "Patience." I laughed as his shoulder slumped. If there was one thing that remained the same, even with all the changes I'd caused, it was Anakin's desire to rush in. While I doubted I could ever break that, even if I wanted to, I was going to try and curb it as much as I could. Even if that only applied to simple situations like this.

With Anakin all but bouncing at my heels, I moved through the ship, finding Fenrir and Simvyl waiting at the landing ramp. The tuk'ata was almost as excited as Anakin, though, for Fenrir, it was a chance to get out of Raven and run around. Still, my attention was on the Cathar, who carried HK's powered-down head in a bag on his back.

"Remember that not only are these Mandalorians not those who butchered your people thousands of years ago, but that you're under my protection. And by extension, that of the Duke's," I said as I looked at him. "Though I'll admit that Bo is a fair example of their lust for battle."

Simvyl gave a firm nod. "I'm aware. And while I'm no stranger to the thrill of the hunt, and know the Massacre is ancient history, I am still uneasy. All Cathar, be they born on our homeworld or not, are told the story of the night the skies rained death. How, under the command of Cassus Fett, scores of Mandalorians on the back of their metal beasts, brought my race to the verge of extinction." He sighed as the ramp descended. "Still, I swore myself to your side, to walk wherever you go. I knew then that you were considered one of them, and have since taken Bo-Katan as a mate," I opened my mouth to remark that Bo wasn't my mate only to stop as not only did he continue, but I realised that he said 'a mate'. "And perhaps I might be able to use some of my distaste to prove that my people are not weak."

I nodded, accepting his words. "OK, but if you ever feel the need, just return to the Raven. No one will think less of you."

A small smile was what I got to confirm he understood me, and I turned to Fenrir as he whined. "Be patient both of you," I muttered as Anakin was, like Fenrir, dancing from side to side as we waited until we could disembark.

The airlock hissed and pulled open, and I was thankful the pair waited, letting me take the lead as we exited. Once outside a group of twelve Mandalorians approached. All were in full armour and armed, though the four in the middle carried their helmets under an arm and had their blasters holstered.

"Alor Adonai," I began lowering my head for a moment, "I hadn't expected you to greet us personally."

Adonai smiled and reached out with a hand. He'd walked with ease, making me all but forget his leg below the knee was artificial. "Alor Cameron. How could I not?" He asked with a wide smile as I grasped his forearm. "You protected my daughter for far longer than I expected you to," behind him and to the left, Bo rolled her eyes though a smile was on her face, "fought beside her in battles of which songs are sung and have been a good and faithful ally to my clan and I." His eyes drifted beyond me. "Though I do admit to being slightly disappointed the Ne'tra Sartr is no longer with you. That said, my daughter says that in all but weaponry, your new vessel outstrips the Sartr."

I laughed as we broke the grasp. "The Raven is a unique vessel, and I believe the Jedi Council are pleased that she lacks the firepower it had. An opinion that I don't share and was hoping that your engineers might have suggestions on how to correct this oversight."

"Aye, I suspect they will. And I'm sure Alor Dred might also have some interest in that project. He spoke well of how you handled negotiations on Zygerria." I lowered my head for a moment, accepting the praise. At that, Adonai turned his eyes on those with me, quickly locking onto Fenrir. "From the tales Bo told, I know this is the mighty Fenrir; a beast bred of battle." I could sense Fenrir's pride and felt the air shift as he shook and stood to his tallest, his head rising above anyone else's. "Though I hadn't realised he was so imposing."

"Tuk'ata, thanks to a connection to the Force, grow faster than other predators. Though he should be close to full height now, so I'm only left waiting for maturity to come." Fenrir flicked his head, smacking his jaw into my ear and making me stumble.

Adonai laughed at the interaction. "And he is as aware as Bo mentioned. A rare thing, and something Alor Torrhen may well be jealous of." Before I could ask about what he meant, Adonai turned to Simvyl. "On behalf of my people, we are honoured to welcome an Antarian Ranger to our world. While few ever pass our way, we respect the vows and dedication your organisation has. And I for one look forward to sparring with you. My daughter has spoken highly of your prowess in combat, something I'm sure has only increased in your time by this one."

"Since your daughter left, things have been relatively quiet."

I bit back a comment about tempting fate as, knowing what was around the corner, I didn't want Simvyl to think Naboo was somehow his fault. Still, his remark drew a chuckle from Adonai.

"Hmm, is that so? Then perhaps you'd be willing to step into a sparring ring and shake off the rust?"

"Perhaps."

Adonai gave Simvyl a nod before looking down at the youngest member of my group. "And who might you be, little one?" He asked with the soft smile of someone used to dealing with kids.

"Anakin Skywalker, future Jedi Knight. Pleased to meet you," Anakin shot back, extending his hand as he spoke with the certainty of youth. I rolled my eyes at his behaviour even as I smiled. I'd told him at least a dozen times a day since we'd left the ShaDo system that I wasn't taking him as a Padawan. However, it seemed every time I spoke, he added a 'yet' to the end of my sentence. Of course, since I'd already taught him some basic Force techniques, and even the basic velocities for Shii-Cho, I could understand why he felt he was a Jedi in all but name.

Adonai shook Anakin's hand as he smiled. "Ah, yes. I've heard your name, but I swore my daughter told me you wished to learn the ways of the Mando'ade?"

"If Cam can be both, then so can I," Anakin replied with certainty and a smile.

Adonai laughed and, after that, ruffled Anakin's hair. The boy's grumble only made Adonai laugh more as he stood and returned his gaze to me. "I believe you remember those with me?"

I nodded and turned my eyes to the trio. Bo and Osto Ordo made sense, though I was a little surprised to see Naz with them. I gave the latter two nods before speaking to Bo. "I hope you're keeping out of trouble?" I asked as I grasped her arm.

Even as she squeezed my arm tighter than needed, she smiled warmly. "That's my line, you utreekov," she shot back without any venom. I pushed away the urge to pull her forward into my arms. Not only would that send the wrong message to her father, but it wasn't something Mandalorians generally did. At least not when involved with another. "How have you been?"

"As Simvyl said, generally it has been a quiet time. Though I did manage to secure the prize we spoke of." I watched as she processed my words, and a wide smile spread over her face.

"Bo!" Anakin's call cut her off from saying anything regarding Serra, which was a good thing as that wasn't a topic for public discussion. I chuckled as Bo slipped from my grasp and fell to a knee, hugging the boy as he slammed into her.

"And here I thought Bo hated children."

The smile was still plastered to my face as I turned to Naz. "Anakin's special," I explained as I grasped Naz's arm. "How have you been?"

Pre Vizsla's daughter smiled warmly at me. "Enjoying some rest now that the war is over. Though I'll admit, even with Bo back, I'm getting twitchy to do something again." As she spoke and broke our grasp, she ran her fingers down my arms. "Do you have any ideas?"

I chuckled as her fingers ran over my hand. Bo had told me that she'd put off the marriage her father wanted, claiming openly and loudly that Kote Wrajud wasn't man enough for her. Since that was the case, Naz was still fair game, and the look Naz was giving me left little doubt as to what she wanted. Still, until I spoke with Bo – and Serra as while she was fine with me renewing things with Bo, Naz was a new variable – I wasn't going to declare any interest.

"If time allows, I'm more than willing to spar," I replied before turning and craning my neck to look up at Osto Ordo. "Osto, it's been some time."

"Aye, though it looks like it's been good to you," Osto replied before clapping me – hard – on the shoulder. "And from what Bo-Katan's told us, you've managed to get yourself out of a few scrapes without needing me to come and save your shebs. Still, I hope you're willing to tell the tale of your duel for a planet. Bo-Katan's telling lacks… flair."

"That's because I wasn't there, you mir'sheb!" Bo shot back, which drew laughter from everyone bar Anakin. I looked down at her to see Anakin staring intently at her gauntlets and caught the smirk dancing on Naz's face as Bo stood and used a hand to keep Anakin at her side.

"I see some things haven't changed," I commented, drawing another round of laughter, and forcing me to slip back and avoid a weak punch from Bo. "Yes, yes, I know. I'll kick your arse in the ring as soon as the adults have finished talking business." Bo glared at me, making me glad she couldn't call on the Force otherwise I suspected I'd have been halfway back to Coruscant by now. I turned my attention to Naz. "Why exactly do you stay around her?"

Naz laughed loudly at that, though before she could reply – or Bo could insult me in some way – Adonai coughed. "While I'm glad you're reconnecting with our people, and would, like the others, enjoy a spar or two, perhaps we might talk somewhere else? I have a cask of ne'tra gal ready as Bo tells me you're here for more than just catching up."

I nodded in agreement but turned to Fenrir. "On you go, but," Fenrir took off, making a beeline for the forest to the north of us. "Stay out of trouble," I finished with a mutter as I watched him race off before turning back to Adonai. "I'm sorry. Fenrir dislikes being stuck on the Raven."

"It's alright. Bo already warned me of this." He turned and nodded to his guard. Two of them stepped away and then took off, their jetpacks carrying them in the direction Fenrir had gone. "They've orders to simply monitor the beast and ensure he doesn't threaten any vheh'yaim that dwell in the forest and ensure that none try to hunt him."

"My thanks." I was glad of that, as while I knew Fenrir would avoid the dwellings, there was still a chance he might run into a Mandalorian who'd think him a worthy kill. At least until Fenrir ripped a limb off. Adonai turned and I fell into step beside him. "While I'm here, if it's possible, I'd like Anakin to get some basic combat training. Nothing major, and certainly not something his mother could complain about. But he lives with the Lokella, and I'd feel better if he knew something extra."

Adonai nodded. "That can be arranged, and I suspect my daughter will wish to oversee it personally," I nodded in agreement even as he glanced over his shoulder to where I could hear Anakin peppering Bo with questions about her gauntlet. Adonai leaned closer. "The boy is the first I've seen her show concern about since Korkie's death," he whispered, though before I could respond, he continued at a normal volume. "When I was first told you wished to construct a droid, I was confused as I was led to believe that Jedi were as against them as we are. However, after Bo revealed some details of this droid of yours, I admit to being curious to meet it, and the engineers I've brought in are loyal to my or Alor Torrhen's houses."

"Thanks, though, can you arrange for some workers to enter my ship? I've got two crates of refined phrik inside that I wish to use in the construction."

Adonai's brow rose, though he accepted my words and tapped away at his gauntlet a moment later. "I, along with others, look forward to meeting this droid once he's built. Until then, you must regale us with your duel for a planet." I sighed at being reminded of that, which drew a loud laugh from him. "We've heard Bo's telling of it, but as she wasn't there, details were spare. Once you've done that, I and others will no doubt regale you with tales from the war."

… …

… …

I rolled first one shoulder and then the other. Having full armour on them again was a calming experience, though the difference between this armour and the one I'd worn at the Institute was that this armour was mine. Like other Mandalorian armour, it didn't cover every part of me, nor was I wearing a beskar-infused underweave as this was simply a fitting session to ensure everything was sized correctly. If it wasn't, the Mandalorian armourers would be able to alter it, though how they did that was something even someone of Adonai's rank didn't know. The armourers and metalsmiths who worked with beskar guarded their secrets violently and jealously.

As I moved my arms, my eyes once again took in the simple black colouring that had been applied to the armour. While the Jedi Council wouldn't like the fact that I was wearing armour, or approve of the colour, I felt better with it on. Jedi had worn armour at times in the past, and while Sith tended to predominantly wear black, it wasn't a colour exclusive to their Order and to the Mandalorians, use of it on armour, if one placed focus on that, implied the pursuit of justice. Something the Jedi couldn't complain about.

I took the helmet from the armourer staring into the blood red visor, this the Jedi may be able to complain about, before lifting it and placing it on my head. It hissed as the seals engaged and the internal HUD powered up. Amusingly, it was familiar with elements that reminded me of what my Interface used and some that shared links with the more advanced tactical gear I'd trained with in my former life. I looked around the room, getting used to the HUD displaying information about anything I focused on, though not in a way that would distract me if I was in combat.

"There, now you look like a true Mando'ade in their beskar'gam, Alor Cameron." The comment came from the armourer helping me with this fitting. She wore a wide smile, as did Bo and Naz who were standing back. Bo's eyes seemed alive as they scanned me in my armour and the HUD detected an increase in her heart rate as she took in the sight of me in full armour. Naz was more restrained in watching me, but from the HUD's information, I could tell she liked what she saw as well. "You are free to alter the base colour, or apply accents as you wish, but this one," the armourer gestured at Bo, "felt you would approve of the scheme."

After removing the helmet, I replied to the armourer. "You've done an excellent job, vor entye," I said with a small lowering of my head. "There doesn't appear to be any section that requires reshaping."

Though I knew I still had to collect my underweave. That would be going under my Jedi robes so that even when I wasn't wearing full armour – such as when I was within the Temple – I'd still have some protection. Not that the underweave would hold up to a concerted attack against it by a lightsaber. The thin mesh nature of it lowered the effectiveness of the beskar to the point it could be breached, though such things were unlikely to happen in places where I'd be without the armour.

"Did you think I'd not know your measurements?" Bo asked with a half-hearted huff. She pushed off the wall she was leaning against and let her eyes wander over my armoured form once again. Without the underweave currently on, I was wearing something just as skin-tight, which it appeared Bo and Naz approved off.

"No, I think you had more than ample time to learn them," I shot back with a smirk and let my eyes wander her frame. She was in armour, but I knew what she looked like out of it and her underweave, and the best places to touch her to bend her to my will. Bo chuckled at my look which earned her an unsubtle elbow telling her to knock it off from Naz.

That gesture drew my attention to the blond. While I didn't know exactly what she looked like under her gear, I could make more than a fair guess. Both from how snuggly the underweave fit her, and comments Bo had made during our quieter moments against the pillows.

"I am glad my work meets your standards," the armourer responded without any hint of sarcasm. "All that is required now is a listing of how you wish to add to the kom'rk and other sections of the armour." She pointed to a console five metres to my right. "This system can help you make decisions based on your preferences and visualise how they might be added. Once that is completed, I suspect your friends will take you to a training facility. While you wear the armour well, you must still learn to adapt it to your fighting style. Something no Jetii has done in many centuries."

"Vor entye," I said again in thanks and moved to the console she suggested.

As I walked, Bo and Naz moved closer, and my mind drifted for a moment to the welcoming feast/party yesterday that had erupted in Keldabe for my return. The biggest shock hadn't been the number of warriors inside the Oyu'baat cantina that wished to drink with me or hear the stories of my adventures. That honour had been when Satine had walked in beside her and Bo's brother dressed in armour. Now, she wasn't wearing full armour like many others, instead choosing just the gauntlets and chest-piece, but the sight of her in any armour was a surprise. As was the cordial way she and Bo greeted each other.

As the night wore on, I'd learnt that Adonai had been correct in that his family would be targeted, though Dooku had arranged for Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan to protect Satine. That event must've been where Obi-Wan and Satine first met, though it seemed here at least, their time together only lasted a few months before Adonai had her recalled to Mandalore. While she still advocated for peace, she eventually accepted that the way of the New Mandalorians wouldn't work, something I had to use Observe to confirm as hearing those words from her mouth resulted in me coughing up my ne'tra gal. Something Bo and others had laughed loudly at.

From talking to her more, the defining moment in her realisation had been when Death Watch launched another attack on Sundari. The guards – or at least those still following the New Mandalorian ideals – had been slaughtered and Satine had been forced to take up a blaster to defend herself and the school at which she'd been working. Her defence of the children, including killing two and wounding another member of the Death Watch cult had broken the last barriers between her and her family, and while she was still reluctant to attempt her verd'goten – something easy to see as she lacked a personal sigil on her armour – Bo had moved to fully restore what she once had with her sister. Or at least, that's what I got from the way the two moved acceptingly around each other. There was still some tension, but nothing that felt like it wouldn't eventually dissipate with time and effort.

I'd also discovered that Satine would soon be returning to Coruscant, to take up a position as senior aide to the sector's current representative in the Senate. None in the cantina referred to that person as the Senator as it was clear that even now, eight hundred years later, they bristled at being under the yoke of the Senate. However, from a quiet moment with Adonai this morning, I'd learnt that he understood that they couldn't break from the Republic and expect anything but another Dral'Han to occur. I had inquired why neither he nor Torrhen hadn't moved to become Mand'alor, but he'd not given a clear answer on the matter.

"What will you choose?" Naz asked as she and Bo approached me at the weapons console.

I shrugged. "Not sure ye…" I was cut off as the doors to the room hissed open and in rushed a familiar blonde-haired boy.

"Whoa! Cool!" Anakin muttered as he took in the sight of the workshop. His eyes found me quickly and widened dramatically as he saw my armour.

"When you're older, though full beskar would be after a verd'goten," I said before he could ask when he'd get his own set of armour. Beside me, I heard Bo chuckle. Probably at how sure I was Anakin would follow me into becoming Mando'ade.

I turned from the console to answer. "We've already gone over this," Bo commented with a sigh. "One last time. The verd'goten is the rite of passage during which an adiik – a child – carries out a hunt. Afterwards, they become mando'ade." I looked at Bo as she again explained the terms patiently. Beside her, Naz watched with a tender look in her eyes.

Bo stepped away from us and knelt to look Anakin in the eye. "In our culture, when a child reaches thirteen, they are taken by a relative or mentor to another world. There, armed with nothing more than a knife, a survival pack and your wits you must endure whatever the planet you're on throws at you. The trial is completed once you've killed a predator of some form. It must, either alone or in groups, be a threat to your life."

"So a bantha wouldn't count?"

Bo, Naz, and I all chuckled at the image of someone killing a bantha in an attempt to become a Mandalorian.

"No, it wouldn't," Bo replied after muttering something under her breath. She tapped the left chest of her armour. "This sigil here is from my hunt when I killed a furred blood owl." Anakin's lips twitched at the animal's name, though Bo didn't snark at him as she'd done at Serra and me. In fairness, I had looked that up and discovered it wasn't anywhere near as simple as its name suggested. The damn thing was about as long as Bo was tall and its claws could carry off, in theory, a bantha calf or similar-sized animal.

Bo then pointed at Naz. "She killed a nightshrike while Cam…" She paused as Anakin's eyes widened as he saw the sigil I bore.

"That's why you fought a krayt dragon!" He blurted and I laughed.

"Greater krayt dragon actually," I replied casually, long used to reactions like this when people heard about my verd'goten. "My hunt was why I was on Tatooine, and at the end of it, when I first sensed you through the Force."

Anakin smiled, happy about the change in his fate because of my hunt – which may well make him more certain he wanted to attempt the hunt when he was old enough – only for a frown to form on his face. "Why is your armour just black while theirs have more colours?"

"Every mando'ade has a base ideal they hold true," Bo began, once more explaining Mandalorian customs to Anakin. Before she'd returned home, she'd mentioned adopting him into Clan Kryze. I still feel she wasn't entirely serious, but that feeling was slowly disappearing the more I watched her be a mentor and teacher to the boy. "My armour has a base of grey as a reminder of my mother. Naz chose green as she is remarkably loyal to those she cares for." Beside me, I felt pride and care emanate from Naz. "Both of us chose red as a primary accent to honour our parents and ancestors. As for Cam, as he said, black signifies justice." Bo turned and looked at me, a knowing smile on her face. "As much as he might deny it, he has a keen sense of what is right and wrong and of what needs to be done. He's not afraid to do that, regardless of how others might react to his choices. The accents are up to him."

"If I have any, green is the most likely. At least as a primary." I chuckled and shook my head as I looked at my new and improved gauntlets. "As suitable as the idea of red as an accent might be, I'm unsure how the Jedi Council would react to having me walk into the Temple in armour with that as the secondary colour.

"I'd pay to see their faces if you did," Naz commented, which drew a laugh from Bo.

"Regardless, there's no need to add accents currently. From what I remember, they are often added over time as a warrior grows and changes."

"Aye. And then there's those who stick to a single colour for reasons other than tradition," Naz said with a smile. "I have an uncle whose armour is just orange. And I mean bright, burnt orange. While he enjoys life, he told me once that he made it so simply to distract his opponent has armour that colour simply to disorientate an opponent."

I shook my head, imagining the Mandalorian equivalent of a giant orange. "Yeah, that would make me pause before engaging him. Force, regardless of where on the battlefield I was, that would be a distraction." The three smiled in agreement even as I turned back to the console. "Now, while I'm sure Anakin has questions galore about armour design and colouration, I have to finish up here. Do either of you lovely ladies have suggestions for what I should equip my armour with?"

… …

… …

That evening, after spending the afternoon testing out my new armour, getting used to how to move in it, and using the tools that were part of it, I was in my assigned quarters going over the design for HK. The phrik that I'd brought with me was with Adonai's technicians, and they'd already told me it would take a day or two to shape the alloy how I wanted. While beskar would have been my personal preference because it could be more easily incorporated into the delicate parts of his structure Phrik may be better because it was just slightly more durable.

Beskar and phrik could both resist lightsabers and tank concentrated blaster fire, even taking turbolaser fire, phrik generally dealt with it just a bit better.

The way the quest linked to getting him online – Rebuilding a Hunter-Killer: Part 1 – hinted at a follow-up quest, which I suspected was to do with upgrading HK's software and hardware. Though I couldn't be certain of that.

My eyes drifted over to my armour trailing the gleaming black surface, resting momentarily on the weapons and the small glinting cold that held the dragon skin cloak closed before stopping to stare into the blood red visor. I'd taken it off after returning to my quarters after dinner. There, Adonai had explained slightly why he wasn't making a play to become Mand'alor. He felt he was too old to take on the load when he was already burdened with so much work to risk taking on the challenge of becoming the leader of his people. Since the sector was recovering from another civil war, I could understand some of his logic, but it felt like a very flimsy excuse. However, it was his to make and one I respected, though I just hoped someone else – my thoughts focused on Pre Vizsla – didn't attempt to make a play for the title. That though, was a matter for the future, for now, my thoughts – if they weren't focused on HK – drifted to Naboo and the invasion.

The armour I had was solid, however, something about it felt off. Since I was working on a tight clock, I wasn't going to have it redesigned now, but provided I survived Naboo, I'd return to Mandalore and have it re-shaped into something closer to what I wanted. I might even have accent colours added, though for now the dark base colour was fine and when worn under my robes and dragon hide cloak, wasn't too intimidating. Or at least I felt they weren't, though I was sure certain members of the Jedi Order would still find an issue with me wearing armour.

A beep from my door drew my attention and with a simple gesture, I used the Force to open the door. As it slid back, I saw Bo and Naz enter, wearing nothing but their underweave. My eyes were naturally drawn to the familiar lines of Bo's form and the new, tempting ones of Naz.

Bo had already spent the previous night in my quarters, having dragged me away from the feast after Anakin had crashed. The boy had insisted on drinking ale like the rest of us, and while he lasted longer than I'd expected, he'd still passed out barely an hour after the feast began. After I'd returned, Bo had not let me sit before dragging me away. Frankly, while I'd enjoyed the feast, I'd pass on a feast every day for the night I'd enjoyed with Bo, so seeing her here was a pleasant surprise, as was Naz whose eyes were already undressing me.

"Lady Bo-Katan, Lady Naz, how may I help you tonight?" I asked as Bo stalked toward me. Her face twitched in annoyance at me calling her a 'Lady' but until the day came when she beat me in a spar, I wasn't going to stop. And frankly, I suspected she liked it when I did as it gave her an excuse to start something with me. Not that I felt she needed an excuse as she was always welcome in my bed.

"Stop that!" she snarled as she grabbed my robes and pushed them back, exposing the tunic I was wearing underneath while appearing to trap my arms against my side. Her lips crashed against mine, letting me catch the hints of alcohol on them, but before I could return the kiss, she pulled back. "And yes, I want something," she said with a smirk, "though I'm not the only one."

I looked past her at Naz. The blonde had stayed near the door, though the way she nibbled her lip and watched Bo as she settled next to me, made clear what she wanted. "And how might I be of service, Lady Naz?" I asked teasingly, which earned me a less-than-gentle elbow to my ribs from Bo.

Naz moved forward, completely certain, "You, I want you."

I smirked, letting my eyes wander over her frame again. That brought out her desire even more, pushing the concern I felt from her back. "And what of Kote Wrajud?" Honestly, at this point, with Bo's hands already teasing my leg, I doubted I'd care enough to not take Naz. However, it would be better to hear from Naz's lips that she wanted me over him.

"I don't want him. My father agreed, and the betrothal was cancelled." My brow rose at hearing that. Pre not securing Clan Wrajud was an odd move as the clan chief was a firm Death Watch supporter. Either Clan Wrajud had fallen on hard times after the civil war, or Naz had found a way to convince Pre to end the arrangement. Regardless, I knew Pre would hate that his only daughter was here tonight, which made taking her even more appealing. "What I want is in front of me."

I stood, sliding from Bo's grasp with an ease she'd never shown before. "Then who am I to deny your desire," I said as I moved toward Naz.

My lips found hers with ease, and she submitted to me with a moan as my hands wrapped around her waist, pulling her against me. As her hands came to my arms I felt Bo's breath on my ear.

"Prove to her that my tales of your prowess are true," the redhead whispered as I felt one of her hands slide into my belt. "Take us until neither can nor wants to walk from your room tomorrow."

I nibbled Naz's jaw even as her fingers tore apart my tunic. If the ladies wished to be ravished, I was more than willing to do so. Hopefully, Adonai would understand why I missed our meeting about my need for fighters for an upcoming battle and the state of the sector tomorrow morning.

… …

… …

Even though every simulation – all two thousand of them – had confirmed that if we reached this point in the procedure, nothing would go wrong, it still didn't make me any less nervous. The power levels through the combat frame were slowly climbing as all basic systems came online for the first time. It was taking forever for the levels to rise, but that was by intention as I didn't want to risk HK's core if there was an issue from a power surge.

"Why is it taking so long?" Anakin whined from behind me, however, I didn't reply. My focus remained fixed on the readings in front of me. Each servo and motor in the frame that came online and reported back green was another small step toward the final goal. Though until everything was online and working within expected parameters, I wouldn't consider this a success. Hell, until I saw HK in combat, I'd likely retain worries that something was wrong.

"Cam's just being extra careful," Bo replied in the same gentler – for her – tone she always used with Anakin. Several people had commented on her behaviour around the boy, and while Naz and I could handle Bo's aggression that evening, anyone else was challenged to a duel. Even her father and brother weren't immune to the challenge, though they, like me, laughed off her behaviour.

As much as Bo wasn't the mothering type, she did have a soft spot for Anakin, and I couldn't deny the idea of seeing her raise our child hadn't flashed through my thoughts several times over the last day. Nor the idea of Naz and Serra also having children. Yet even though the pair had spoken via the Holonet, and Serra was accepting of my bedding Naz – and no denying Bo's suggestions that she wanted to join us – any thought of children was for the future. Possibly even after the Clone Wars, or whatever replaced them if my actions so far and to come had a great enough effect to alter events that much.

"But it's soooo slow." I couldn't help but smirk at Anakin's whine. While he had a good head on his shoulders and was smarter in some ways than many adults, he was still a child and hearing him behave like others his age was oddly refreshing. Though that didn't mean I wanted to tolerate it and made a note for Simvyl to take Anakin for a training session.

It had only been a few days since we'd arrived, but Simvyl was settling in easily enough. Most of that was because many knew of him from Bo's war stories of our time on Zonama Sekot. Though some came from the few spars he'd engaged in. While, from what I'd heard, he'd lost more than he'd won, the fact he was willing to step up to the plate and didn't hold back earned him the respect of many. Yet the biggest thing that helped him, and something that caught us both unawares, was the reveal of a clan of Cathar who followed the Resol'nare.

They weren't a major clan, numbering only a few dozen strong, but they were part of House Ordo and having some of his species here helped Simvyl settle. Even if he was still processing the idea that Cathar would choose to follow the ways of the Mando'ade.

It also ensured he didn't spend all his time on Raven. While I was reluctant to allow many onboard, Adonai had reached out to Dred Yomaget and between them created a small team of six to examine the mechanical sections of my ship and consider how she might be upgraded. So far, things weren't looking good in arming Raven as it might well mean cutting through her skin; the engineers just as reluctant as me to do. To them, she was a marvel of engineering that shouldn't be butchered simply to make her combat ready while I fretted over how much pain it would cause her.

"All work takes time and completing something as worthy as rebuilding the akaan beskar'ad of Naast be Me'suums, requires as much time as it takes." I grinned, wondering how HK would feel at the name the Mandalorians had given him.

"What of the what?" I resisted the urge to shake my head. Anakin, like any child, had to know what was going on, but the more he asked, the less he knew and the more questions he asked.

My grin grew as Bo exhaled loudly and I knew she was shaking her head at Anakin's curiosity. "The war droid of Revan." She spoke slowly in a tone I recognized as a sign she was getting annoyed.

"Anakin," I said just loud enough that my voice would carry to him so as to not distract the technicians around the room who were monitoring specific aspects of the process. "If you keep asking questions, I'll send you back to the Raven and return you to your mother before the day is over."

"Oh… Okay."

I wouldn't actually do that, but Anakin couldn't be sure, and thus as the power climbed over ninety-five per cent, I was greeted by silence. At least if I ignored the various sounds of the lab and the whispered tones of the handful of technicians on-hand.

Time seemed to slow as the levels rose in each section of the frame, dragging the overall readings ever upward. As the readings passed ninety-nine per cent, no warnings sounded, and I exhaled in relief. A moment later the yellow visual receptors of the droid head flickered to life, and I took a step back from the console, wanting to watch the rebirth of HK-47.

He sat up slowly, and I offered a silent thanks to the Force that there wasn't any sound of creaking. Even if I and others had gone over the plans with a pico-metre thick comb, that didn't entirely reassure me that what I was watching would occur.

HK raised his arms and turned them over in front of his receptors. Each finger was closed and opened independently, and then the joints at the wrist, elbow and shoulder were tested. He turned and repeated the process with his legs before hopping from the table and standing tall. The body and head had been coated in phrik which had been altered to as close to the original shade of his last frame.

His receptors flickered as he turned to me. "Query: Master?"

"How do you feel?" I asked with a smile, taking in the physical sight of one of my two favourite droids.

"Indignation: I am a droid, Master, not a squishy meatbag. I do not feel anything." I shook my head, amused at the half-expected response. HK's optical receptors flickered as his brain carried out an untold number of calculations within a second making sure his internal circuitry was working correctly. "Statement: This new frame is working within acceptable parameters. Addendum: there is much room for enhancement."

"I would expect nothing less," I said with a smirk. "What about the new inbuilt ordinance? Are they working as expected?"

HK lifted an arm, and I watched as part of the forearm slid back, exposing a high-powered, though low-rate, blaster cannon. He rotated the arm and checked other things internally before the cannon slid back into the arm. He repeated the process with the other arm, though that exposed a flame thrower, one that while it sparked, didn't ignite. That was because I'd kept the fuel out of the initial activation. Slots on his thighs were exposed, though both were empty as HK had wanted them left free for him to adapt for specific missions, a finger glowed as the laser in it flickered, a vibroblade flashed out from each wrist and a low whine was emitted as he tested the inbuilt sonic weaponry on low.

"Affirmative: Yes, Master. All hidden compartments activate with acceptable speed and scanner inhibitors report no faults." Those inhibitors would hide his hidden weaponry from all but the most invasive of scans. Something only places like the Senate building used, and even then, only in certain locations. "Observation: While my programming has already developed thirty-seven thousand, eight hundred and ninety-three possible layout combinations, I require target practice to determine which would be the most suitable for various scenarios. Suggestion: Perhaps one of these pathetic meatbags is willing to volunteer to help with my calibrations?"

I laughed and shook my head. "No, HK they're not. While I know you dislike most organics, you should be nicer to the ones in this room. Without their help designing, forging and constructing your new frame, you'd have remained nothing more than a head for some time to come."

HK turned, taking in each technician in the room. I suspected he was placing their images on a file for those to avoid killing; or at least, to avoid killing in any way but quickly. He turned back to me, though I felt his gaze was on Bo, Anakin and Naz more so than me. "Agreement: Yes, Master. I shall ensure that those responsible for this new frame, as barely acceptable as it is, are afforded as much respect as I can muster for meatbags."

A few of the technicians seemed to tense, hands drifting toward their blasters, but not drawing them. HK was a law unto himself and to Mandalorians, the way he talked could easily be seen as a threat. Even when he was trying to be civil.

I shifted my focus from HK to them. "You'll have to forgive HK. What he lacks in social niceties, he more than makes up for in combat proficiency. Haran, I'd go so far as to call him murder-happy, but he doesn't have feelings."

"Agreement: Yes, Master. I am superior to all meatbags and their inability to think without using feelings. Clarification: Outside of yourself, Master, and the Creator."

"That's not nice!" Anakin yelled out as he came to my side. I shook my head, surprised that even now, after having spent time around HK over the last few years, he could still be caught out by the droid's bluntness. Behind me, I could sense Bo and Naz's amusement at HK's antics. I didn't know how Naz felt about droids, but Bo disliked them as much as HK disliked organics. Only I, and their shared love of weapons, combat and violence allowed them to find common ground.

"Commentary: I am a droid, little meatbag. I wasn't programmed to be 'nice'."

"HK," I said, cutting off Anakin from retorting. "As you well know, Anakin was one of those who helped design your new frame. Some of his suggestions generated unexpected but significant improvements in your efficiency."

HK's receptors flickered. "Clarification: What I meant, little meatbag, was that I'm not nice to those my Master doesn't wish me to be nice to. Otherwise, I can be very agreeable."

"Anyway," I began as I shook my head at HK and what his definition of agreeable might be, "what are your self-diagnostics reporting about the new frame and programming?"

"Answer: The frame is working at eighty-nine-point four-five per cent of optimal efficiency. However, my combat matrices require calibration for the new frame, and potential updating for weaponry specifications of this era. Clarification: While the various manuals and technical documents have been uploaded, there are always discrepancies between those and what a given weapon is capable of. Addendum: In time, once calibrations are complete, I look forward to testing myself against the Jedi of this era, and of replaying the look of shock upon their faces when their beloved weapons fail moments before I extinguish their pathetic lives."

I chuckled. "So, you're fine with the phrik? I was thinking that in time, we might develop a superior frame, one composed of both phrik and beskar."

"Commentary: Would not the meatbags known as Mandalorians feel slighted by using the alloy they worship in a droid's frame?"

"They might," I replied quickly as I sensed Bo and Naz – along with the technicians still present – bristle at HK's words. "But we can see. I don't have my ancestor's flair for creation, at least not with droids, so I'm simply placing on the table the option to upgrade the frame if you ever wish to. And, no doubt, Anakin and Bo will have suggestions for the hardware and software that might hold some appeal."

"Agreement: That is a very wise course of action, Master. Advisory: However, without extensive examination of this frame, in true combat, I could not offer a decision on the offer."

"Understandable." I looked down at Anakin, whose eyes seemed to have lit up at the idea of improving HK, which was both heartening and – at least for my enemies – terrifying. "Still, it's time to shake off the rust, so to speak. Three thousand years is a long time to let your skills degrade, no doubt to the point of a child's."

"Commentary: Oh, you are a cruel master, Master. I believe I'm going to enjoy fighting by your side."

I held back a comment on the status of combat droids in this era. I didn't want to ruin the fun of hearing HK's critiques of the Trade Federation's B1s when we got to Naboo. He'd already expressed some displeasure with them from Holonet recordings he'd viewed but seeing them in a recording was worlds away from facing – and slaughtering – them on a battlefield.

Thus, I turned and moved toward the door. HK fell into step behind, I could imagine he wasn't thrilled about the fact, for now, he wasn't carrying a blaster. Though as I exited the room, with him and the others in tow, I knew that issue would be quickly rectified. As we walked, I opened and closed Rebuilding a Hunter-Killer: Part 1, noting that I'd received 1375XP. I'd made the first hidden objective of getting Mechanics [Droids] to Master:25, though the others – for reaching Master:50, Master:75, and Savant:1 – hadn't been reached. Still, it was another small step on the way to level 30 – I was about 15000xp short – and the final system upgrade.

… …

… …

A soft, continual beeping pulled me from my dreams and felt a gentle change in the Force, which had me shifting in my bed. Or tried to, because, as my thoughts aligned themselves, I remembered that once more Bo and Naz had joined me last night and both were laying either side – and in the case of an arm from Bo and a leg from Naz – over me currently.

Using the Force and slow, careful movement, I extracted myself from my warm and tempting position and slid from the bed. Naz groaned, seemingly realising I wasn't there. I smirked as she shuffled over in her sleep until she was pressed up against her friend and lover before turning. The floor was, as usual, covered in various sections of clothing with their armour resting on a table at the far side of the room beside the stand holding mine. While the pair were ravenous in bed, they didn't simply toss off their armour in the desire to join me in bed, which was a relief as the chance of standing on the controls of a vambrace and setting off the inbuilt weaponry would be fucking embarrassing to deal with when medics and security turned up.

I was glad the floor was covered in carpet and the room warm as otherwise I might well have used Silence to ensure I could ignore the attempted communication. At least if the Force wasn't shifting, hinting that something was happening.

I pulled my helmet on, ensuring I and whoever was calling me wouldn't wake my lovers. "Yes?" I asked as the channel opened.

"Cameron," came Simvyl's voice, through the earpiece, "we've got an incoming priority signal from Coruscant. Should I route it to you now?" He sounded more awake than me, but that was probably because the call had come into Raven first and he'd had to wake before calling me.

"Go ahead," I replied, glad the signal was being routed into the helmet. Whoever was calling wouldn't see the state of my quarters or the two naked beauties behind me. It was unlikely to be my publisher, as from the initial report they'd sent, the first book of the Knights of the Old Republic Trilogy, The Dark Times, would cover everything from the game up until facing Darth Bandon, which for this was taking place in the Shadowlands of Kask…

My thoughts were cut off as the HUD displayed an image of Palpatine. "Cameron, I do hope I haven't caught you at an inopportune time," he said. All he'd see was my face, which no doubt showed my shock at his call.

"No, I was not far from waking anyway," I replied with a half-truth. It was only an hour from sun-up, but since I was sure we'd only gone to sleep a few hours ago, I'd planned to enjoy a lay-in, and then – I hoped – a repeat of last night's events. "Has something happened regarding our mutual concern?"

"No, no. There's been little movement on that matter." Palpatine paused and, for once, looked every bit his age. "The matter I'm calling regarding is perhaps graver, at least to me." I inhaled, wondering if this was the starter's gun. "You remember the summit on Eriadu?

"As much as I'd rather not, yes." I still had moments where I replayed the event of Eriadu, wondering if my hesitation to act might have been driven by a desire to ensure, as bad as it sounded, events happened how I expected for Naboo. "Has Viceroy Gunray been brought in for questioning?"

Palpatine sighed and slumped. "As much as that would be ideal, he hasn't. It seems that the Viceroy has reacted worse than expected to the taxation of the Outer Rim, and seemingly in a move to punish me for supporting the Chancellor's call for a summit on Eriadu, blockaded Naboo."

"Is that legal?" I asked, only to pause and fight the urge to laugh. Of all the lines I'd pull out, it just had to be that one.

Thankfully, Palpatine didn't see or sense my hesitation after speaking. "No, it certainly is not. The matter is now with the Senate, but with the Chancellor mired in allegations of corruption, it will take years, at a minimum, before any decision is reached regarding the blockade."

"If not longer with the Trade Federation and their allies in the Senate actively hindering investigations," I suggested, which earned a nod from Palpatine.

"Indeed. As I fear for my people and the new Queen," I knew he was playing on my friendship with Padmé there, but in his place, I'd do the same, "I'm reaching out for help wherever I can."

I nodded, showing my understanding. Yes, he had ensured Naboo was the target, but I wasn't meant to know that. "I'll do what I can. What of the Jedi Council? Can they intervene on humanitarian grounds?" Even as I asked that, I knew they'd do fuck all to help. But it gave me time to run through the checklist I kept in my mind about what I needed to do. If there was time, I could try and head to Naboo directly and confront Gunray. I'd be massively overstepping my bounds as a Jedi, and lead to the High Council censoring me – at a minimum – but it would save the planet.

"Master Yoda expressed his sympathy, but I was informed that they wouldn't act in an official capacity until the Senate asked them to." I snorted, making clear my dislike of that response, which brought a small smile to Palpatine's face for a moment. "I'm sorry for asking for your help, but I have little other option."

"It's fine, uncle," I replied, playing on the bond we shared. "If you want, I could head to Naboo and speak with the Viceroy?" I offered, adding enough inflexion to 'speak' that he'd understand my meaning.

"No, no. I fear such a bold move would only make things worse for everyone." That did make sense, even ignoring his role in ensuring the blockade happened. Still, it was an offer I had to make to hint I was more proactive than other Jedi. Now, if given a choice, I'd have happily led a strike team with the purpose of capturing Gunray before the invasion took place, or possibly just after, but while I considered Bo, Naz and others good fighters, they weren't on the level to pull off a mission like that. Hell, I wasn't sure I was. Not with Maul floating around the edges of the picture. "While I'm glad to have your support, I'm not willing to risk your life in such a fool-hardly move."

"Then what do you suggest?" I asked even as I sent a message to Simvyl to ready Raven for flight.

Palpatine took a moment, seemingly considering the matter though I had little doubt he already knew what he wanted me to do. "Return to Coruscant. In the time it will take you to get here, I can make other moves and see what our options are. If nothing exists, then I may well accompany you to Naboo. Combined, we might be able to sway the Viceroy's hand before the blockade turns into something worse."

"Of course, Senator. I'll send a message to your office once I'm underway. If I push the engines on Raven, I should be there within two days."

Palpatine sighed and seemed to find some energy again. "Thank you, my friend. I… When you arrive, head straight for the Senate. I'll ensure you have priority clearance. Thank you."

I smiled in support before closing the channel. Once it was closed, I considered how I could change events. Ideally, I could get assigned the mission instead of Qui-Gon. Beyond completing the quest to keep him alive past the invasion, being there could help move things in different ways that might unintentionally disrupt Sidious' plans. Still, any plan would have to wait until I returned to the capital of the Republic, and pulled off the helmet.

"What's happening?"

I tensed, caught unaware by Bo's voice. After placing my helmet on the table, I turned to see she and Naz were both awake, though Naz looked inclined to drift back to sleep. "You remember how I mentioned needing my armour and HK for the darkness I sensed?" Bo nodded while Naz blinked trying to clear the cobwebs of sleep. "I fear it's arriving earlier than I expected. Naboo, a planet in the Chommell sector, has been blockaded by the Trade Federation. The Senator, who I consider somewhat of a friend, is asking for help."

Bo was stationary for a second before she slid off the bed and stood, entirely unconcerned by her nakedness. Or mine it seemed. In my haste to answer the call, I'd forgotten to slip on even my robes. That made me extremely glad I'd used the helmet to take the call. "We'd better speak with my father," Bo started as she reached down for her underweave. "If you're going to war, House Kryze will ride with you."

I smiled in thanks and moved to find my clothing.

"I'm coming too," Naz added as she pulled herself over the bed. Though the statement was undercut by a long, loud yawn that slipped from her lips.

I nodded to her even as I pulled on my trousers. However, my mind was on Anakin. As much as he'd want to, I wasn't taking him to Coruscant. Not when I was heading directly to Palpatine. I couldn't leave him on Mandalore, as he'd likely find a way to sneak on board any ship Bo was on, claiming he wanted to help. As much as she'd scoff at me for saying so, she had a soft spot for the boy and would have no issue with bringing him along in a support role. Yet, knowing Anakin, and his insane luck, he'd find a way to be critical to the upcoming battle. To ensure that didn't happen, I had to ask Adonai to have someone take him back to his mother. At least there he'd be safe.

Once back on Coruscant, I'd be intercepting Qui-Gon and, provided Valorum hadn't already reached out to the Jedi, take the mission before he could. If he'd already been assigned by the time I arrived, I'd tag along, claiming a connection with Padmé would help the mission.

Regardless, after nine years of waiting, the starter's gun had sounded. It might be another decade before things became official, but finally, the Clone Wars had entered their opening stages.

… …

… …
A/N: Well, finally, after 5+ years and over 850000 words, we reached the canon timeline.
...
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USSExplorer · Sep 16, 2023

A/N:
As always, thanks to those helping me write and plan out this story and checking it for continuality and logic errors.

This chapter was released at least 2 weeks ago to my Patreons (with them seeing a draft version around 2 months ago) and on the story's Discord server (in GDoc form) about a week ago.
Links for both are at the end of the chapter.
Hopefully, all the little mistakes have been found and removed.

Current Date: READ THE TITLE (LOL)

The Phantom Menace 1
... ...

I couldn't suppress a smile as I deftly manoeuvred the sleek Raven, plunging her at an almost vertical angle into the tumultuous depths of Coruscant's bustling atmosphere. On any ordinary day, breaching the airspace of the illustrious Republic capital would have invited a swarm of Republic cruisers, their intentions veiled behind a veneer of authority. However, I couldn't help but harbour quiet confidence in the face of such potential interception, for I doubted their feeble vessels possessed even a fraction of Raven's unparalleled speed and agile prowess. Alas, this day was unlike any other, as Palpatine himself had honoured his promise, securing for me a prized priority corridor leading directly to the hallowed Senate chambers.

Admittedly, I might have been pushing the limits of Senate security's tolerance, hurtling towards my destination with an urgency that would undoubtedly set their nerves on edge. Yet, armed with Palpatine's blessing and the undeniable affiliation of my vessel with the Jedi, they chose to remain silent observers. Well, if one were to overlook the brief thirty seconds of half-hearted hails that fizzled out in futility as I triumphantly shattered through the manufactured veil of clouds, my eyes met with the awe-inspiring sight of the colossal Senate edifice, dominating the horizon with its commanding presence.

A gentle pull on her controls, along with sending thoughts of slowing, had Raven pull out of her dive. She wasn't happy about it as she loved entering atmospheres like this, but she understood my desire and listened. Mainly as under the enjoyment she was radiating, I could feel the desire to return to the Temple and then leave the planet as soon as we could. While she enjoyed the attention at the Temple, she disliked the planet itself - something I felt came from the artificial nature of the atmosphere and surface.

We circled around the Senate as the computers plotted a landing vector and as various sensors in the building locked onto me as a reminder the building wasn't defenceless, I was glad Raven had yet to be outfitted with weaponry. The Mandalorian engineers – arranged by Duke Adonai and Alor Dred Yomaget – that had been working on doing so hadn't discovered a method to add even simple point defence laser cannons to her frame without the need to cut into her skin, something they and I agreed shouldn't be done. Apart from her lack of firepower, no other ship could match Raven's grace, speed, and beauty.

As we angled for the assigned landing pad, my thoughts turned to Padmé. I'd wanted to show her Raven, to let her and her handmaidens take a short flight in her. Yet after Padmé's kiss, and the glances and comments from Sabé, I'd left Naboo as soon as decorum allowed. Every time I'd flown Raven to her limits with a female who was interested in or involved with me onboard, it always ended the same way. While I did hope to eventually see where things with Padmé may lead, she was only fourteen and while that might be legal for the Naboo and Mandalorians, it wasn't above the Republic's Age of Responsibility. Nor my personal standard. Still, while my time on Naboo had been shorter than planned, I'd scanned Theed and the surrounding countryside thoroughly in advance of the invasion and battles that were about to take place.

Bringing Raven into a hover over the landing pad, I saw several figures step out from the cover of the Senate. The lead one wore deep blue robes marking them out as Palpatine, thus I assumed those behind him were several of his aides, if not those he wished for me to speak with about the blockade of Naboo.

Raven touched down with such gentle grace that if I'd not been at the controls, I wouldn't have felt the contact. A small smile came to my face as I marvelled once more at her grace, with the smile growing when I sensed Raven's pride in my respect for her. "Keep the engines warm," I said as I stood and looked over at Simvyl who was sitting in the co-pilot's chair. Not that he ever had to do anything as Raven knew how to fly herself if the course wasn't complicated. Plus, the bond we shared only allowed me to actually fly her. "I sense we'll not be here long. Though if I do disappear inside, set them to standby until I contact you."

"Got it," Simvyl replied with a nod as he focused on Raven's displays.

With that, I walked out of the cockpit, made my way through a deserted main area – though not before using the Force to tidy up the main sofa after another of Fenrir's snoozes – and moved toward the exit ramp. As I entered the airlock, I found Fenrir waiting for me. "Behave," I said sternly as the ramp descended. He looked up and tilted his head to the side. "I mean it. This isn't someone I want knowing I dislike them." He snorted and then shook which was the best response I could hope for.

I'd avoided having Fenrir meet Palpatine before, but given this talk was, in theory, about a combat mission, I wanted Palpatine to know that I'd have Fenrir with me. I hoped the idea I fought beside a Sith war beast would keep his focus on me as it wouldn't be too long until I had to make a call regarding Anakin. Whatever I decided on, and I was leaning toward teaching him myself, having Palpatine interested in me as his potential apprentice would, I hope, distract his gaze from lingering too long on Anakin. However, I knew that if I took the boy as my Padawan, then that would be harder to achieve, so I'd have to determine a change in tack if I made that move.

Stepping outside, I saw a Duros and a trio of droids approach, though I stopped them with a gesture and indicated for them to wait. If I entered the building with Palpatine, I'd let them approach, but if, as I sensed, I wouldn't be here long, then there was no point in them connecting Raven to the Senate's fuel and power lines.

"Senator," I said with a slight lowering of my head once we'd reached each other. At his sides were Sate Prestige and Janus Greejatus. While I felt the latter was nothing more than an arse-kisser with some degree of competence, there was more to Sate than met the eye. Though I'd not determined what it was he did for Palpatine, my guard was up whenever I was near him.

"Cameron, thank you for coming," Palpatine replied, offering a weak smile while his shoulders remained tense. "However, I fear my summons might have been in vain." I frowned, wondering what had happened in the day and a bit it had taken me to reach Coruscant. "I've recently spoken with the Chancellor, and he informed me he reached out several days ago to the Jedi Council. It seems he called in a personal favour with them to ensure the Jedi sent a team to investigate and end the blockade."

"I don't think it shall be that easy," I commented, earning a nod of agreement from Janus. "Did the Chancellor tell you which Jedi were sent?"

"Sadly, no. Though I think that was because he wasn't aware." Palpatine's gaze drifted to Fenrir for a second before he continued, "I'm led to believe the Jedi Council decides on such matters without speaking with the Chancellor or Senate. Nor could Chancellor Valorum push on the matter as he has very little personal power left after Eriadu."

I nodded in agreement, even if I knew he'd arranged for the trade summit to fail. "And he is, if I understand, approaching the end of his term." Palpatine gave a solemn nod, playing the idea that he felt he was losing a friend in the highest office. "Still, at least he was able to convince the Council to send some Jedi. I just fear that they'll be going in expecting the Federation to talk to resolve the blockade when I sense that is far from their intention. It could easily drag out, or worse, undermine the Chancellor entirely and plunge the Senate, and the Republic, into chaos, which would only make it harder to rally official support for Naboo."

"Then what can we do?" Once more Palpatine showed how skilled he was at hiding his true feelings as even in the Force, I could sense concern from him for Naboo.

I frowned and looked out onto the skyline of Coruscant. "I don't know." I turned back. "Have you managed to gather any support in the Senate?"

Palpatine's shoulders slumped, the very image of a man on the edge of defeat. "Not much, unfortunately. While many Senators come from sectors that have issues with the Trade Federation, few are willing to support us. If the Federation is made to leave Naboo without an escalation, they fear their systems will be in line for retaliation. The few who might be willing to stand against the Federation have, I suspect, vested interests in rivals to the Federation."

"Yes, that's about what I expected," I said with a shake of my head. "Most people talk a good game, but few are able to back it up when the chips are down." Fenrir grunted, picking up on my annoyance. My gaze returned to the cityscape, locking onto the Temple, where I knew I needed to go to determine if Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were the pair that had been sent to Naboo. "I'll head to the Temple," I continued as I returned my focus to Palpatine. "While it's likely too late to join the mission, I should be able to determine who was sent. From there, if there's still time, I might race to Naboo. Raven can outrun anything the Republic would use for the Order."

Palpatine's frown deepened. "You fear the Federation might try something even with a Jedi present?"

I shrugged. "I cannot be sure, but if they've committed enough ships to blockade a planet, the financial hit to their business is going to be decent. The longer the blockade goes on without reparations to them, the more committed they'll likely become. And that's not even considering how long it took them to consider and gather the ships in the first place."

A very weak smile came to Palpatine's face. "That's a remarkably observant opinion. Especially from one who has expressed clear disinterest in political matters."

"While I have no interest in politics, my mission to Zygerria helped show me that even if I disdain what takes place in this building, I can't ignore how it, and credits, affect the behaviours of many in the galaxy." I offered him a small smile. "Plus, while it was some time ago, it's possible the time spent pretending to be your nephew rubbed off on me more than I realised." I turned and looked at the Duros and droids who, while having retreated from the midday sun, were watching us. "Regardless, I'll depart for the Temple. Once I know who the Jedi assigned are, and if they've departed, I'll contact you and we can consider our next move."

Palpatine smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes. "I will return to my office and continue seeing what diplomatic avenues can be exploited. However, I fear that the only remaining hope for Queen Amidala and our people now rests on your shoulders, my young friend."

"Then I'll try my best to not disappoint uncle."

… …

… …

About thirty minutes later I stepped off Raven, setting foot in the Temple for the first time in some time. I'd not entered the massive building since returning from my meeting with Palpatine and Hego Damask in the Senator's office several months prior. The fact that somehow, I'd entered an alliance of convenience with two Sith Lords to prepare for an invasion from beyond the galaxy still made me chuckle morbidly. That though, was something for another time. For now, my focus was on finding someone who'd confirm if Qui-Gon had been given the Naboo mission.

"Knight Shan, welcome back." The statement came from a civilian who worked in the Jedi Temple as my armoured boots contacted the Temple's hangar. "Does your ship require any maintenance?"

I smiled at the Togruta male. "Just a refuelling for now. I expect to leave before the end of the day unless the Council or the Force have something for me to handle here." The Togruta nodded, accepting the vague reply easily. Even as he turned to his team of sentients and droids, I made a beeline for the hangar's internal exit.

Each step I took echoed slightly as my boots clipped against the metal floor. While I wasn't wearing my full beskar armour, mainly to avoid any issues with other members of the Order, I still wore some of it. The boots and gauntlets showed as I moved, my robes doing little to hide them. What they did hide was the chest plate I wore. From those sections alone, I shouldn't get into any trouble as the armour was on-par with what Jedi had worn back when I'd been 'born'. Before I'd been dragged forward by the Force and TPTB to this era.

I stepped alone into the lift just outside the hangar as Simvyl, Fenrir and HK remained on Raven. While the first two could've accompanied me, Simvyl understood I wasn't staying long, and Fenrir disliked the Temple now. Ever since Zonama Sekot and the war with the Vong, he'd found it hard to relax in every place in the Temple. As for HK… Yeah, I wasn't letting the rebuilt and rearmed droid designed by Revan to kill Jedi wander the Temple. It'd take him less than a minute to do something that would result in me being dragged before the High Council, which would put my plans for Naboo in danger.

As the elevator descended, I accessed the Temple mainframe, smirking at the massive increase in access I had now that I was a Knight, though a part of me always wondered what else was still restricted to me. A quick search of the mainframe confirmed Fay wasn't present. I'd received a Holonet message from her when I'd arrived in the Coruscant system saying she was leaving on her mission to find Tython – though she didn't say that part over the Holonet – and while I'd hoped I'd get to see her before she'd left, I already knew neither she nor Dooku would be with me on Naboo. It was one of those rare moments where, when the world seemed to stop, I understood what the Force wished for me. In this case I was certain that the Force wished me to face this trial – and by extension, Maul – without them.

With that confirmation she was gone, I'd shifted to locating Sifo-Dyas. My brow rose as I learnt he was no longer on the Council. He was due to stand down at the end of this year, but from the records I saw, he'd stepped down around a year early. As the mainframe confirmed his last access was in the Jedi Archives, I wondered if his death had been changed with Dooku no longer becoming Darth Tyrannus. Now, Dooku's quest wasn't over, but I felt certain he'd not join Sidious and rise as a Dark Lord. That said, I couldn't be entirely sure I could prevent Sifo-Dyas' fate, nor whether Darihd would be the one to pay for my accepting the quest to save his Master. I hoped that wouldn't be the case, but I'd have to wait until after Naboo to see what else, if anything, I could do to prevent their deaths.

I exited the elevator on the floor with the Archives and made a beeline for them. I stepped inside, planning to ask where Sifo-Dyas was only to run into a familiar and attractive purple-skinned Twi'lek.

"Knight Shan," Rachi Sitra began before lowering her head slightly. When she came back up, a playful smile danced on her face. "It's been some time. I hadn't realised you'd returned to the Temple."

"I only arrived back today," I replied as I considered the Padawan of Jocasta Nu. I'd not had much, if any, interaction with her over the last few years, and had no intention of mentioning why I was in the Temple. Still, it was nice to see her again, for several reasons. Not least because, as my eyes examined her, I remembered Serra mentioning Rachi when she spoke of others she found attractive. "On a personal matter linked to the Senate. How have you been?"

Rachi's smile grew. "I'm good, though I do wish Master Nu would allow me to leave the temple as I wish to return to the Pius Dea ship you discovered. What was its name again?"

"Mtael's Gift," I replied, no longer bothered by the Lokella naming the place after me. "Though since the engines are beyond repair, it's better to refer to it as a station. Why aren't you allowed to return?"

Rachi looked around and then stepped closer. Her smile fell as she placed a hand on my arm, and I let her guide me to one side of the section of the Archives we were in. "Haven't you heard? Master Bondara is dead."

"What?" I blinked in shock, trying to process that one of the Order's most skilled lightsaber duellists, and a former Battlemaster, had died. "How?"

"He and his Padawan, Darsha Assant, were given a mission somewhere on Coruscant. From what I heard; the mission was to be Darsha's last before she sat her Trials. Anyway, when they didn't return to the Temple, rumours started up until the Council informed Master Nu that the pair had become one with the Force."

"Damn!" I cursed. Given his skill, if I recruited any Jedi to help with Naboo, Bondara would be one I'd have hoped to ask. Yet it seemed his fate was already set, and he'd died to something on the planet. While my mind instantly shifted to the Sith, there was nothing I could do to prove that. And I remembered my run-in with the taozin when I'd had to find Tedra in the lower levels. Still, I doubted even a taozin could take out Bondara, not unless he'd been distracted because of his Padawan. "Any leads?"

Rachi shook her head. "Not that I've heard, though Serra would know more than me as Master Drallig was close friends with Master Bondara." Rachi shifted closer, the smile returning as her lekku shifted. "Have you spoken to her yet?"

"Not yet. Though if time allows, I hope to do so." I kept my thoughts calm, not wanting them to wander when Serra was mentioned. Which was hard as it was so easy to bring forth the memories of her writhing in delight because of my machinations. While I doubted Rachi could sense those feelings even if they came forth, others in the Archive – including Masters Nu and Sifo-Dyas – likely would, which was a can of worms I didn't want to open. "As much as I'd love to stay and catch up further," I began, placing a hand on her forearm to suggest an interest, "I need to speak with Master Sifo-Dyas." Her cheeks darkened with my touch and her lekku wriggled. "If time allows, I might have time to speak before I depart, however, I can't promise anything." The odds weren't good as I was more likely to find Serra and speak with her, but there was no need to dismiss Rachi so coldly. And given the way her smile grew and took on a more predatory look, she was happy to hear me say what I had.

"Of course, and I hope you can. I know others wouldn't mind speaking to you or arranging a flight on your new ship." Rachi stepped forward as her voice dropped to whisper. "Serra speaks highly of how incredible her time spent there has been." She pulled back and lowered her head before I could ask what she meant by that. "Until later, Knight Shan."

I nodded in reply, choosing not to speak on the chance I incriminated myself and Serra, and then watched her walk away for a few moments – making sure to not watch the way her hips swayed – before resuming my search for Sifo-Dyas.

After asking one of the various Jedi who helped Master Nu maintain the Archives, I found him and Darihd at the far end of a thankfully empty room. "Master," I said as I neared the table, drawing the attention of both.

"Ah, Cameron. I wasn't aware you'd returned," Sifo-Dyas said as Darihd subtly pushed the datapad he was using away. That suggested he wasn't enjoying the topic or just wanted to speak with me more than study. "I sense some urgency in your presence."

I nodded. "There is, Master," I began as I moved closer, making sure the room was as empty as it appeared. "I was approached by Senator Palpatine regarding the blockade of his homeworld." Sifo-Dyas nodded to let me know to continue. "He requested my return to Coruscant to help him with the situation, yet when I returned I learnt the Council had assigned a team of Jedi to handle the matter. I was hoping you might know which Jedi were assigned."

Sifo-Dyas was silent for a moment as if considering the matter, or possibly my connection to it. Eventually, he sighed. "While I no longer sit on the Council, I'm aware which Jedi have been assigned. However, before I reveal that, might I ask what your connection is to this situation? At least if it extends beyond the Senator."

"The newly elected Queen of Naboo is a friend. Both of you have met her if you recall the evacuation of the Shadda-Bi-Borans and the Naberrie family?" Sifo-Dyas nodded quickly, making me wonder if he'd followed the galactic news to discover Padmé's election.

"She was the girl who liked your story?" Darihd asked in a confused tone.

"Yes, she was," Sifo-Dyas answered, "and from what I know, those works have been remarkably successful. Masters Fay and Dooku have mentioned how you've used the proceeds of those to help various charities and organisations like the Refugee Relief Movement. A noble and worthwhile gesture."

I smiled at Sifo-Dyas even if I wondered if that was the entire truth that he'd been told or if he was saying that so anyone who might overhear wouldn't look too deeply into the funds I had at my disposal. "Thank you, Master." I turned to Darihd. "Padmé is the new Queen of Naboo." I chuckled at the shock that spread over Darihd's face. "At the invitation of Senator Palpatine, who I've maintained a connection with ever since spending time with him on a Council-sanctioned mission," I added, simply to cover my arse if Sifo-Dyas grew concerned at me remaining in contact with the Senator, "I attended Padmé's coronation and reconnected with the new queen."

Sifo-Dyas nodded. "And with the Senate locked in debate due to the actions of the Trade Federation, and Chancellor Valorum's power waning, Senator Palpatine reached out to you for help." I nodded in confirmation, which oddly made Sifo-Dyas frown. "Hmm. It is unusual that he chose to reach out to you when there are others in the Order he has known longer, but perhaps he was playing on your friendship with the young Queen as well to expedite any help the Order could offer." He rubbed his beard in thought. "A logical move, though I feel there's more to why you seem intent on learning the identity of the Jedi assigned to the crisis."

"It has to do with matters my Masters have discussed with you and Master Nilas," I replied, still mindful of where we were. "I've been having visions… images of Jedi – ones wielding blades of blue and green – in combat against someone wielding a red double-bladed lightsaber."

"A dark sider!?" Darihd blurted out loudly. Both Sifo-Dyas and I looked at him, and he shrunk into his seat. "Sorry."

"For the longest time, I wasn't sure of what I was seeing," I explained slowly to Sifo-Dyas. "However, the visions have grown stronger and clearer, and when meditating before my knighting, I think I glimpsed the faces of the Dark Sider and one Jedi. Master Qui-Gon Jinn." Sifo-Dyas tensed fractionally. If I'd not been waiting to see that, I'd have missed it. "He's one assigned to Naboo, isn't he?"

Sifo-Dyas nodded. "Along with his Padawan, yes. It was Master Jinn that the Council assigned to investigate and, if possible, resolve the blockade." Sifo-Dyas looked away as if taking a moment to collect his thoughts. "How sure are you of these visions?" He asked when his gaze returned to me.

"I'm not a seer, so I can't be certain, but I'm as convinced by them as I can be." My reply was vague because even a Jedi Seer couldn't say for certain that a vision was one hundred per cent certain to happen. "And I fear if I brought this matter to the Council, they'd either keep me present to confirm my visions were accurate, in which case, it may well be too late to prevent them from coming to pass or dismiss my concerns entirely. Possibly even working to ensure I don't attempt to interfere with the Jedi assigned to the matter."

"Yet if you rush off, uncertain of events, then what you fear might still come to pass," Sifo-Dyas countered to which I nodded, confirming I understood that. "Still, since you failed to see your blade engaged with the red one, it lends credence to your belief that acting now may prevent the vision." He sighed and shook his head. "Sadly, for all that the Force grants us, clarity of what might be isn't one most ever have. Assuming they travelled on a Republic cruiser, then Master Jinn and his Padawan will arrive at Naboo sometime today."

I gave a nod, having expected this, yet inside I was a whirlwind of thoughts. Even with Raven, I couldn't reach them before they were attacked and then snuck down to Naboo. From there, time wasn't clear in the movie, but it seemed they left the planet the day of the invasion, or at most, the day after. Pushing Raven to her limits, I could reach Naboo before the end of tomorrow, but the odds were high that I'd miss their escape.

From there, things became more complicated. While Tatooine would be the logical place to intercept them, I felt that the reason Obi-Wan had suggested it first was due to the Force guiding him and Qui-Gon there to collect Anakin. An event I'd ensured wouldn't happen – along with others – by taking the boy and his mother to the Lokella.

That left me with three options. First was to head to Tatooine and hope they'd still go there even without Anakin and the Force to guide them. I'd be able to get there before Maul arrived; otherwise, both Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan would die, and Padmé would be forced to sign the Federation's treaty. However, if they went somewhere else, it might be hard to reach them before Maul as while Tatooine wasn't too far off a major hyperspace lane, it was still an isolated system.

The second option was to remain on Coruscant and wait for a message from someone on the ship or a hint from the Force about where to go. That option left it up to chance, and frankly, that just didn't sit well with me. As much as I could stand around and do nothing, I preferred to be doing something instead of simply waiting for the Force to guide me.

The third option, and the one that held the most appeal, was to head to somewhere between Naboo and Tatooine and wait. While I'd still be waiting for a holocall or hint from the Force, I'd be closer to the Naboo cruiser's likely flightpath, thus removing a fair chunk of the time needed to reach them.

"This news troubles you?"

I looked at Sifo-Dyas as he spoke, having been drawn from considering my course of action. "Only that it might already be too late to prevent my vision, Master." I sighed and shook my head, the three options still dominating my thoughts. "Perhaps I'll take some time to meditate on the matter."

Sifo-Dyas smiled. "That is what I was about to advise. While, like yourself, Master Dooku prefers to act instead of waiting for a glimpse of what to do, he understands the benefits of taking a step back and reconsidering a situation." He placed a hand on my shoulder even as he continued. "It's comforting to see that arrogance hasn't clouded your thoughts. Many new Knights struggle with understanding that there is much they cannot control, so seeing you understand this at your youthful age is encouraging." He chuckled. "Of course, from a former Padawan of Master Dooku, I'd expect nothing but excellence."

"Thank you, Master," I replied with a smile and a slight bow. "Darihd," I added, offering a nod to my friend. "My apologies for interrupting your work and my thanks for your advice."

"It's quite all right. Master Dooku is one of my closest friends, as you are with Darihd. Though I feel my Padawan has enjoyed the break from researching Grandmaster Fae perhaps a touch too much."

I chuckled as Darihd's face drained of a little colour. Before he could attempt to cover his arse, I gave the pair a last nod before turning and walking away. As I crossed into the central crossway of the Archives I saw Tedra moving with her clan but made no move to intercept them. I did need to think some more about my course of action, and I felt doing that on the Raven was a better choice than using a private meditation room in the Temple as the longer I was here, the greater the chance I'd run into a senior member of the Order and be delayed.

The only thing that did stick out as I exited the Archives was that the dates felt off. Padmé had only become queen at the very end of the last year. While no exact timeline was given in the movies, I felt the invasion took place in the middle of the year, though that might be simply because the climate around Theed appeared warm. Of course, after visiting the planet, I'd discovered that while it had rainy and cold seasons, for most of the year, Theed and the surrounding countryside enjoyed pleasant weather.

I moved quickly, slipping around the busier areas of the Temple to further minimise the chance I'd be distracted, yet as I neared the elevator to return to the hangar and Raven I felt a familiar and comforting presence close by.

[Cam.]

Turning, I saw Serra, Sia-Lan, Lorana Jinzler, and others. Serra said something to the group before moving toward me. As she did, Sia-Lan smiled widely while Lorana frowned. That reaction was odd, but I put it aside as Serra neared.

She paused a few steps from me, though I could tell she wanted to come closer. "What's wrong?" She asked as she gripped the side of her robes.

"What makes you think something's wrong?" I replied, smiling slightly at her need to grip her robes to avoid reaching out for me. I could sense some desire from her, but she was doing a decent job of hiding the truth behind something most Jedi might expect from a Padawan.

"Apart from you ignoring me calling to you?" She matched my smirk with her own. "Twice. And that I can sense concern and confusion from you ever since you entered the Temple?" She took a step closer, her hands slipping from her robes. "Even if we weren't that close," her lips threatened to erupt into a smile, "the fact you ignored everyone as you walked made it clear something's troubling you."

"Yeah, sorry," I ran a hand through my long hair. "Just got something on my mind."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

I looked past her and offered the group she'd left a smile. Sia-Lan matched it, though I felt there was amusement and jealousy mixed into it, while Lorana seemed unsure how to react. "Not in public."

Serra smiled before turning and looking at her friends. The Force shifted slightly before Sia-Lan's smile grew, and she nodded. She turned to the others with her, and after a few words, they moved off. "The Gardens?" Serra suggested when she turned back to me.

I accepted the suggestion with a lowering of my head and turned. Serra slipped into step at my side, though she stayed slightly behind which I assumed was because she was a Padawan while I was a Knight. [So, what's bothering you?]

I waited until we reached the nearest flight of stairs that led to the Temple's rooftop gardens before responding. [Naboo has been blockaded by the Trade Federation.] As we emerged into the Gardens, I saw Master Sinube leading a group of Initiates through a series of Jedi callisthenics while elsewhere, a Nikto and Miralukan were sitting discussing something. I couldn't make out their faces to be sure who they were, but I knew the Miralukan wasn't Master Unduli as the robes didn't match what she normally wore. [The Council has sent two Jedi to investigate the matter. However, I fear that if I don't intervene at least one of them will die.]

Serra kept her face calm as we moved away from the stairs. [The Dark Side?] she asked as she guided me toward a familiar and friendly corner.

[Yes,] I replied as we sat. "How have you been?" I asked verbally once we were seated. Even if the seats we were on were partially hidden, if we only talked mentally, it would draw more suspicion upon us. While it was unlikely any would walk past while we sat, I felt better hiding our true talk. Along with any hint of how close we were and how much Serra meant to me. [Yes, though I'm unsure how to intervene, or even if I should as it might make the situation worse.]

Serra smiled and brushed back a lock of hair that had fallen over her eye. "Good, though everyone here's on edge." She leaned closer. "Did you hear? Master Bondara is gone." [Cam, if you feel you should intervene, then you will. You're not the sort to sit around and wait for someone to suggest a path to take.]

I bit back a chuckle at how well she knew me. [You know me that well, do you?] "Yeah. I ran into Padawan Sitra in the Archives earlier and she mentioned the details to me." Having two vastly different conversations at the same time was odd, but it was something we'd agreed upon to help hide how close our bond now was. "What happened?"

Serra's lips twitched, though I couldn't tell if it was because of the dig or the mention of Rachi. "I don't really know. My Master was close to Master Bondara, but he hasn't spoken about it much to me." [I'd say I do, though I might need some private tutoring to be sure.] "I do know that he and his Padawan went into the lower levels on a council mission, but they never returned."

"Yeah, that's all Rachi could tell me." I used Rachi's given name to draw a response from Serra. One she gave with the tensing of her jaw. [Does it bother you that I spoke to her first?] I turned and gazed out, taking in the view. As much as I didn't always feel comfortable in the Temple, the view was something I enjoyed, especially with the right company. The sight of the ships buzzing over the gleaming metal surface of Coruscant was always dazzling. At least so long as one didn't look at what lay under the shiny surface of the planet.

[No. Well, not really.] I turned back to Serra, letting my eyes take in every slight change in her face that had occurred in our time apart. [I mean, she's not that bad but…]

[But you'd prefer you were the one on top?] She blinked, and I sensed her embarrassment, curiosity and desire spike before she regained control of her emotions. "I assume the Council is investigating the matter. However, given how secretive they can appear, I doubt any below the rank of Master is allowed to discuss the findings. Though with the dangers that lurk down there," I glanced toward the nearest gap in the metal surface. Those seemed to swallow the light, almost hinting at the darkness and decay that lay hidden beneath the surface of the Republic capital. "I'm not sure anyone will ever learn the truth."

We sat silently. The public and private conversations needed a response, and while I enjoyed teasing Serra, I knew I had to be careful with how much teasing I did. Otherwise, her Master or others might sense her longing for me.

"You don't think it's odd that Master Bondara died not long after the summit on Eriadu and the attack on the Temple?" I turned back to her as she spoke. [Or that the Federation are blockading Naboo?]

"I mean. The timing isn't great," I replied slowly, "but without any proof of a connection between events, all we can do is speculate." Behind me, a cloud moved, and the sun's light shone down on us. For a moment, concerns about Naboo, the Sith and the galaxy faded away as I looked at Serra under natural light and marvelled at how much more alive and beautiful she looked when free of the artificial surroundings of the Temple. Almost as if I was seeing the real her that was hidden by this planet and the Jedi's teaching.

As the moment passed, I hardened my heart. The moment Serra knew I was going to Naboo, she'd want to come with me, and I couldn't allow that. Willingly placing her anywhere near Maul was a risk I couldn't take. I'd never forgive myself if my mistakes cost me her life. Or Bo's or Naz's, though I might not be as able to stop them coming along as I could with Serra. "You know I saw Bo before I returned to the Temple?"

Serra blinked, caught out by the sudden change in topic. Before she regained control, I sensed a faint hint of jealousy, but that was pushed away by a need for something the Order would frown upon. "Oh, how is she?" Serra did an admirable job of hiding her interest in both what I'd been up to with Bo, and the redhead herself. Of course, she wasn't perfect in hiding her physical interest, and I smirked letting her know I knew what she really wanted to know.

"She's good. So is Naz as well." Again, there was a mixed spike of jealousy and need. "We spent time sparring while I waited for my armour to be readied." I pulled back my robes, showing off the gauntlets and boots and then shifted again to show a hint of the chest piece.

Serra leaned forward, her fingers tracing the lines in the beskar of my gauntlets. I watched as those fingers crept over the various attachments I'd had added to the gauntlets, and when our eyes next met, there was a dangerous amusement in her eyes meaning she understood the gauntlets were now outfitted with ordinance. As they were always meant to have been.

"How have Bo and Naz been?" Serra asked as she pulled her fingers back before they touched my skin. "I assume they're just as… outgoing as before."

"Aye, that's one way to describe them." I laughed even as I fought the temptation to kiss Serra and give in to my urges. As much as I'd love to make things physical in the Temple, we couldn't. Not unless we wanted to be dragged in front of the High Council. While I was leaning toward eventually leaving the Order, for now being a member, and having access to their resources and knowledge, still had an appeal. As did the idea Dooku had placed in my head before I'd left the ShaDo system with Anakin.

He'd not directly addressed his idea, but I felt I had a good grasp of what he was planning. It was dangerous, almost foolhardy, and would need years of planning. But if we could pull it off… the rewards would be immense. Of course, no one, not even Serra, Fay, or Sifo-Dyas could know what he was thinking about.

"They asked how you are, and when they can next spar with you," I said, returning my thoughts to more pertinent matters. [In a circle and under the sheets.]

Serra's cheeks reddened for a moment as she failed to maintain control of her emotions. She then turned and looked away. "I… I miss my time there and would like to spar with them too. But I can't just up and leave the Temple. Unlike you, I'm just a Padawan."

I shook my head and reached out, placing a hand on hers in a way none passing by would see. Her head snapped back to me as our flesh touched. "You'll be a Knight soon enough," I said slowly. She smiled and I let thoughts of Naboo and the Sith drift away again.

I'd have to leave soon and choose my path. Until then, I'd remain here and enjoy what time I could spend with Serra.

… …

… …

The stars slowed and returned to their expected places as Raven slipped from hyperspace. A quick check of the navigation computer confirmed that we'd arrived in the Denon system, and a few hours sooner than I'd expected.

"Good girl," I said as I patted part of Raven's organic form, which set off a pattern of lights that I understood she was pleased and proud of herself. While she had a 0.7-rated hyperdrive, doing the mental calculations, it seemed we'd arrived as if she had a 0.6-rated hyperdrive. It was a minor improvement, but given most ships had 1.5-rated or higher hyperdrives, it was most impressive.

I was here as, after spending about an hour with Serra talking and enjoying the view – our location and my need to not become too distracted prevented us from trying to sneak away and do more – I'd settled on the option of going to a location that allowed quick access to Naboo and Tatooine and then making a call from there. Which was why I was in the Denon System as it was a busy interchange between the Hydian Way and the Corellian Run. The business of the system was clear as I had over a hundred vessels within a thousand kilometres of our location, which I'd only seen bested by hyperspace jump locations in key Core World systems.

The Corellian Run ran all the way to Ryloth, taking it past Tatooine while the Hydian Way was the closest major hyperspace lane from the Core to Naboo. Now I just had to determine what my next move would be. With that in mind, I turned and looked at HK who was sitting in the third seat of the cockpit. "Have you determined anything further about where they might go?" I asked as I left Simvyl to monitor the sensors as Raven piloted herself further into the system. While I didn't plan to be here long, unless the force felt like telling me where to go quickly, we'd have time to reach a starport and refuel.

"Answer: I have not, Master. Based on the information you imparted, while the list of possible systems they might travel to is not extensive, there is not enough information to go on regarding which choice they will make. Without further data, Tatooine remains the most logical course of action by a margin of zero-point-four-five per cent over any other option. Query: If you believe they will head there, and the Force also suggests this, why are you not heading there directly?"

"Because if I get this wrong, important people will die," I replied before sighing. "These people, ignoring my connection to some of them, have roles to play in events that are to come."

"Observation: If you believe your data is accurate, then there is little value or worth in not expecting events to occur as you expect. Request: I do wish you could provide me with a complete set of empirical data, Master. Or at least as much as your beliefs provide you."

"As do I, HK. As do I," I replied with another sigh. "However, the Force doesn't allow me to let you see what I do." My knowledge came from something outside the purview of the Force, but TPTB had ensured I couldn't reveal that information to anyone, not even a droid that wouldn't reveal that information to anyone else. All I could do was hint and suggest what I knew or expected to be true and when I'd tried to directly reveal that Palpatine was Darth Sidious, according to HK I'd suggested the Senator was an inbred Mon Cala from Endor. While that image made me laugh, it annoyed me that stating everything to a droid was covered by the TPTB's rules.

Droids may not be sentient in the same way as a creature of flesh and blood, but they have the capacity for independent thought.
Thus, they are also covered by the rules regarding Future Knowledge.
That said, nice thinking to check if your droid was covered by the rules.

I ignored the message from TPTB, as they'd sent something similar after my first attempt, and watched HK as his optical receptors flickered. "Conclusion: Then you must rely on your gut, Master. The Creator often spoke of doing so, and while I still cannot determine the logic in it, he was alarmingly accurate when he trusted his gut. More so than other Jedi apparently were and are."

A sigh slipped from my lips as I turned my attention back to Raven's controls. "Perhaps you're right. Set cour…" I paused mid-word as the Holonet communicator beeped. Sensing a gentle shift in the force, I accepted the call and then grinned when I saw the face that appeared. "Padmé."

Padmé smiled in return. "Cam, I… I hate to ask for your help but…"

"Senator Palpatine's already brought me up to speed about the Federation," I cut in, making her blink in surprise. "Are you with Master Jinn?"

She blinked again and I felt my smile grow at her loss for words. "How?"

"The Force," I replied, keeping a long story short. "Are you still on Naboo?" She shook her head as she seemed unable to find words at the minute. "Very well. Where are you heading?"

Padmé scowled. "Tatooine." I felt a great weight shift from my shoulders upon hearing that. I gave Simvyl a nod as my fingers flew over Raven's controls. "Our hyperdrive was damaged during our escape and Master Jinn wants to head there for repairs as it's outside Federation influence."

I nodded even as I felt Raven turn, heading for the hyperspace jump point for the Corellian run toward Ryloth. "That makes sense. Though while it's outside Federation control, it's home to two immensely powerful Hutts." I looked at the flight computer and quickly calculated how long it would take. "I can be there in a few hours."

"So soon?" Padmé blurted out, once again caught off guard at how I seemed to be a few steps ahead of her.

"I was already on my way to Naboo," I explained, drawing a small smile from the queen. "It won't take too long to alter course and head to Tatooine."

"Thank you," Padmé said as she seemed to relax. "I…" she paused as if struggling for words.

"We can talk when I arrive, though if you could refrain from kissing me in front of Master Jinn, I'd be grateful. I'd rather not have to explain how I'm being courted by royalty." I couldn't see if Padmé blushed at my teasing, but the way she glanced away suggested she was. She suddenly coughed and lifted her hand to her mouth as the cough devolved into a chuckle. "I'll see you soon," I said with a smile, glad I could bring her some relief and joy at this moment in time.

I kept the channel open as she kept chuckling, waiting for her to regain some composure.

"Ok. And Cam, thank you," she said once the laughter had died away. "I… You… you were my only hope."

… …

… …

As Raven slipped back into normal space, I grumbled at seeing the twin suns of this system. I'd already been here enough to last a lifetime, yet the Force seemed to enjoy making me return. Hopefully, this would be the last time I had to come here. Well, unless I would for some reason be making a move against Jabba and Gardulla as I'd have no issue with returning and taking out two major crime lords and their operations.

Approaching Tatooine, I was once again greeted by the baked yellow surface and the lack of anything even approaching orbital control. Yet, as Raven dropped into the planet's atmosphere, I had the sensors running at full power. Every ship I could scan might have some link to piracy and slavery and having a list of every starship that might be tangentially connected to the Hutts – and others – held the potential for future use.

I could sense Raven's dislike for this world, though that may well have come from the hot, dry air of the planet. Given where she'd been born, a planet as seemingly dry and lifeless as this was the antithesis of what she desired. Even as we dropped lower, I reached out through the Force to assure her we'd not be here long.

To help with that, as we'd raced through hyperspace, I'd left the cockpit to don my full armour. The only part not currently on was my helmet, which was resting near the cockpit door. While I could've walked around the planet as a Jedi, having three in the same settlement at the same time would quickly reach the ears of the Hutts. While they'd likely not stick their slimy necks into my business, I'd rather ensure they didn't have the chance. A Mandalorian here wouldn't stand out, at least not to the degree a Jedi might if their lightsaber was seen, and there was far less chance anyone would be dumb enough to get in my way.

As we flew lower, I reached out with Detection only to blink in confusion. Instead of the three familiar force presences I expected to sense in Mos Espa, I sensed five. That the two unexpected ones appeared to be strong in the Force – as their markers in my minimap pulsed – only added to my confusion. As we got closer and flew over the settlement, I blinked. "What the hell is she doing here?" I asked myself as I determined one of the new presences was Aayla Secura.

The one with her was likely her Master, Quinlan Vos, though what the pair were doing on the planet wasn't something I knew. I'd wager a few credits they were undercover as Aayla didn't react when I used Detection. Well, other than the general recognition of who I was within the Force. Because of that, I made no move to reach out to her mind and speak with her. Doing so might place her and Master Vos in danger, though if things turned sour in Mos Espa at least I knew there was potential backup close by.

A final approach to the settlement had me spotting the Royal cruiser. It stood out like a mithril beacon against the ravages of the planet. Since I only sensed Obi-Wan present, I dismissed the idea of landing there, instead choosing one within the city limits.

It only took a few minutes to find an empty landing area, and after bringing Raven down inside the walls of the pad, saving Raven from the dry and probably painful winds of the planet, I stood. "Stay with the ship," I said to Simvyl. "While I doubt any local will try anything, Raven's such a unique vessel some di'kut might do something foolish." Simvyl nodded even as Fenrir growled at the idea of someone touching Raven. I smiled as I moved toward him – he was lying around the third chair in the cockpit which was currently empty – and scratched him behind the ear. "Yes, if any of them do, you have my permission to kill them. Though I'd suggest not eating them as you never know where some of the locals have been." Fenrir grunted and licked my armoured hand as I pulled it back.

"I hope we won't be here long, sand does not agree with my fur," Simvyl commented as I reached the cockpit door. While I could've left Raven in orbit with Simvyl at the controls, Raven disliked almost anyone else flying her. The only ones she accepted piloting her without any complaint were Fay and Anakin. Fay made sense due to her being a part of Raven's core personality, even if it had been minimised when I'd bonded with Raven to save her. Anakin had been a surprise, but Raven had adored when the boy had taken control while we'd been in the ShaDo system and started pushing Raven into ever-increasingly insane manoeuvres. If Zonama Sekot ever reappeared, I'd pay whatever it cost to get Anakin a ship like Raven as while I was a good pilot, he was born to fly and deserved a ship worthy of his skill.

"We shouldn't be," I replied to Simvyl. "Ideally, it won't take too long to get their hyperdrive fixed." I patted a satchel on my belt. That contained a small collection of gems from the two slightly larger bags I had stored in my Inventory. I'd used Observe on most of the gems and working from that and the rough size and weight of the various gems inside, the satchel contained a little north of a million credits. That still left me with what was in the Inventory, which based on weight difference alone, should be at least four times that amount. To say nothing of the billion credits shared between the Interface and my accounts. "If it's going to take too long, I'll see about convincing the Queen to travel with us. Either way, I hope to be gone from this cesspool before the suns rise again."

"Understood."

I slipped from the cockpit while saying a mental prayer that we could leave before the Bonta Eve podrace. Sometime around then Maul would arrive on-planet, and while Jinn engaging him briefly would help convince the Council of possible Sith involvement in the Naboo crisis, I'd rather avoid Maul until Naboo. The less that Maul saw of me, or realised I was aware of him, the less prepared he'd be for me. Or at least that was my hope.

I tapped my lightsaber, making sure it was still attached. With me wearing my Mandalorian armour under a dragon-skin cloak, I'd pushed it back further to avoid anyone seeing it attached to my armour. The cloak was one of three new ones I'd made from the impressive amount of preserved skin that remained. All three were, like my armour, black, though this one didn't bear my clan sigil. I only planned to wear the one that did when in or around the Mandalore sector, and the one I wore now, and its spare were for other times. They were large enough to obscure my personal and clan sigils that were on either pauldron, meaning it would be hard for any to recognize who I was beyond being a Mandalorian.

Stepping into the airlock that doubled as the loading ramp, I saw HK standing. His rusty red colour clashed with Raven's softer, natural green. The droid was giving what looked like a final check to the EE-3 carbine he'd chosen. At one hip was a heavy DL-44 XT while other further weapons were hidden within his frame. "Query: Will there be any need for extermination, Master?" HK asked without looking up from his rifle.

I chuckled at what sounded suspiciously like hope in his tone even as I pressed the control to lower the ramp. "I'm not planning for any, but given this is a hive of scum and villainy, I'd say the odds are high that someone will test their luck."

HK looked up. "Musing: That is encouraging, Master. Statement: I wish to test my latest calibrations against live targets."

As the airlock hissed I shook my head in amusement. "If anyone is dumb enough to challenge a Mandalorian in full armour with an armed combat droid at their side, then feel free to re-educate them."

"Observation: Don't all meatbags lack intelligence, Master?"

I laughed at that but chose to not reply. Instead, after ensuring my helmet was secure, I walked down the ramp, HK's metal feet clicking along behind me. As the sun touched my amour and the sand of this accursed world crunched under my heel, I resisted an urge to snarl. Memories of events that had occurred here flashed through my thoughts and the urge to turn the nearest Trandoshan into a nice set of leather bags and boots reappeared. It wasn't the Jedi way to think such thoughts, but Trandoshans were a species that didn't deserve much care. Not when they took pleasure in hunting, hurting and killing others to feed their deranged beliefs and please their twisted sense of amusement.

Scuffling on the sand had my head snap around. A Weequay slid to a stop as I glared at him from inside my armour. The HUD noted an increase in his heart rate, which only rose further when I turned fully toward him. Beside him, a group of droids were moving, though they'd stopped when the Weequay had. "HK, if this degenerate, or others like him, attempt to coerce a fee for landing, or in any way consider approaching more than five metres toward Raven, you have my permission to test out your interrogation techniques."

I honestly hadn't known a Weequay could look faint until I finished speaking and I heard HK moving. "Exclamation: Yes, Master. Mockery: Come here little meatbag. I wish to hear your reason for bothering my Master."

The Weequay backpedalled as HK took a step forward, and when I held out an arm to stop HK, fell to their arse. "I suggest you remain a safe distance from my vessel," I growled out, enjoying the voice modulation that my helmet used to give me a deeper tone. "If not, I'm sure my droid will enjoy stretching out your interrogation for several days before you expire."

"Objection: I believe I could make it take a month, Master. Addendum: If he was in better physical and mental condition, I would expect a minimum of two, however, this meatbag is clearly a failed example of his species."

I laughed at HK's reaction, and the way the Weequay scampered back, almost hiding behind a gonk droid. As we reached the exit to the landing area, I heard a loud, threatening growl. Turning back, I saw Fenrir had moved to the ramp and had his gaze locked on the Weequay. "Fenrir! If he touches Raven he's your new toy. Try to make him last longer than the last one." I turned and stepped toward the exit, yet when the gears in the door strained to open I turned back. "And make sure to not bring him onboard. It took me a week to get the blood stains off the dinner table." While it served no purpose to torment the Weequay, it fit into the persona I was projecting in full armour. Plus, it amused me as did HK and Fenrir's accompanying behaviour.

Turning back, I saw the door had opened leaving me looking out onto a street in Mos Espa. I grimaced at seeing the squalor hidden under layers of sand and dust that covered everything. After taking a single step through the exit, I paused and reached out with Detection. Aayla and Vos were somewhere to the southwest, while Qui-Gon, Padmé and another sentient were more westward. They were close enough that I'd be surprised if the Jedi couldn't sense one another. Since there was no sense of Vos moving toward Qui-Gon, I felt I'd been right to assume he and Aayla were on a mission of their own. Obi-Wan was somewhere to the south, beyond the city limits.

I smirked when I used my mental map of the city and saw Qui-Gon was at Watto's. Or at least close enough that he'd either already been inside, or would do so soon. With a destination set, I turned and walked westward. HK fell into step just behind me and I knew his optical receptors were scanning everyone we saw for potential threats. My helmet was doing the same, making records of every face regardless of gender or species. Like the list that I'd generated when landing, every face here would be tracked for future reference. Well, except the Jawas as I couldn't – and from rumours I'd heard didn't want to – see their faces.

Most sentients had the common sense to scurry to avoid the Mandalorian and combat droid that were moving through the streets when they saw us coming. Yet as we moved down a side alley, two Trandoshans stepped into our path.

"The Scorekeeper will reward me well for your death, Mandalorian." The one that spoke was carrying a heavy repeater while his companion had a large vibroblade in each hand. Behind us, the HUD reported two more of the walking lizards move into the alley.

I kept walking, not bothered by the threat. The blade carrying Trandoshan moved to meet me only to stop when, faster than he'd expected, my beskad slipped from behind my cloak and embedded itself in his gut. Even as the thing's eyes processed my action, I pulled my arm upward. The Force boosted my strength as my blade sliced through its guts, exiting through its neck.

Before the body had dropped, I'd drawn the T-6 "Thunderer" from its place on my hip and let fire, placing a trio of pin-point accurate shots that pretty much disintegrated the Trandoshan's skull. At the same time, I heard HK's blaster spark to life, followed by the two thumps. Thanks to the HUD of my helmet, I knew the pair behind us were as dead as those in front.

"Shame we can't delay," I muttered as I stepped over the convulsing carcass of the blade wielding Trandoshan. "I have a sudden urge for grilled lizard."

"Analysis: I have access to five-hundred and sixty-seven recipes for grilling reptilian creatures, Master. While none are specifically designed for this species, I believe I could adapt them suitably."

I chuckled at the suggestion even as my HUD saw others running to the alley to rummage through the bodies while we walked away. "I'd ask why you know how to cook, but I don't think such a conversation is meant for polite company."

"Observation: We are not in such company, Master."

I laughed as we turned the corner from the alley and the bodies that would be devoid of anything of value long before we reached Qui-Gon and Padmé. "True. Go on then, tell me a story when your culinary skills were required on a mission."

"Musing: There are many that I remember, Master. However, there was one that once took me to Alderaan, and into the employ of the sector's Senator."

… …

Ten minutes, and one amusing yet morbid story later, I stepped into a wide street with several bantha and similar large beasts of burden moving through it. As I looked over the street, I saw Qui-Gon standing in an alcove holding something close to his face. Since I'd tracked his movements on my minimap, I knew he'd just come from Watto's shop, so this helped me place exactly where I was in the timeline of events.

As Qui-Gon lowered his communicator, I walked forward. My mood was soured somewhat as an expected, but entirely unwanted, large figure appeared in front of him. Wanting to settle an internal debate, I used Observe on the Gungan.

Jar Jar Binks
Race: Gungan
Level: 21
Health: 97% (mild dehydration)
Age: 20
Force Potential: Intermediate
Threat Potential: Low
Reputation: Neutral
Affiliation Loyalty: Gungan people (84%)
Emotional State: Hungry/Irritated/Concerned
Jar Jar dislikes the heat of this planet and it makes him hungry.
He is irritated that it appears they won't be leaving soon and is concerned about how long they will remain.
…

I'd always wondered if Jar-Jar had some Force sensitivity as he'd had an inordinate amount of luck. Yet seeing his potential was in the same range as Obi-Wans, though I doubted it was higher, was unexpected and unwanted. That said, I was glad the insane fan theory I remembered of him being a hidden Sith wasn't true.

I felt better when I saw Padmé. Her outfit was even more unflattering in person, but it helped her blend in with others. Yet, I could enjoy the fact she wasn't wearing a ton of makeup like she normally would. My mood lifted further when behind her I saw R2-D2 rolling along. Ever since getting the quest to rebuild HK, I'd been wanting to introduce the droids to each other. Something told me that the pair were going to bring so much chaos – for others, I hoped – that I'd been looking forward to their first meeting.

As I neared, Qui-Gon looked my way and tensed. No doubt he was confused as to why the Force suggested he knew me when all he saw was an unfamiliar Mandalorian. Padmé saw Qui-Gon tensing and looked my way while R2 gave out a long beep. The only one who didn't realise something was off was Jar Jar, who was looking longingly at a food stall and the roasted critters hanging there.

I moved closer, pulled back my robes, pulled out my lightsaber, and turned off the voice modulation of my helmet. "I'm here to help, Master Qui-Gon."

I watched in amusement as his eyes widened as he recognized my voice and my lightsaber. While it wasn't the same as Dooku's, it was obviously inspired by it. As he relaxed, I reached up and unsealed then removed my helmet, only to grimace as I smelt the unfiltered air of the planet. "Force, I've not missed that smell."

"Cam?" Padmé blurted out before a wide smile spread over her lips and she raced forward. I returned her hug, sensing the relief rolling off her within the Force. "You came!" She said with a wide smile as she pulled back.

"When the Queen calls, should the Knight not respond?" I replied softly, a smirk on my face. As she blushed, I turned my gaze to Qui-Gon. "It's been some time, Master."

"That it has," Qui-Gon said as he stepped closer. "I'd sensed you earlier, but I hadn't expected you to meet us, and certainly not dressed like this." His eyes wandered over my armour as one eyebrow rose.

I shrugged. "I decided to go incognito, though unlike you, I prefer to not look like a local," I replied as I took in the cheap-looking shawl he wore. "And avoid the local stench," I added as my nose wrinkled as the smell of whatever passed for meat drifted toward me.

I turned toward the smell and saw Jar Jar moving closer to the food, his tongue hanging comically out of his mouth. Before he could create a scene with Sebulba, I lifted one arm. A cable shot from my gauntlet, wrapped around the waist of a very startled Gungan, and then pulled him off his feet. "Though if this one doesn't behave, then trying to remain unnoticed will be a rather pointless gesture," I remarked as the servos in the gauntlet dragged the confused Gungan toward me.

"How wude," Jar Jar remarked as he came to a stop about a metre from me and began untangling himself from the cord. The urge to shoot him and remove him from events passed through my mind, but I repressed it. Not only would Qui-Gon have an issue with it, but if the Gungans were to fight for Naboo, Jar Jar was still needed. That said, I already knew I'd have to limit my time around him if I didn't want the urge to resurface.

"While I'm grateful to see you," Qui-Gon said as I did my best to ignore Jar Jar, "it does little to help our current situation."

I smiled at Qui-Gon. "The Queen has already spoken to me of the issue, and I came prepared." I tapped the satchel at my side before looking beyond the Jedi Master in the direction he'd come. "Does Watto still own the shop that way?"

Qui-Gon frowned. "He does, though I wasn't aware you knew him."

"I've been on this planet several times before," I explained with a shrug. "While I'd rather never return after today, my last visit brought me into contact with the Toydarian." A beep from R2 drew my attention and I smiled at the way the astromech was all but facing up to HK. "I didn't think you were the kind to travel with a droid."

Qui-Gon smiled. "I don't. However, that astromech was a large part of how we managed to escape Naboo." He glanced at Padmé who was standing close to me, almost afraid I'd leave her behind. "The Queen was insistent that it and her handmaiden accompany me into the city." He returned his gaze to the droids. "Though it seems I'm not the only one with new company."

"HK, play nice," I said as HK took a step toward R2, his grip tightening around his blaster. "I think you and he will get along great." R2 beeped and shook in clear disagreement. "Yes, I think you will, little one," I replied, having interpreted his sounds to mean he didn't agree. "HK enjoys getting into trouble, and then finding novel ways to escape."

"Indignation: I never get into trouble. I'm always exactly where I intend to be to cause maximum carnage." R2 let out a long whistle followed by a series of quick, high-pitched beeps. "Observation: So far my new Master hasn't required an astromech, but if he is anything like my Creator, he may soon need one. Addendum: I do hope you are more amenable to my methods than the last astromech I worked with."

I chuckled at the obscure mention of T3.

"Is it wise to arm the droid?"

HK turned and seemed to glare at Qui-Gon. "Indignation: There is more knowledge about combat in my memory banks than known to your entire Order, Jedi meatbag." I sighed at HK's behaviour even as R2 gave a series of amused beeps. "Explanation: They have all these squishy parts. And all that water! Every step they take has the water sloshing around, hence the term meatbag."

R2 rocked from side to side and gave off another series of beeps and whistles that I thought meant he found the reference amusing. Leaving the two to get acquainted – and prevent myself from cackling maniacally at what I'd unleashed on the galaxy – I turned back to Qui-Gon. "You'll have to forgive HK. He's a capable droid, but his creator programmed a distinct lack of manners into him. At least when not speaking about his current owner."

"I see." It was clear Qui-Gon didn't.

"Anyway," I said even as Qui-Gon continued to watch HK. "How much does Watto want for the parts you need?"

Qui-Gon looked at me, a sour expression passing over his face for a second. "Unless you have something other than Republic Credits, there's little we have of value." Qui-Gon paused, looked at Padmé and gently stroked his beard. "Though perhaps we could sell the Queen's cruiser and use the sale to purchase transport to Coruscant."

"The Queen would never allow that," Padmé countered, earning a smirk from Qui-Gon.

"What the Queen doesn't know won't concern her." From the way he smirked and the amusement I sensed from through the Force, I felt he knew Padmé was the queen, but wasn't bringing it up. "However, I feel with our friend here, that solution won't be needed."

"Aye, I think I can convince Watto to make a deal," I said, making Padmé look up at me. That drove the scowl she'd been giving Qui-Gon from her features. "Though perhaps it would be better if I did so alone as I haven't revealed to him that I'm a Jedi." Not entirely true, but I didn't want Qui-Gon present when I spoke with Watto, so he didn't ask where I'd gotten the gems. I turned to HK. "Come on HK. While I doubt Watto has anything of interest, I feel it'd be safer for the locals if you stayed near me."

"Observation: I do hope you're not suggesting they might be a threat to me, Master."

"Force no," I laughed out loud. "But I don't want to return and find you've decided the best course of action is to burn the city to the ground."

"Indignation: I would never do such a thing, Master. It would be a waste of tibanna gas. Addendum: Though, if they attacked me first, I would be forced to defend myself."

"And I'm sure you could ensure that happened with a few truthful and cutting barbs." I stepped forward, sliding from Padmé's side and waved to HK. "Come on. R2, you can come along as well if you want."

R2 let out a long whistle before shifting and letting his front leg drop. With the two droids just behind, and a confused Jedi Master and Queen watching, I moved toward Watto's shop. Once my helmet was back on, I let out the laughter I'd been holding in at arranging the meeting between these two droids. As for Watto, I didn't expect any issues, but if he gave me trouble, I'd heard enough hints from Shmi and Anakin to suggest that while a generally decent owner, he had struck them both on multiple occasions. If the Toydarian pushed me and confirmed this, HK would get another notch on his blaster.

… …

… …

I stood to one side of the private suite in 500 Republica that Palpatine had arranged for Padmé and her entourage to stay while they were on Coruscant. He'd offered me a room as well, but I'd replied that I'd rather spend my time on Raven. Though I did hint that if I needed to rest properly, I'd head elsewhere as a nod to the apartment Damask had gifted me. I'd visited it once so far, simply to give it a look over and locate the more obvious recording devices. None were out in the open, but using the force to sense unusual power sources, I'd discovered over three dozen throughout the apartment, including – rather worryingly – in the bathroom. I'd not removed any as I didn't want to hint I was concerned about such things and if I removed those, then he'd no doubt ensure new ones were located within before I returned. All I had to do was use the Force to create a bubble of silence around myself and ensure I wasn't facing any sensor with visual recording capabilities.

What I'd also done before entering this apartment, after dropping Padmé off with the Chancellor and Palpatine, was take time to go over the quest for Naboo again.

The Phantom Menace [ƍ] [֍]
The Sith are making their first obvious move. How will you counter it?
Rating: S
Objectives:
:a: Free Naboo from Trade Federation control before any treaty recognizing the occupation can be signed.
:b: Ensure that Padme Naberrie survives the invasion.
:c: Defeat Maul.
Rewards:
:a: A massive increase in Reputation with any sentient living on Naboo.
Variable Reputation gains with any who oppose the Trade Federation.
Variable changes in Reputation with members of the Jedi Order, Galactic Senate and Republic.
8000XP
:b: 2 Tests of Friendship with Padme Naberrie are passed.
A massive increase in Reputation with Padme Naberrie.
A large increase in Reputation with Padme's family and closest friends.
2500XP
:c: Variable rewards based on whether you drive him off, capture, or kill him.
Possible decrease in Reputation with Maul, Darth Sidious, and Darth Plagueis.
Possible increase in Reputation with Maul, Darth Sidious, and Darth Plagueis.
Failure:
:a: Significant loss of Reputation with any sentient living on Naboo.
Variable losses of Reputation with many sentients across the galaxy.
:b: The Possible Death of Padmé Amidala, resulting in the loss of a friend and ally.
:c: The possible death of someone important and close to you.
A high possibility that you will die.
...

That had first appeared after speaking with Palpatine in the Senate building. Everything there was expected, even down to the variable rewards for defeating Maul. I had several plans in place for how to manage that, though the more dangerous options depended on Bo and Adonai finding something I could use against Maul. I knew the technology I wanted existed as I'd encountered a minor version of it with the bracers during my time on Mandalore and on the Pius Dea ship, Mtael's Gift, but I wasn't sure if what I needed for my preferred plan for Maul existed.

Even if I just forced Maul to retreat – an unlikely outcome given his personality and which I knew would be no easy feat – and completed the other objectives, I'd clear the XP needed to reach level 30, thanks to the Boosted Growth Mk2 perk which granted a 20% bonus to XP gained. Among other benefits.

While my personal style was developing well – something Dooku had commented on when we'd sparred one last time before I'd headed to Mandalore to get HK built and collect my armour, I knew there was still a block between making my actions flow with the Force and the skill I had with each lightsaber form. After hours of meditating on the matter – in the hopes that guidance would come from the Force or a clear and centred mind – with no success, my only hope that remained for removing this block was the system upgrade at level 30. I just wished it had arrived before Naboo. Still, I'd taken all my known lightsaber forms into the lower range of the Master tier with Shii-Cho – for all its flaws – the highest non-Makashi skill at Prodigy:40.

"What options do we have, Senator?" Padmé's question to Palpatine drew my focus back to the room I was in. As Palpatine considered his answer, I replayed what he'd said while I'd been considering the Naboo quest. He'd just gone over how the Senate works – at least in terms someone who didn't have months to learn it would understand – and the current power players in it. Which was why I'd let my mind wander as I already knew this, thanks both to Palpatine's help and confirming most of what he told me via Holonet. While it had been a tedious endeavour, and one I'd not enjoyed, I felt I had to do so. Not just for ways to possibly help Padmé and Naboo, but to spot ways that might indirectly undermine Palpatine's rise to power.

Padmé was standing in her regal gowns as Queen, and frankly, they looked as absurd as I'd expected, though not as bad as the one she'd worn for her coronation. That said, I found myself preferring the unflattering clothing she'd worn on Naboo when posing as a handmaiden as the makeup she wore here made her look like a life-sized puppet. Which, I supposed, was what Palpatine hoped for when he appointed her. It was such a shame that he'd misread her so badly, but that moment was still to come.

"Our best choice would be to push for the election of a stronger supreme chancellor—one who could take control of the bureaucrats, enforce the laws, and give us justice," Palpatine replied after seeming to consider his words. "You could call for a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum," he added cautiously.

As much as I knew he was one of the Sith that I had to defeat, I couldn't help but respect how well he played his role of humble, unassuming Senator. Every moment like this was watching a true master in action and always helped me learn more about how to not only act diplomatically but project a different persona than my true one. Oh, I'd never ever be on his level, but the better I got now, when able to watch from his side, the easier I felt it would be for me to rise as a counter to him when things began to snowball toward galactic war.

Barring the tensing of her face – which was hard to spot under the makeup – and a similar emotional response that I could just sense through the Force, Padmé remained calm. "Valorum has been our strongest supporter. Is there no other way?"

Palpatine sighed, let his shoulders slump and shook his head. "Our only other choice would be to submit the matter to the courts…"

"The courts take even longer to decide things than the Senate," Padmé cut in. Her tone made clear her distaste for that idea, and frankly, I had to agree. The only way the courts might be of use is if we had leverage over a judge. But even if we did, the Federation could easily bribe others to ensure our case was either delayed indefinitely or dismissed. "Our people are dying—more and more each day. We must do something quickly. We must stop the Federation." While she was trying to remain serene, she was struggling, which was entirely understandable.

Palpatine sighed again and resumed his pacing. "To be realistic about the matter, Your Majesty, I believe we are going to have to accept Federation control for the time being, at least."

Even though I knew how this talk played out, I still struggled to hold back a snort at how that was going to work.

"That is something I cannot do," Padmé shot back, some venom creeping into her voice.

As the pair stood in silence, I considered how, or if, I should intervene. I had a plan in place that might help Naboo, but it was still in the planning stages. Even if the Lokella and Adonai had promised support, I couldn't be sure how much that would be, or if it would be anything more than a token gesture in the grand scheme of things. Hence why I'd not yet brought it up.

"Do you have any suggestions, Master Jedi?"

I blinked when Padmé asked that as she, Palpatine, Panaka, and her handmaidens – who were standing behind the Queen – turned to face me. While my eyes focused on Padmé, I could sense Palpatine's gaze. Based on our meeting with Hego Damask, he might hope I'd support his side to replace Valorum. A stronger Chancellor would certainly help us prepare for the Vong. Yet, knowing his true plan, and as a Jedi who was meant to remain impartial in the matter – not that I was anyway since I was present for this private meeting – I was hesitant to openly support his plan.

"First, as a Jedi, I cannot recommend an action that affects the politics of the Republic, Your Majesty," I said slowly, covering my arse if the High Council ever learnt I was at this meeting. "On a personal level, I find I must reluctantly agree with the Senator. The Chancellor is mired in problems, the most recent of which I was on hand to witness on Eriadu." As I spoke, I stepped forward, letting my robes fall down my arms and cover my gauntlets. Those and the boots were the only parts of my armour I wore here, as I'd settled on them as the 'public armour' I'd wear. The High Council might not be comfortable with it, but there was precedent for Jedi wearing some armour and I was going to exploit that until they challenged me about it. Which, given where I was, would no doubt be right after the battle for Naboo. "Replacing Valorum with a stronger, more purposeful Chancellor would, in theory, be beneficial. However, even if a new Chancellor promises in his campaign to support Naboo, there's no certainty they could make the Senate bend to that will. Or that the Federation won't still find ways to counter their power." I turned to face Palpatine. "With respect, Senator, many of your colleagues are nothing more than greedy, squabbling individuals whose only focus is their own self-interest. Not that of their constituents or the Republic at large." Palpatine gave a tired nod to say he agreed. "And that's not even counting those who you know are directly under the thumb of the Federation."

"Then we should expect no support from the Senate?"

I turned back to Padmé. While she wasn't showing any concern on her face, I could sense it through the Force. What amused me though, was the spark of defiance I could sense growing in her. That suggested the plan she would soon enact wasn't a spur-of-the-moment thing, but something she'd been considering for some time.

"While there's still a small chance Valorum might stake what little remaining power he has in an effort to free Naboo, I fear that won't happen. It's entirely possible he expended what resources he had to have Master Qui-Gon sent to resolve the crisis." I glance at Palpatine for a moment, regretting what I was about to do. "If Valorum can't provide aid, or even a promise to look into the matter before the various interests in the Senate move to stop him, then I feel the Senator's suggestion of no-confidence might be your only play. The act would garner attention to Naboo's plight, which may influence some to help in some way. However, even if, for example, Senator Palpatine was elected Chancellor, it would take weeks if not months for the Senate to get off their collective arses and do anything of importance."

A small smile crept onto Palpatine's face. "While I'm flattered in the faith you have in me, Master Jedi, I doubt I would be considered for Chancellor. I represent, with respect to you, Your Highness, a minor sector of little galactic consequence from the Mid Rim."

I smiled, impressed with the self-depreciation he showed without even hinting that he already had the votes to become Chancellor. "It was merely an example, Senator," I replied. "That said, from what I've seen of your quarrelling cohorts, you would be a better choice than most." Palpatine dipped his head, accepting the praise, before I turned back to Padmé. "For now, I would advise patience. When you speak to the Senate, see how the Chancellor and others behave. While you and the Senator do that, I'll speak with a few contacts of mine. They don't have the political clout of anyone in the Senate, but they might be willing to offer a third option. One that doesn't rely on the fickle nature of career politicians, or the wait-and-see mentality of the Jedi Council."

I watched the pair as they looked at me. Padmé had a faint spark of hope in her eyes at my words, though Palpatine's were cooler. Externally, I hoped he was simply taking my words as a sign I didn't expect the Senate or Jedi Order to be of any help. Internally though, I knew he was playing what I'd said over, trying to spot how honest my opinions on the Jedi were, and how he might exploit them.

What both missed, or so I hoped, is that I had moves in play that if they worked even half as well as I hoped, would not only help Naboo but once the crisis was over, cause an uproar in the Senate and Republic. So long as I was able to free Naboo though, the blowback would be minimised by the PR victory I'd gain, and the fact the new Chancellor would owe me a massive favour for saving his homeworld.

… …

… …

I stepped from Raven and nodded at the security in 500 Republica even as a group of droids approached. While I wasn't a resident of the building, with everything going on, Palpatine had ensured I had clearance to land whenever I wanted here. A normal Senator shouldn't have that sort of pull, but I suspected that either he or Damask had some sway over the building's owners - if the Sith didn't outright own it through a myriad of shell corporations.

I'd come here from the Senate building. While I had considered standing with Padmé when she spoke to the Senate, Master Koon had been in the building at the time. After a short discussion about my connection to the Queen, he'd advised that I not stand with her. Apart from some possibly seeing it as the Jedi interfering in politics, many weren't as considerate toward the Order as most Jedi believed.

Once I'd thanked him for the advice, and promised to pass along his condolences for what had happened and that the Jedi Council was using what political capital it had to resolve the civilian crisis, I'd headed further into the Senate building. I'd moved off to find my primary target in the building. The office of the Senator from Mandalore. Oh, the person with the office didn't consider themselves a Senator, preferring to call themselves a Representative, but they were considered a Senator by the Republic.

As expected, Representative Wren hadn't been present as the Chancellor had called a full session at Padmé's request, but I was helped by their senior adjunct – and I suspected, their future replacement – Satine Kryze. Ignoring the situation, Satine had been genuinely pleased to see me and even thanked me for helping her reconnect with her sister. I'd taken her thanks and commented on her wearing beskar vambraces. From the short talk that we'd had while she connected me to Mandalore and her father, I discovered that while she still believed that peace had a purpose to play, it wasn't the path her people needed to take. That didn't mean she supported a full return to the old ways, just that now she understood the folly in the New Mandalorian ideals. I'd struggled to process the change the last few years had brought on in her, but I could tell she was genuine in her shifting beliefs.

With Satine's help, I'd held a secure call with Duke Adonai. While he couldn't directly call on the forces under his command, as what I wanted was warriors to work outside of Mandalorian space, he did promise to ensure a large enough number of warriors answered my call. That shouldn't be an issue though as I'd promised to reward everyone who came handsomely, finally having a clear and present use for the credits I'd built up over the years.

After that, I'd returned to Raven, and learning the Senate meeting was over, flew back to 500 Republica. Though not before reaching out to the Lokella. I'd spoken with Ferox, Validus and Maan and they'd promised that they'd have ships ready and moving before the day was through. When I'd offered the terms that I'd given Adonai and the Mandalorians to them, they'd flat-out rejected it. However, once Naboo was free, I'd match whatever I paid the Mandalorians with a donation to the Lokella.

A faint, musical chime let me know the elevator I'd been riding in had arrived at my floor and I stepped out. The corridor leading to Padmé's quarters was lined with her guards. After an initial flinch showing they were well trained, none reacted once they confirmed I was who I said I was, and I walked directly to the main chamber of Padmé's quarters.

"…of Alderaan and Ainlee Teem of Malastare," Panaka finished as the doors slid open for me. He was standing with Palpatine facing Padmé. She saw my arrival but didn't react as Palpatine took a step forward.

"I feel confident that our situation will generate strong support for us when the voting takes place tomorrow." As he spoke, Padmé moved off, coming to a stop near one of the floor-to-ceiling windows. "I will be Chancellor."

Instead of replying to her senator, Padmé looked at me and offered a faint smile. That had the two men turn as my eyes caught Jar Jar lurking in the corner. The Gungan was trying to stay out of the way, but from the various vases around him, I knew any sudden movement from him would result in something expensive – probably belonging to Palpatine – being broken. While the idea of having that happen appealed, I had other matters beyond irritating a Sith Lord to handle.

"It seems my example was, in fact, foresight," I remarked with a chuckle. "Congratulations on the nomination, Senator. Though as I said before the session, I'm unsure of how much this will help your people in the near term."

"On that we are agreed, Master Jedi," Padmé remarked, drawing Palpatine's attention back to her. "I fear that by the time you've taken control of the Senate, there will be nothing left of our planet or people to salvage."

"I might have a possible solution," I said, stepping fully into the room.

"And what might that be?"

I smirked at Palpatine after he asked his question. "If the Senate, the Jedi, the very heart of the Republic won't lift a finger to help Naboo in its hour of need, then perhaps an option exists to ask the people for help," I spoke slowly, drawing everyone in as I moved around. "For example, I've reached out to friends I have on Mandalore and beyond, and asked for volunteers." I wasn't going to mention how much I was paying for said volunteers, but neither of them had to know that now. "Now, I can't say how many will answer my call, but Mandalorians love a good fight, especially when it's, no offence intended to you, Your Majesty, backing an underdog pushed into a corner. What I do know is that I, and at least a dozen I know and trust, will fight at your side. The Senate and Order be damned." Bo had already spoken with Naz, the rest of my team at the Institute and others like Gar, Rook and Osto. She assured me that all of them would come. The rest… that was on how well Adonai could get the word out, and how many would be willing to listen and follow a Jedi, even one who was also Mando'ade.

Both Padmé and Palpatine smiled, though I felt certain there were different motivations for that. "I'm grateful for your help, Cam," Padmé said, breaking decorum by using my name. "However, I wonder what a handful of Mandalorians can do against an army of millions of battle droids."

"With respect, Your Majesty," Palpatine began slowly. "In the days of the old Republic, there were times the Mandalorians brought the Republic and Jedi to their knees. Indeed, it was Cameron's ancestor who broke their forces in one of those last major conflicts. While the Mandalorians of today are more fractured than in previous eras, if the Jedi Order will not come to our aid, I would happily accept the support of any Mandalorian willing to fight for us. Other than the Mandalorians, few others could gather a force capable of matching a group of Jedi in battle in short order."

"Depending on the Jedi and Mandalorian in question, I'd take the Mandalorian," I remarked with a chuckle. "Thankfully, at least in my case, you get the best of both worlds at your command, Your Majesty."

"Won't the Jedi Council attempt to stop you?" Panaka asked. I smirked even as I knew Palpatine was already considering how to use this to drive a wedge between me and the Council, and possibly, with the right subtle pressures, bring the Mandalorians into play in the grand plan he and Plagueis had in motion.

"As my grandfather was fond of saying, it's better to ask forgiveness than beg for permission." Palpatine chuckled at that even as I turned my focus to Padmé. "I know what I can offer isn't much, nor can I be sure of the size of the forces I can gather, but whatever I can gather, is yours to command."

Padmé moved toward me, Palpatine and Panaka stepping aside to let her approach. Once in front of me, she smiled and reached out for my hand. "Words cannot express how much this means to me and my people, Cam." I smiled and lowered my head as I squeezed her hand, reassuring her I was with her. "Senator," she said as she turned, "I see now there is nothing more I can do here. The Senate is your arena and battleground, I must now return to mine."

"I would argue against that, Your Majesty, if it were not for the support of Master Shan," I smiled, enjoying how good that felt to hear even if I wasn't a Jedi Master. Oh, I knew he was doing that to appeal to my ego, but that didn't mean I was going to reject the flattery. "However, I must warn you that if you fail, the Federation will force you to sign the treaty."

The glare Padmé gave Palpatine could've frozen a lake. "I will sign no treaty, Senator." She turned back to me, only just realising she was still holding my hand. "How soon can your allies gather?" she asked after pulling her hand back.

"I sent word to them as soon as the session ended," I replied, making her small smile of hope grow. "Those that can gather quickly enough will meet me in four days in the Pax system." I'd chosen the system as it lay far enough away from Naboo so as to not arouse suspicion from the Federation, and not because the name of the system was an old Earth world for 'peace'.

"Then we will meet them there." Padmé turned and stepped away from me. "Captain?"

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"Ready my ship." Panaka bowed and turned, heading to carry out her order. As he walked past me, he gave a slight nod and offered me a smile, pleased at my help.

"I realise I cannot dissuade you from this course, Your Majesty, I only ask that you stay safe. Losing you would shatter what little hope our people have."

I stepped to Padmé's side before replying to Palpatine. "Senator… uncle, as long as I draw breath, no harm will come to her."

Palpatine's eyes wandered my face as if searching for something. Having found it, he moved closer and took my hand. "Then I place her life, and the fate of my people, in your hands, my friend. May the Force be with you."

"It will, or I will make it," I replied, knowing the phrase would amuse him.

He turned to Padmé as he let go of my hand. "My thoughts will be with you, Your Majesty."

"Thank you, Senator. If you win the election, I pray you will find a way to restore sanity and compassion to the Republic."

After giving me one last look, Padmé moved off to another part of the apartment. Her handmaidens followed along as did two guards. After looking around, Jar Jar decided to follow, knocking a vase as he turned.

"Try to be more careful," I suggested as I caught the vase with the Force and moved it away from the annoying Gungan.

"Mesa sorry," he mumbled before leaving the room in a hurry. I slowly lifted the vase back onto its pedestal and then turned to Palpatine.

"I'm uncertain why the Queen keeps him around, but I'll trust her judgement for now." Mainly because I knew that even if a thousand Mandalorians and an equal number of Lokella turned up, we'd still need the Gungan army. After that, if the chance occurred, I'd decide on Jar Jar's future.

Palpatine smirked. "The Gungans are the native species to Naboo. There have been wars fought with them in the past, though there's been little interaction between them and the Naboo over the last hundred years or so." Palpatine glanced at the vase. "My thanks for the vase as it once belonged to my father." I nodded. "And for your help in supporting the Queen. I fear she is making a rash move in returning, but it warms my old heart to know she will have you protecting her."

"If all goes well, then when we next meet, Naboo will be free and you will be Chancellor," I extended my hand and gripped him by the forearm. He smiled warmly and clapped me on the shoulder with his free hand. "The Force will be with you, uncle."

He chuckled, seemingly finding amusement in the reference to my time posing as his family. "And with you, nephew."

I nodded, broke the arm clasp, turned, and moved toward the door. As it opened, I caught Palpatine's reflection. On it was the faintest hint of a smile, though not one of an old man who'd found some unexpected hope, but that of a mastermind watching new pieces slide into place for his plan.

As the doors closed behind me, and I moved to the elevator, I knew with certainty Maul would be seeking me out on Naboo, which was fine. He and I had a date with Destiny, and however it played out, only one of us would walk away from it.

And, as I rolled my fingers, finding certainty in the gauntlets I wore, I knew I'd do whatever it took to ensure that it would be me who walked away.

… …

… …

I hated waiting, especially the wait before deploying on a mission. You knew the battleplan, and various contingencies – many of which would either not be needed or would be Fubar'd before needed – the general composition of the forces in play and the like, but there was little to do but sit around and wait. And after a day and a half of waiting in the Pax system for anyone to arrive, I was reaching the end of my rope.

I'd spent time checking and cleaning every weapon built-in to my gauntlets, made sure spare gas packs, explosives, medical supplies, and rations were stored in my Inventory and given Raven a thorough check. Yet now I was bored shitless. I mean, I hadn't pushed Raven at all to reach the system, yet I'd arrived far ahead of the Naboo royal cruiser.

Now, I could've landed on Plagen, the only habitable planet in the system, but there was little reason to do so. I had stopped in at the starport and Raven refuelled, though not only was the place basic – since most ships only came there for a quick refuel and check before heading off to another system – but Raven had reacted badly to the local fuel. It was the first time she'd done that, and it made me wonder if she disliked whatever they added to the fuel locally, and would explain why she enjoyed stopping at the Jedi Temple and Senate building on Coruscant, as those places would certainly use the highest graded fuel.

The rough plan for Naboo was set. Most forces would race to the planet and try to slide past the Lucrehulk that was in orbit and its assigned vulture droids. Any gunships or corvettes would run screening fire before jumping away. They, and any heavier ships that might come, would wait a short jump away for a signal before returning when the battles on the planet and against the control ship took place. I still wasn't sure how we'd relay that signal, but the plan would change once the forces had gathered and I'd spoken with senior Mandalorians, Lokella and Padmé and her staff. While Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were coming with her, their only role was to protect Padmé.

Learning they were still coming had altered the quest slightly, adding an objective to keep Obi-Wan alive. Nothing was added for Qui-Gon but that made sense as he had a dedicated quest. Still, I'd already considered how the pair would stick close to Padmé while I made sure that whatever role I took on was easy enough that I'd be free to react as soon as I felt Maul's presence in Theed.

While there was a small chance the Zabrak Sith would be deployed somewhere else, I didn't think that likely. Sidious knew I'd be with Padmé for the most part, and the key had to be taking Theed and destroying the droid control ship. Thus, I was going to be in Theed instead of on the battlefields elsewhere.

Knowing Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were coming along was a relief, as I could trust them to guard Padmé. Still, they were the only Jedi that'd be present. After the second meeting with Padmé and Palpatine in 500 Republica, I had considered heading to the Temple to speak with others. However, I'd decided against it. If the Council learnt of my plans, they'd prevent me from leaving, and if Serra and others became aware, they'd want to come.

Now, I had spoken to Serra via the Holonet just before leaving the Coruscant system, and as expected she'd begged me to come. I'd rejected that though as the thought of losing her wasn't one I was willing to entertain. Serra was advanced for her age, but she was no match for Maul, especially if– as I expected – he was told to engage me by Sidious. Serra hadn't been happy about me leaving her behind, and I could feel she was as scared to lose me as I was to lose her, but she'd hidden it well when we finished speaking. Still, she made me promise to tell her what happened once the battles were over. That was if the Council didn't just throw me in confinement for months or years for involving myself in a matter that wasn't a concern of the Jedi. I didn't think they'd do that, but there was a chance, even when after defeating Maul I brought them proof from recordings taken by my armour.

The only break from the boredom of sitting here alone – Simvyl and Fenrir were sleeping while HK was busy going over his ordinance – was when a ship dropped out of hyperspace. Every time that happened, Raven scanned them to see if they might be the royal cruiser or one of the possible Mandalorian or Lokella ships that might turn up. I'd started ignoring those, so I didn't react until I felt amusement from Raven.

Turning my attention to the sensors, I saw that the new ship was the royal cruiser and smiled at someone finally arriving. Before I could even move my fingers, I felt Raven turning as she anticipated my actions. That made my smile grow as it showed she was learning to think for herself.

Just as Raven turned nose to nose with the sleek, polished lines of the Naboo cruiser, the comm-link beeped. "Took you long enough," I remarked as the channel opened.

"Unlike some, we've not got a ship built for speed." The reply came from Ric Olié, the captain of the royal cruiser, whose smile at seeing me slipped slightly a moment later. "Though it seems your allies aren't here."

The fact he was still smiling, and that there was no hint of hostility or doubt within the Force, meant I knew he wasn't angry about that. "Give them time. Even if they all left Mandalore as soon as I called, they have further to travel than we did. I doubt many of their ships have hyperdrives rated higher than yours, to say nothing of Raven. And trust me, even a dozen Mandalorians is something worth waiting for before going to war."

"Yeah, I've heard enough stories about their prowess. Never seen them in action though. However, they'd better get here soon. I'm not aware of her plans, but the Queen is insistent we don't delay too long. Every second we wait, another of our people could die at the hands of the Federation."

"Aye, I'd better come over and speak to her." After Olié nodded, I closed the channel and gently moved closer to the cruiser. Padmé would be intent on returning to Naboo, but we had to wait. I knew some would arrive soon, but I couldn't be sure who or how many would come.

… …

… …

I blinked as I awoke, the sound of a gentle, calming, almost musical sound echoing around my quarters as a familiar presence brushed up against my mind. As the sleep cleared from my eyes, I knew that was Raven's way of telling me to wake. A shake of my head cleared the last cobwebs before I dismissed the annoying message about how long I'd slept and how much of my FP and STAMINA had been restored. Looking around my quarters, focusing on the clock in the wall near the door, I saw it'd been about four hours since I'd laid down, and six since the Naboo cruiser had arrived in-system.

After speaking with Padmé and Qui-Gon – who while not saying anything was clearly unimpressed that I wore armour – I'd returned to the Raven and decided to get a few hours of shut-eye. While I could go over a month without sleep, I couldn't say how mentally and physically draining the coming battles were going to be, so I'd chosen to get some sleep, though something had forced Raven – and Simvyl as he was watching the sensors – to wake me.

"Yes?" I asked as I opened the intercom to the cockpit.

"Several dozen ships have entered the system," Simvyl replied. I grunted, having not expected that many Mandalorian vessels. "They're from the Lokella."

"How many exactly," I asked with a frown. While the Lokella had nearly a hundred ships, only a little over half that number were of any use in combat. While I was glad they'd responded, I was concerned they'd brought too many.

"Forty-seven, led by the Liberator."

"Fuck!" I spat with a grunt. Turning around, I summoned my robes to me, forgoing my armour for the moment. "I'll be there in a moment."

I closed the link and then slipped from my room. The ship was empty save for Fenrir who was snoozing on one of the sofas in the main area, having once again knocked half the cushions onto the floor as he struggled to get comfy. He lifted his head as I marched toward the cockpit, but remained resting after I told him to stay.

As I stepped into the cockpit, the dominating presence of the Dreadnought-class heavy cruiser Liberator filled my view. Around it were dozens of other vessels, with at least half the fleet being comprised of DP20s, CR70s and CR90s. "Kriff!" As I moved to my seat, I spotted a handful of freighters there as well, though given the size and room inside the Liberator, I wasn't sure what purpose they served flying around when most could've been carried inside the heavy cruiser. "Damnit Baalta. Why is most of the fleet here?" I asked the Togruta as she appeared as a small hologram in front of me.

Baalta blinked, shocked at my sharp tone. "The Mtael called, and we answered," she said after taking a moment to recover. "To do otherwise would be dishonourable."

I lowered my head and grumbled in annoyance. "I only wanted and expected a handful of ships, not almost the entire combat fleet."

Baalta smiled. "This is not everything, Mtael. A dozen dedicated defence vessels remain, along with an equal number of patrol craft and most of our non-combat dedicated fleet."

I looked down at the sensor readings, taking a full count of the Lokella fleet. I was impressed for sure, especially considering how much of it was liberated from slavers and retrofitted with credits I'd donated to them or that they'd taken from slavers, sales of phrik and other sources of revenue that I might not be aware of. Still, while capable of taking on a Lucrehulk – at least the current ones and not whatever refit they'd go through for the Clone Wars – the casualty rate would be immense. To say nothing of how vulnerable it left their home. "Baalta, while I'm honoured that you brought so many ships, I want half to return. I won't risk what you've built there for why I asked for the help."

Baalta's montrals fluctuated. "Do you think our people are unable or unwilling to fight against anything other than the Hutts?" She spoke with a snarl, exposing the sharp teeth of her species. While it was impressive, I knew Baalta all but worshipped me, and I had no reason to be concerned by her behaviour.

"No. I'm grateful that so many of your people would answer my call for help. However, the needs of the Lokella take precedence over the needs of anyone. Even the one they hold responsible for their freedom. I want at least sixty per cent of the fleet, including the Liberator to head home. And that split goes for whatever ground forces you brought as well."

"Mtael…"

"Baalta, this isn't up for debate," I cut in before she could argue. "I've never once used the veto the Council gave me, but I'm doing so now." I paused and released a breath to calm myself. "I'm grateful beyond words that so many of you came, but the needs of your… of our people matter far more than mine."

There was a short gap, as Baalta stared back at me, where I feared she'd keep arguing. Instead, she sighed and relaxed her posture with a short bow. "I will speak with the rest of the Council." I gave a nod and smile of thanks before the line closed. The fact she'd dropped my title was an indication of how much she disliked me putting my foot down and using the executive power the Lokella granted me. I'd never done so before, and if they were smart, they'd change the rules so I couldn't again, but I was going to use it while I could.

However, I was more concerned about the fact that with most of their military fleet here, their system was vulnerable. While I was concerned for them as a group, my main worry was Anakin. I'd placed him and his mother there to keep them safe, now though, the actions of the Lokella might've brought danger to their doorstep. The only upside, if one could call it that, was that Anakin was on Mandalore.

"I knew they respected you, but this verges on devotion."

All Simvyl got was a grunt in reply as I didn't want to comment on my issues with how the Lokella saw me. I mean, I could understand it from Baalta, Maan and the other first-generation Lokella, but seeing it from others – though I was glad Ferox, Validus and others didn't show me such blind devotion – was a concern and made me wonder if the Interface or TPTB had something to do with the behaviour or if it was a cultural thing now among the Lokella.

"Assessment: While I understand your logic for wanting the heavy cruiser gone, Master, I feel it would serve us better to ensure all the freighters left. Their combat potential is highly limited. "Addendum: Unless you are considering using them to draw fire from more valuable vessels."

"I'm not goi…" I was cut off mid-sentence by Raven alerting me to a new group of vessels emerging from hyperspace. The first ship was smaller than Raven while the next few were on par with a YT1300, however, the last three were larger. I easily recognized the largest as an old Tal'kar-class light cruiser and the two next biggest as Crusader-class corvettes. While less than a third the size of the Liberator – and certainly used far less crew – the Tal'kar class had half the firepower and was far more manoeuvrable. The fact it and the Crusaders had managed to slip all the way here without some sort of alert on Republic channels was an impressive feat and explained why the Mandalorians were the last to arrive when the hyperspace routes to the ShaDo system – where the Lokella were based – were far less travelled.

The smile that had appeared on my face at seeing the Mandalorian appear slipped when the Liberator and its escorts turned toward the oncoming Mandalorian ships. "Seriously?" My hands flew over the controls. Even as Raven surged forward, heading for the space between the two fleets, I was opening a channel to the Liberator and the Tal'kar.

"Baalta," I called out as soon as her channel opened, "stand down! Those ships are with me." Even as she nodded and turned to address someone away from the camera a second channel opened. "Osto?" I said, surprised to see him in command of the cruiser.

"Alor Cameron. It is good to see you again," Osto replied with a smile and a slight nod. "We were worried we'd arrive late because of avoiding the more populated systems."

"Ven'alor Osto," I replied slowly. "While I'm glad to see you again, I must say the cruiser is an unexpected bonus."

Osto chuckled. "While not the largest ship in my father's fleet it was the most readily available for carrying our warriors into battle." As he spoke someone came into sight and I struggled to hide my shock at seeing his mother, Lady Asta, was with him. "Our ancestor stood with yours millennia ago. How could we, now that our clans are allies, not bring something worthy of that alliance."

"Then you and Lady Asta have my thanks for the support."

"My husband would have travelled with us; however, he and Alor Adonai have a pressing issue to deal with first," Asta said with a smile that hinted at something amusing her. Of course, I had no idea what that might be. "If not for that, both would be here to greet you."

"Regardless of why they cannot be present, you and your house have my thanks, my Lady." I lowered my head as I spoke, though inside my mind was wondering why the two dukes were willing to answer my call. I mean, our clans were allied, and I'd promised a financial reward to any who chose to fight, but having the two most powerful Mandalorian leaders step forward, while impressive, would've raised a lot of eyebrows on Coruscant and beyond. "Still, I must say I'm surprised that your husband, Alor Adonai and you would be willing to answer my call."

Asta chuckled with her son. "How so?" She asked. "You are Mando'ade. Not just that, but you are the Revan'ade, the slayer of the a'oryc bes'ede of Tatooine and an allied Alor. To not answer your call to battle would insult all that we are and hold dear."

I frowned at her referring to a krayt dragon as something akin to a Mythosaur, but there was some logic in that as the beasts were supposedly of similar size. Yet, the fact she – and likely others – referred to it as that, was something I'd have to look into after Naboo was free. "Then I hope I prove worthy of your support."

Osto threw his head back and laughed. "You hear that, mother? The man who destroyed an entire base for daring to capture him fears he might be unworthy of our support?" Osto laughed loudly and again and shook his head. "On that day, and after hearing of your war beside Bo-Katan Kryze, I swore by the resol'nare that when you next called for warriors I would answer the call no matter the challenge. I do so now, forgoing any promise of reward for the honour of standing at your side."

"It is a feeling some share," Asta commented as I processed the impact I'd made on Osto. I mean, I knew he'd enjoyed my unleashing of chaos against the Bando Gora, but I didn't realise it went that far. "Though most will not turn down the reward you have promised. I do hope you can afford it."

"I can't ask you to forgo the payment, Ven'alor Osto. Others may question why I showed you and your clan such dishonour." Osto looked ready to argue even as I continued. "However, you could donate the payment to helping survivors of the Federation's invasion. It would further enhance the reputation of our people with at least the Naboo, and possibly others across the Republic."

Osto considered my words for a moment before nodding. "That is an acceptable compromise."

"Forgive me, Revan'ade?" I groaned as I remembered Baalta was sharing the call with us. I'd thought she'd closed the channel to speak with the other members of the Lokella council, but it seemed she'd not done that, instead hearing everything I'd said to the Mandalorians. "You speak of the Mtael this way?"

"The who?" Asta asked even as I watched Osto cough.

"Baalta," I cut in before the groups could compare titles they'd bestowed upon me. "Have the Lokella made a decision?" As I asked, I saw Asta frown. I couldn't be sure why, but at a guess, it might be for the size of the fleet the Lokella had brought as the last any Mandalorian bar Bo would know, they'd only had a dozen or so smaller combat craft and an equal number of freighters.

"We have, Mtael. However, our leaders first wish to speak with you and the Mandalorians. The plan for battle will determine the exacts of which ships and warriors will remain."

"An acceptable decision," Asta replied. "We welcome any allies of Clan Shan to the Getala'kara. Though this is a warship, and lacks many of the amenities most races would expect for travelling between the stars."

Baalta smirked. "While the Lokella are composed of many species, almost all of us were once slaves. I assure you; we can survive the lack of luxuries that others have spent their whole lives taking for granted."

"Oh, I like you," Asta remarked with a chuckle. "Arrive as soon as you're ready."

With that, Asta closed the channel. Baalta gave me a look, one I couldn't interpret, before closing her channel. I leaned back in my seat and sighed. "Well, at least they didn't shoot each other," I muttered, glad to avoid that trope.

"Did you think that likely?"

I laughed as I leaned forward again and felt Raven turn as my fingers brushed against the controls. "No, but you can never be too sure," I said, answering Simvyl's question. Yet as Raven rolled to face the Mandalorian fleet, I felt a faint tremor in the Force. Curious, I activated Detection. "What the…" I mumbled as I felt a strong, but hidden Force presence on the Getala'kara. It only took a split second for me to realise it was Anakin. "What the fuck is he doing here?" I asked myself, wondering what fuckery the Force was up to by having him come here when I explicitly told him to remain on Mandalore.

… …

… …

"I know I need to go, but I want to help," Anakin pleaded one final time as I led him toward the airlock of the Getala'kara.

"I know that, but this isn't the place for a child. Even one as gifted as yourself," I replied as we moved. "And I can't focus entirely on the battles to come if I have to worry about keeping you safe. How would your mother feel if she learnt we both died because I lost focus worrying about you?" It wasn't nice to use that card, but I'd keep doing so until Anakin was on the Liberator and bound for the ShaDo system.

It seemed that when Anakin overheard Bo talking with others about gathering a force to help me fight a war, Anakin had taken it upon himself to sneak aboard the ship Bo had taken to meet up with the Getala'kara. From there, he'd supposedly managed to sneak aboard a warship full of over three hundred warriors – a number that included the crew, and amusingly enough, the big-game hunter Drayy'ven Jral who I'd met on Tatooine during my verd'goten – for long enough that by the time Asta was made aware of the stowaway, there was little she could do to remove him without being late for our rendezvous.

I'd spoken to Bo when I'd first learnt Anakin was on board, and while she claimed innocence, I knew she'd helped Anakin come along. She'd hinted that she felt he could remain on the Getala'kara and learn how the crew operated in battle. I'd challenged her authority on making that call publicly, making it clear to all that I'd left instructions with her and her father for Anakin to remain on Mandalore. While she'd not been happy about me publicly dressing her down – well, save the spike in her lust I'd sensed which I wasn't going to focus on – she'd accepted being in the wrong and given her reasons for her actions.

While I knew she knew I had a connection to Anakin – as did she, though if anyone dared say she mothered the boy, she'd likely try and gut them – and was only doing what she felt was right, I wasn't going to risk Anakin on Naboo. Not only did that add another variable I had to account for, but if he was there afterwards, then Palpatine would meet him when the soon-to-be Chancellor arrived to celebrate the freedom of his people.

"That's not fair!" Anakin snapped as I continued frog-marching him through the corridors. A few Mandalorians saw me doing this, and most chuckled at the image. A few even waved to Anakin, suggesting he'd managed to worm his way into the thoughts of several of the crew and passengers.

Once we entered a quiet corridor, I stopped and looked down at him. "I know, but – and we've already been over this – it's fairer than sneaking aboard a warship as it departs for battle."

We'd gone over this point several times in the last hour, and while he was contrite about coming along, he disliked me using his mother to argue against his presence. It had lasted long enough that Padmé, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had seen Anakin. With Padmé being in make-up and him focused on me, he'd not reacted to her as he had in canon which was a relief as I knew Padmé's attraction was toward me. Not that I'd be doing anything with it until she was at least seventeen.

Qui-Gon had spent the longest watching our interaction, and I wondered if he sensed the strength of Anakin's Force connection. However, before he could say anything, Padmé had moved off and he'd been forced to follow along. Thus, so long as everything went decently, and we both made it out of the invasion alive, I would talk with Qui-Gon about Anakin. He might be able to offer some suggestions for how to teach the boy that wouldn't fit with the expected Jedi doctrine. Not that I planned to try to teach Anakin as a typical Jedi. Even avoiding the fact that Anakin wasn't typical, I knew where that path led.

"Look," I said slowly as the boy glared up at me. "How about this? If you go back with the Liberator and Baalta, when Naboo is free, I'll come to find you and start officially training you."

Any anger in his posture disappeared as hope and expectation flooded off him in an almost overpowering cascade. "Y-you mean…"

I nodded. "Yes, I'll take you as my Padawan and you'll become a Jedi."

"Ya-Hoo!" He shouted loud enough that I was surprised no one came to check on us. A moment later I had an excited boy hugging me tight enough that until I recovered, I struggled to breathe. I laughed at his enthusiasm and hugged him back.

"You seem happy."

I turned to see Baalta had moved into the corridor, likely drawn by Anakin's shout. She, along with just over half the Lokella fleet, including the Liberator, were returning home. Ferox and Validus would remain to represent the Lokella Council as they'd made clear no force in the galaxy could stop them from fighting at my side. Which many Mandalorians had been pleased with, and when I'd left to escort Anakin to the docking area, I'd heard Osto talking with the pair about arranging a few short spars between the forces to help them see what each other could do.

"I'm going to be a Jedi!" Anakin shouted, making Baalta laugh.

"Don't let Bo hear that," I said as he let go of me. "She was insistent that you'd become Mando'ade."

Anakin shrugged while a wide smile dominated his face. "I can do both! Just like you!"

"Yeah, that's true." I chuckled and ruffled his hair. He was so excited that the action did nothing to spoil his mood. "Now off you go. I'm sure your mother is waiting for you to return."

His head bounced like some sort of broken doll. "Yes, Master."

"You don't have to call me that, Anakin," I said quickly, making his smile slip. "I know you've heard me use the term with Masters Dooku and Fay, but I understand how to you, your mother, and the Lokella the term 'Master' can have a negative connotation. While I doubt other Jedi would even realise this, I'm fine with you just using 'sir'."

"Ok." Anakin walked toward Baalta. I watched as she said something quietly and then guided him away.

Once he was out of sight, she turned back to me. "Thank you for understanding our concerns, Mtael."

"It's fine. However, if something does happen to me, I need you to take Anakin to Master Dooku. While I don't expect him to train Anakin, he knows who I'd hope could ensure he has the training he needs." I'd left word with Dooku that if my path ended on Naboo, I felt Qui-Gon was the best choice to teach Anakin. Dooku hadn't questioned why I felt that, choosing instead to simply say he was glad I wasn't expecting him to teach the boy. As amusing as the idea of that would be, I knew Dooku, while a great Jedi Master, wasn't the right choice for Anakin.

"It shall be done, Mtael. However, I know in my heart this is not where your future ends."

I nodded to Baalta before we turned and headed in opposite directions. I was glad that Anakin was leaving. However, while the first leadership meeting of the combined force had taken place, I'd sensed someone else arrive. Like Anakin, Serra had not listened to me and came to the fleet. I hadn't confirmed how she'd managed to arrange this, but that was what I was about to find out.

It took me about five minutes to reach one of the training rooms aboard the Getala'kara, and inside, I saw Bo and Serra sparring. Serra was using her lightsabers, but she also had most of a set of beskar armour on. My eyes rose when I saw the sigil that was on each shoulder. There, the one she'd earned from her verd'goten – which also served as the sigil for her young clan – rested.

I wondered for a moment where the armour had come from only to remember who Serra was sparring with. It seemed Bo had maintained more contact with Serra than I'd realised to the point she's managed to find enough beskar for Serra's armour. Something I had a hunch came from the vault on planet Ordo. I wasn't complaining, as Serra looked good in the armour, and it offered her protection that Jedi robes failed to provide. But it was just odd to see her embracing Mandalorian culture.

I let the spar continue for a while, watching the pair to gauge where Serra was. She'd certainly improved, and I felt having her spar against Obi-Wan would be interesting as while he'd begun using Soresu he wasn't a master of the Form yet. Serra favoured Jar'Kai obviously, yet while she centred her style around Niman, I could see the elements of Makashi I'd taught in action along with Shien. Oh, there were still flaws in it, something Bo exploited with a trio of blasts with the final one landing against Serra's chest armour, but it was a massive improvement from when I'd last sparred with her.

"Cam!" Serra called out after realising I was here. "I… um…"

I stepped closer as the pair stopped their spar. "I believe I asked you to remain at the Temple." My voice was relaxed, but I hoped there was an air about it to make clear I was speaking to her as a Jedi Knight and not her friend and lover.

I sensed some uncertainty in her for a moment before it slipped away, and she met my gaze. "You did but I… I can't stay away." She took a step toward me. "Every time I've meditated, I've been sensing a growing malevolent darkness and recently I've known it centred on you. It's why in the Temple…" She paused as her cheeks darkened.

"I know," I said softly. There'd been a moment where I thought she was going to say something that would get us into trouble with the Order. If she had, I wouldn't have denied it, nor not said the same back. However, I was glad she didn't. I still had a need for the Temple and the Order, though I did wonder how long that would remain the case.

Behind Serra, Bo smiled though she thankfully stayed silent. "I've never been good at seeing the future. Master Drallig says I don't have the patience for it," she chuckled, enjoying some private joke. When it ended, her smile slipped. "Yet ever since we… made love, glimpses have come to me. Of the darkness you've spoken of that threatens us all. The night you left the Temple, I had another one and," she paused, having moved close enough that she could place a hand on my arm. "I know that darkness, the Sith… They wait for you on Naboo."

"I'm aware." That caught Serra and Bo unaware as both looked surprised, though it was how Serra reacted that was my primary focus. "I've known something was waiting for me for a long time. Almost as if the Force was testing me. The moment I heard of the blockade of Naboo, I knew this would be where I faced my trial. However, it's because of that I didn't want you here." I lifted a hand and cupped her cheek, happy at the way she leaned into my touch. "If something were to happen to you… I couldn't live with that."

"I feel the same, but it's not our place to make that choice for the other."

"When did you get so wise?" I asked with a chuckle.

"I guess you and Bo managed to beat some into me." I laughed happily at that before leaning forward and kissing her forehead. "I need to ask though, why didn't you bring your concerns to the Council?"

I scoffed and shook my head. "As much as I'd love to believe they'd believe me, I knew they wouldn't. Ignoring that I'm a new Knight and a young one at that, there are many in the Order who dislike and distrust me simply because of my name."

"Then they're fools," Bo remarked. "What? They are," she added when Serra and I looked at her. She waved a hand as if dismissing us or telling us to return to our conversation.

"While I'd not phrase it how Bo did," Bo chuckled at Serra using the nickname, "I do agree that they'd not believe you. But others would. I do." She glanced back at Bo before continuing. "It's why I called Bo. I… I had to be at your side, and she helped arrange for a lift from Coruscant."

"I could still send you back, Padawan." Even as I said that I felt I wouldn't. She was here now, and I swore I felt the Force move in a way that meant this was where she was meant to be. Now, I wasn't stupid or love-drunk enough to not wonder if I wasn't misreading the signs to suit my feelings, but I was slowly accepting her being here.

"You could, but I'm not here as a Jedi." She rolled her shoulder, drawing my attention to her sigil. "While I've never spoken the formal declaration, Clan Keto stands with Clan Shan from this day until our final days." I chuckled even as she took a breath as if debating something, and then kept going. "You are neither my clan head nor my Mand'alor. Only they could keep me from being at your side, and even then I would fight it."

As I brushed a strand of hair from her face, I played over everything in my mind. She was right that, as Mando'ade, she had as much right to accept my offer to fight as any. And while we had never made it official, we were allies.

"You know if you send her away, it will undermine you in front of the other clans?"

"Yes, Bo, I'm aware of that," I shot back with a roll of my eyes.

Bo smiled, raised her hands, and took a step back, making clear she'd said her piece. However, I knew she was right. Sending Serra away, and using Jedi ranks to dismiss the leader of another clan, especially one close to mine, would make many of the Mandalorians question if I was truly one of them, or if I was simply using them as mercenaries. While some likely wouldn't care, I knew I'd need the support of their people again for conflicts that came along after Naboo.

I returned my gaze to Serra. "I need you to know that this is going to be dangerous and that as much as you'll protest, I'm going to do whatever I can to keep you away from the Sith." She opened her mouth to protest but I placed a finger against her lips. "No. Whoever is waiting for me is my trial, not yours. Whatever happens, I must face them alone."

Serra stared at me for a while, as if resolving an internal struggle. "OK, but if they strike you down, I'm going after them."

"Then I'd better not fail," I shot back, earning a chuckle from her before she leaned upward and kissed me gently. "What about Master Drallig?" I asked once the chaste kiss ended. "Or the Order as a whole? They're not going to be happy with you sneaking out to come to me."

The smile on Serra's face slipped. "I-if he comes… I'll talk with him, but I'm not going back until this is over." The conviction in her words was easy to hear. "And if he does come before we reach Naboo, that'll be another blade we can use."

I chuckled at that. "Aye, that's true," I said before kissing her forehead again. "Thank you."

She leaned her forehead against my chest as I held her close, finding comfort and strength in her.

"So," Bo began, ruining the moment, "now that we're all agreed Serra's fighting with us, I think we need to practice our teamwork."

I looked at Bo, thinking she meant sparring together. Yet, when I saw the look in her eyes, I knew she had another sort of practice in mind. "As much as I'd love to get closer to both of you," a faint gasp came from Serra, "I need to return to planning out the insertion and determining how we arrange the three-pronged battle to determine the fate of Naboo."

Bo shrugged and moved closer even as I let Serra slip from my arms. "Fine," Bo said once she was next to Serra. "You go and plan. We'll head to the Raven and wait for our private briefing." Serra's cheeks reddened as she understood Bo's meaning, though she did nothing to stop the redhead as she was guided away. "Don't take too long as I'm not sure how long we can wait."

I watched the pair leave the room and then shook my head. I was being truthful in saying I had work to do, but if the pair were going to travel with me in Raven, then as soon as the planning was done, I knew exactly where I was going. Though I'd wait until we were in hyperspace as if I was going to enjoy those two, I wanted as much time as possible to do so.

… …

… …
A/N: And so it begins.
...
This story is crossposted on Fanfiction.net, Archive of our Own, and Royal Road.
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USSExplorer · Oct 15, 2023

A/N:
As always, thanks to those helping me write and plan out this story and checking it for continuality and logic errors.

This chapter was released at least 2 weeks ago to my Patreons (with them seeing a draft version around 2 months ago) and on the story's Discord server (in GDoc form) about a week ago.
Links for both are at the end of the chapter.
Hopefully, all the little mistakes have been found and removed.

The Phantom Menace 2
... ...

(Captain Dofine's POV)

Captain Daultay Dofine sat on the bridge of the Trade Federation vessel Saak'ak trying his best to not let the boredom of this, in his opinion, ill-advised invasion get to him. Apart from Dofine not agreeing with Viceroy Gunray about the need for it in the first place, once the planet was secured – bar the unexpected escape of Queen Amidala – the Viceroy had wastefully insisted that three Lucrehulk transports remain in orbit when one was more than enough.

The Queen's escape had infuriated Dofine as the captain of the transport that the Naboo royal cruiser had raced past hadn't deployed their Vulture droids, instead relying on the massive vessel's turbolasers to disable but not destroy the fast-moving cruiser. A mistake that Dofine had enjoyed reminding that captain of before the Viceroy had demoted them.

Yet while Dofine had enjoyed seeing that captain's demotion, he was still fuming internally at how subservient Gunray acted around the mysterious figure responsible for Gunray's ascension to sole leader of the Trade Federation and the one who'd pushed for the blockade and invasion of Naboo. Darth Sidious appeared to be Human and not particularly imposing, yet the Viceroy seemed to shrink whenever in this supposed Sith Lord's presence.

The prime example of this behaviour came just a few days ago when Darth Sidious contacted Gunray again and demanded that three Lucrehulks remain in orbit. While the information that Queen Amidala was returning to the system was unexpected, Dofine failed to see any military or financial reason why three Lucrehulks were needed to control a docile population or the droids controlling them. Either Vuutun Palaa or the Luuhan could control the nearly half a million droids on the planet with ease as both had been converted secretly into droid control ships. The Saak'ak, which was Dofine's personal ship and one that should've left with the rest if not for Sidious' orders, was one of a handful of Lucrehulks outfitted with armaments surpassing the Ruusan Reformations' limitations, even after the Trade Federation's enhanced permits as agreed upon with the Senate.

The longer the Saak'ak was in a potential combat zone, instead of plying its trade away from any system of current galactic note, the safer the changes the Federation was making would be. That said, Dofine was glad he hadn't been made to transfer his flag to the Vuutun Palaa to maintain orbital control. The Saak'ak was outfitted as a warship should be. Forty-eight quad turbolasers dotted the outside of the massive vessel's rings – all of which could slide into cover if the ship was anywhere the Federation didn't have complete control of – along with two-hundred point-defence lasers covering the ring and the central control sphere. Three hundred Variable Geometry Self-Propelled (Vulture) droids added to that firepower, though it all came at the cost of far lower cargo capacity, to say nothing of the need for more OOM-series droids to manage systems at the cost of around a third of the standard security-variant B1 battle droids a Lucrehulk would normally have. A fact made worse as about half of the Saak'ak's droids were deployed to the planet below along with the droid contingents of the control ships Vuutun Palaa and Luuhan.

Still, according to Sidious' sources, the Queen would return soon and the Sith's apprentice – a Zabrak that Dofine was glad to have never met directly – was already on the planet waiting to capture the Queen and deal with any Jedi that might come with her.

Of course, Dofine had a plan in place to deny the Sith the glory of the Queen's capture, snatching it for himself instead. While he was secure with his place in the viceroy's inner circle, he felt Gunray needed to see that the Federation didn't need the support of these so-called Sith. His plan was why all the Vulture droids carried by the Saak'ak were either on external deployment procedures – attached to the hull – on active patrol or ready for launch. Dofine had also borrowed a squadron from each of the other Lucrehulks. Nominally, it was to relieve some of the pressure on the droid control centres of the Vuutun Palaa and Luuhan, but it was more to ensure the other captains didn't attempt to undermine Dofine's plan in pursuit of glory for themselves.

Still, after five days of waiting since Lord Sidious had informed them the Queen was returning, Dofine found himself growing bored of another shift without reward. He stood, the fine purple shimmersilk of his robes swaying with his movements and leaving his crew in little doubt of his standing. "Dremon," he said as he took a step toward one of the two exits from the bridge, "you have command. Alert me the instant any vessel enters the system and signal Readiness Level Two if the ship is confirmed to be the Queen's."

"Yes, Captain," Jull Dremon, the Saak'ak's gunner, and Dofine's nominal second in command, replied.

Dofine moved toward the door, his robes billowing behind him, almost making him seem twice as wide as he truly was. The large circular doors slid back and as he reached them Dofine hoped he wouldn't hav…

"Captain," Dofine stopped and turned just as he crossed the threshold of the door. "Six ships have just entered the system along the anticipated route." The report came from Tpix Iinvee, the senior sensor officer on duty.

Dofine considered this arrival. Six ships arriving together wasn't entirely unusual as they'd seen such arrivals since the blockade was initiated. Any ship or convoy that had arrived, after it was determined as to why they were here – mainly cargo delivery and the odd passenger liner – had been ordered, sometimes with a squadron of Vulture droids as an escort, to vacate the system. However, since the invasion, no convoy of more than three ships had entered the system and the few that arrived over the last few days had been solitary traders, no doubt looking to make a quick buck trying to run the Federation's blockade. None had attempted that when faced with three Lucrehulks and squadrons of Vulture droids, but the uptick in traffic was something that played on Dofine's mind.

"Identify," Dofine ordered even though he knew Iinvee was already doing that.

"It's the royal cruiser, Captain." As Iinvee said that Dofine was turning. "Five escorts. A combination of Corellian CR70s and DP20s."

Dofine considered that. While those ships were little threat to the Saak'ak or the other Lucrehulks, those vessels were designed for engaging vessels of similar size or fighters. "Launch all alert Vulture squadrons," Dofine ordered, referring to the ten squadrons that were currently stationed on the hull of the Saak'ak. Even with the firepower the Queen had surprisingly managed to acquire, they were no match for over a hundred Vulture droids. Or at least, they shouldn't be. "Ready all remaining Vultures as well," Dofine added as he reached his chair.

As he sat, he pulled up a display of the convoy. The five escorts were forming a ring around the royal cruiser. "Control Officer, concentrate firepower on the royal cruiser's engines and shields. Helm, Bring the engines to power and move us to intercept. I want us ready to tractor the Queen's vessel at the first opportunity. Comms, order the other vessels to remain in position."

The crew entered Dofine's commands into their consoles. While Dofine couldn't feel the massive vessel shift from orbit, he could sense the subtle increase of power as the reactors jumped to full power.

"What of the escorts?" said Sil Unch, the droid control officer.

Dofine considered the matter for a moment. "Force them to break formation. Once done, ignore them unless they attempt to continue the battle. At which point, disable or destroy at your preference." While those ships would have some value that Dofine would normally have wanted, his focus was on Queen Amidala and her vessel. The reward for her capture outweighed anything the other vessels might bring.

With the orders given and relayed, there was little Dofine could do but watch. The Vulture droids closed rapidly on the royal cruiser and its escorts. Analysing their flightpath, Dofine determined they had likely planned to approach Naboo on a parabolic arc, hoping they could side to the planet from the far side. However, since Darth Sidious had informed Gunray of the Queen's intended return, Dofine had ensured the sensors of his vessel were focused on the locations where the connecting hyperspace lanes emerged into the system. While he disliked the Sith Lord and felt the Viceroy shouldn't do as the Human ordered, Dofine could admit that knowing Queen Amidala would be returning had ensured they were ready for this, making it highly improbable that she and whatever mercenaries she had acquired would be able to reach the surface.

"Vulture droids engaging," Unch reported even as Dofine saw that on the bridge's main holo-display. "escorts are shifting to block their attack."

Dofine leaned forward in his chair, a vicious smile creeping onto his face. "Execute attack pattern Fuuhin." As he watched, six squadrons continued forward, rushing into whatever storm of fire those Corellian ships could unleash. The Vultures would give as good as they got, but they were simply a distraction.

The remaining four squadrons broke from their attack vector. Two moved northward – relative to the system's plane – while the other two went southward. With the escort gunships focused on the direct threat, those four squadrons would be able to move over or under the defensive screen and either disable the escorts forcing them to withdraw or cripple the royal cruiser.

"Launch six more squadrons," Dofine added. While those shouldn't be needed, there was something to be said for the overwhelming use of force to acquire an objective. Even if half of the Saak'ak's Vultures were destroyed by the escorts – an unlikely event – the capture of Queen Amidala would more than compensate for the loss of the droids.

Dofine watched with a growing sense of glee as the flanking squadrons of Vulture droids angled toward the small flotilla. As the power levels of several of the escorts fluctuated, Dofine could almost taste the reward that would soon be his.

"Order half the squadrons to concentrate fire on escort Besh," He ordered as the shields on that CR70 wavered. "The moment their engines fail, or they break from formation, redirect fire to the next weakest escort. Peel them off as one would remove the layers of a runefruit."

Unch didn't respond verbally, but Dofine saw the Vulture droids shift their focus. Caught off-guard, escort Besh's shields started flickering. "Escort Besh has lost shields," Iinvee reported even as Dofine saw that from the holo-display. "They're breaking formation."

Dofine's smile grew positively vicious as the droids shifted their fire from the retreating vessel to one of its cohorts. It wouldn't be long until Queen Amidala would be in his brig and the reward for her capture would be his.

"Convoy is shifting vectors," Iinvee stated. "New projections suggest an attempt at a direct approach to the planet."

"Continue Vulture attack patterns. Helm, alter our vectors to block and intercept."

Almost as soon as he issued the order, Dofine watched another of the escort gunships break from formation and withdraw to the edge of the system. A stray thought passed through his mind that the escorts seemed to be breaking easily, but Dofine dismissed that concern. The crews were mercenaries that Queen Amidala hired, and like all mercenaries, and all organic fighters, they couldn't be relied upon to push forward and achieve an objective regardless of the cost. That was why the Federation's droid forces were superior as they obeyed any order given until the very end.

As a third escort broke from the formation, gases trailing from its engine core, any concern Dofine had faded. When a minute later a fourth escort – one of the DP20s – shuddered and turned away after being rammed by a Vulture droid, Dofine could all but smell the sweet scent of rare ingots and succulent meals that his rewards would contain.

"Captain, new vessels entering the system."

The call from Iinvee drew Dofine from thoughts of how he would invest his reward. A series of commands into the control built into the chair and the display shifted. Seven new vessels had emerged from hyperspace. Oddly, they had entered on the far side of the system, and if not for the advanced sensor pickets deployed to monitor arrivals, the Saak'ak might well have missed them.

While the presence of two Corellian freighters might be some cause for alarm given the escorts were all manufactured by the same corporation, the other five were an odd mix of freighters from different corporations, which removed that concern. Another convoy so soon after Queen Amidala's arrival was unusual, and there may be more to it, but Dofine was certain that once the royal cruiser was captured, any plans the Queen may have designed would fall apart.

"Order the Vuutun Palaa to launch two squadrons. Standing orders apply." Those orders were to transmit that the Naboo system was under Trade Federation control and that any vessel not wishing to be impounded for illegal presence should withdraw. Failure to do so would see them fired upon. That had worked on every ship that had entered the system, though some had needed a warning shot before withdrawing.

"Escort vessels are starting to jump away."

"Sir! Another convoy has entered the system!"

Dofine shifted the display again. This second convoy had exited along the same vector as the royal cruiser, which convinced Dofine they were all working together. However, with Queen Amidala exposed and without support, any mercenaries she'd hired would turn tail and run once they saw the battle wasn't in their favour.

"Again, order the Vuutun Palaa to launch Vultures." Dofine brought the display back to the pursuit of the royal cruiser. Five of the escorts had already broken from their mission, with one requiring help to do so. "Ignore the Queen's escorts for now. Once the Queen is secured, if any vessel remains in-system, you may act with your discretion to secure them for profit." Dofine would have preferred to simply ignore them, but each vessel, so long as not too heavily damaged, has a resale value of around a million credits and those that were too badly damaged could be stripped for parts. Since he had no intention of sharing his reward for Queen Amidala's capture with anyone, giving them that thread to gnaw on would ensure their continued loyalty.

"Last escort is withdrawing."

Dofine almost snarled in delight as the Naboo royal cruiser found itself surrounded and harassed by Vulture droids. As instructed, the droids were limiting their fire to the rear of the ship. "Transmit an order to stand down and surrender. Vultures are to assume positions around the cruiser. If it turns, take out their engines entirely."

He waited patiently, wondering just what the young Human queen would do. Her hope of freeing her planet was gone, and if any Jedi were with her, they would advise her to surrender. Because of their presence, Dofine would have to alter standard orders for securing hostile vessels. He did hope it was the same Jedi as before, as it still angered him that they'd managed to not only escape their execution but slip down to Naboo and free Queen Amidala.

"They've surrendered." An almost celebratory mood rippled through the organic crew on the bridge as Tey How spoke.

"Transmit landing vectors with clear instructions that deviation will result in their ship being crippled and towed," Dofine ordered. "Vulture droids are to maintain secure escort positions until the cruiser enters the bay. Afterwards, return them to their standby locations."

A review of the droid numbers showed the equivalent of five squadrons had been disabled, which while slightly higher than Dofine would've preferred, was an acceptable loss. The prize of Queen Amidala had been secured, meaning the crew wouldn't be forced to compensate the Federation for the loss of droids. "I want a squadron of Vultures to support a battalion of B1s to enter and secure the vessel."

"Sir?"

Dofine looked at Unch. "I suspect the Jedi who escaped our grasp before are with the Queen currently. If they are, I want no repeat of that debacle." Ordering half the Saak'ak's contingent of security and command droids to detain a handful of prisoners would normally be considered overkill, but given only droidekas had driven the Jedi away the last time, Dofine wasn't taking any chances while he could have ordered the two squads of droidekas to the hangar, Dofine felt safer keeping them closer to the bridge. The odds of the same event occurring again were low, but if it did, he wanted the only droids certain to discourage Jedi close at hand.

Closer and closer the Saak'ak moved to the royal cruiser, like a Kinrath stalking toward prey that had stumbled into its lair. Soon Queen Amidala would be captured, and the bounty promised by the Viceroy would be his.

"Captain! The first convoy is engaging the droids! Second convoy is accelerating."

After punching at his controls, Dofine stared at the holo-display. It was showing both convoys confirming what Iinvee had just said. Or at least the general idea as, while he watched, Dofine saw the first convoy not only engage the Vulture droids but destroy an entire squadron before the droids were able to counter.

As for the second convoy, while they too appeared to be light freighters, they were racing into the system, fast enough that Dofine determined that most had been retrofitted for extra speed, though the weapons this convoy was using were again far heavier than most freighters carried. That made Dofine sneer as he determined who they were. Bounty hunters.

While the Federation did have some bounty hunters and mercenaries in their employ – with several dozen being on Naboo to help with pacification efforts – Dofine, like all Neimoidians, disliked them. They were, even when compared to other sentients, an unruly and unreliable lot. However, as a green ship slipped to the front of the second convoy, Dofine's distaste for hired guns faded, replaced by a growing interest.

"Order the other Lucrehulks to launch all their ready Vultures," Dofine ordered as he shifted the holo-display to focus on the small, green vessel. "Once the Queen is captured, these pirates will break and run, and our droids can pick them off with ease."

Yet even as he gave the orders, Dofine activated a small private holo-display on his chair. There the image of the second convoy appeared before quickly zooming in on the dark green vessel that was leading the convoy toward the planet at an impressive speed.

He watched as it swept to one side, sliding between fire from a pair of Vulture droids and then dove between the pair close enough that Dofine was surprised not to see sparks where the hulls clipped each other. Whoever was piloting that vessel either had unnatural reflexes or had configured the odd vessel's manoeuvring thrusters to grant incredible reactions. Ones that seemed to almost match what the Vulture droids could manage.

As the green vessel banked hard, almost turning on a credit chit, to avoid a trio of flanking droids, he considered ordering the vulture droids there to engage and disable the vessel. Yet as it slipped around a volley of laser fire, Dofine rejected that. A quick mental calculation confirmed that the green vessel would reach the upper atmosphere of Naboo before the vultures could corral it, and that was without considering the other ships. Already one full squadron of Vultures droids had been taken out by the second convoy – with only one vessel in the convoy taking any seemingly significant damage. The other convoy had already reached Naboo, with only four vultures left to stop them.

"Amendment to my last order. Track the flight paths of the two convoys. Have the Vuutun Palaa ready droid patrols to head toward wherever the freighters land and engage whatever mercenary forces Queen Amidala gathered. Elimination of those forces is a priority until the Queen signs the treaty. After which, I want the vessels impounded and their computer cores dissected for information on possible smuggler hubs we can eliminate."

Truthfully, Dofine doubted those ships would have any information, however by capturing the green vessel, he could acquire what appeared to be a unique vessel for himself. While Gunray was busy patting himself on the back for the capture of Queen Amidala, and possibly peddling a story to Darth Sidious of how the Viceroy was the one who'd captured the Queen personally, Dofine would have that vessel brought to him.

Not wanting to appear distracted by the convoys, Dofine returned his gaze to the primary holo-display, shifting the image to the sight of the royal cruiser. He smiled widely as it was guided by the Saak'ak's tractors into the starboard docking arm.

"The moment the cruiser is onboard, secure all hangar blast doors. Any droid that requires repair is to divert to the port arm. Once the blast doors are secure, take us back into orbit of Naboo. However, do not contact the Viceroy. Once Queen Amidala is secure in our brig, I will speak with her personally."

As the crew responded to his orders, Dofine leaned back, savouring his moment of victory. After the events of Dorvalla, he felt he was due one.

… …

… …
(Cam's POV)

I struggled to not laugh gleefully as I guided Raven between fire from a pair of Vulture droids. Those droids could pull off moves other fighters likely couldn't normally match, yet Raven – with the Force flowing through her – was able to seemingly sense their attacks milliseconds before they occurred. As such, we'd danced between droids and blaster fire in a way that likely left anyone watching amazed at us pulling it off.

Oh, some strikes had glanced off Raven's shields, but those were still running at over eighty per cent. A laugh did slip from me as we slipped between the two droids who'd just fired on us, and Raven's sensors confirmed they'd lost their flight path enough that the modified vessels behind us could easily pick them off.

As had been planned, the two convoys made a run for Naboo and appeared, except for Raven, to be nothing more than a hodgepodge collection of light freighters. However, as any good captain would do, those ships had been upgraded and given their owners were Mandalorians, they'd outfitted their vessels with a lot of weaponry that skirted what was technically legal.

"This ship is a true marvel of the Force." That comment came from Qui-Gon. While he was sitting in the co-pilot's seat, he, along with Padmé, was nothing more than a spectator as Raven glided between the Vulture droids towards Naboo. "A fitting ship for a Jedi."

"I agree, Master Jedi," Padmé added before inhaling sharply as Raven rolled along her axis and slipped past another droid so close I could make out the warnings on the hull for technicians. I could sense Padmé's enjoyment at our insane flight, but it was pushed below a sense of unease that was likely caused by how her people were being treated. Of course, you'd never know this as she maintained a regal presence as best she could. "Though I feel credit belongs to both the man at the controls and the vessel."

"That it does, Your Majesty." Raven slipped past the last droid and entered the upper reaches of the atmosphere. "The Force flows through both in a way that I must admit makes me slightly envious."

My smile grew at Qui-Gon's comment, as I knew it was one shared by many, inside and out of the Jedi Order. However, as with the other short bursts of conversation the pair had engaged in since we'd emerged out of hyperspace, I didn't respond. My focus was guiding Raven toward the planet, angling us downward at an angle most would consider suicidal.

My target, and that of the other vessels racing toward Naboo, was to reach the swamp to the south of Theed and the Gallo mountain range. That was Gungan territory, but as the jungle was the closest place to Naboo that provided cover, it was the best place to deploy the ground teams.

As the swamp came into view as we slid through a large cloud, and sensors revealed the droids weren't pursuing us into the atmosphere, I decided to respond. "Careful, Master Jinn. I'm unsure the Council would be pleased to hear someone of your stature express such an emotional opinion."

Qui-Gon chuckled even as my fingers danced over the controls, plotting out the best location for deployment. "The Council and I," he paused as Raven pulled up suddenly, banking to sweep over the canopy of the jungle as closely as she could without hitting anything, and he and Padmé were forced to brace in concern that we'd crash. "We often disagree on many things. A position you are likely familiar with from Master Dooku," I chuckled but didn't respond verbally.

Raven's scanners had located a break in the canopy that while too small for Raven to land, was more than enough for everyone on-board to deploy through. "Right, everyone ashore that's going ashore," I said as Raven closed on the hole.

Qui-Gon stood but stopped and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Will you be able to reach the rendezvous?"

I snorted. "Ignoring the more esoteric Force abilities I enjoy using, Master, I believe I'll be fine. And on the off chance I do get lost, Fenrir will guide me."

Qui-Gon squeezed my shoulder before withdrawing the hand. "After you, Your Majesty."

Even as I heard her stand, I knew her eyes were trying to burn a hole in the back of my head. "Don't worry, I'll be fine," I said without taking my eyes off the controls. That seemed to settle her as a moment later I heard the cockpit doors slide open and then close.

About thirty seconds later, Raven came to a stop over the break in the canopy. The consoles indicated the airlock was opening and offered me the ability to override that. I didn't, a moment later HK sent up confirmation that he, Serra, Bo and the first Mandalorian unit I'd ferried were planet-side. Behind them would come Padmé, her guards, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, and then Simvyl would drop with the other units I'd ferried.

As the confirmation came that the last warrior was down, I closed the airlock and angled Raven away. While I'd already discovered a point to enter the trees to land and hide Raven, I was going to fake two longer deployments at a point several kilometres away. Since the droids hadn't pursued us – or any of the other ships that were deploying teams – into the atmosphere, it was clear they planned to observe our actions and then react. Since Raven was the only vessel that would be landing, I needed the extra fake deployments to hide both Padme's location and where Raven would land.

The other vessels would fake one more deployment before gathering and then heading around the planet before breaking for hyperspace. Once away, they'd circle around and join the ships gathered with the Getala'kara a system away. Those would return once the battles to free Naboo had commenced. Getting a signal to them would be an issue, but hopefully, Asta's team would be solving that issue at this very moment.

After slipping Raven under the canopy of the jungle, I'd need to camouflage her – something made easier thanks to the Force – before heading for the RV location at a point where the jungle met the Gallo mountains.

… …

… …
(Dofine's POV)

"Captain, all but one of the vessels from the convoys have entered the atmosphere," Iinvee reported. "The Vuutun Palaa is requesting to send squadrons of Vultures into the atmosphere."

"Denied," Dofine replied. "They are to continue tracking the flight paths of the freighters. Attack vectors can be sent to Vulture droids the moment any lands, but they aren't to launch without my express permission." While not striking at whatever personnel those fighters carried was a risk, engaging the freighters in the atmosphere ran the chance of being observed by a populace that bar a few pockets of resistance, was subdued. Any uptick in resistance might interrupt operation on the surface and disrupt credit flows.

Once Queen Amidala was secured, that resistance, even with the potential for mercenaries to join it, would melt away when she signed the treaty approving the Federation's occupation of Naboo. Those who didn't would be made an example of either by being executed or sold to groups like the Hutt Cartel. As had already happened to over a hundred thousand Naboo who had resisted, or were considered a threat to resist.

The Queen was all that mattered to Dofine, which was why his focus was on the display of the royal cruiser being brought into the hangar. The large blast doors of the docking arm slid shut behind the vessel, joining every other exit from the ring, while laser cannons deployed from the ceiling of the bay. Dofine wouldn't use them and had given express orders that if they were he would personally deliver the responsible party to the Viceroy and insist that their entire family was expunged from Neimoidian culture.

The options to secure the cruiser were solely focused on the large contingent of battle droids that flooded the outer landing zone of the arm. A battalion of B1 and OOM-series droids were gathered in the landing zone, commanded by a dozen command-model droids. Those were supported by a squadron of Vulture droids deployed for ground operations. Dofine was reluctant to use the Vultures as a stray bolt from their cannons could destroy the unshielded cruiser, but Queen Amidala didn't know that and if the Queen or whatever entourage she had on board tried anything, the Vultures would end it before it could become an issue.

"Return Vultures to rest positions. Maintain two squadrons for patrol and four squadrons for ready deployment. The rest are to dock in the port-arm for resupply and repair." The crew snapped to obey and Dofine knew that recovery vessels would be deployed. While those Vulture droids that had been destroyed were likely unsalvageable as complete vessels, sections could be reused and anything that couldn't would be sent for scrapping. Most of their frames were simple and easily replaceable, but several of the components used in the droids' brains were responsible for much of the cost of a droid.

"The royal cruiser has powered down their engines as ordered."

Dofine smiled viciously as he leaned forward. A command in his chair shifted the display to another that offered a clear sight of the royal cruiser's docking ramp. He wouldn't want to miss the moment Queen Amidala surrendered. Nor the chance to, he hoped, capture the Jedi that caused all the issues with Queen Amidala in the first place. While it wasn't confirmed they were onboard, sensors detected over two dozen Humans on the vessel.

"Order the droids to approach."

The order was relayed and Dofine watched as a group of four droids – a yellow mark over the head confirming them as command variants – moved toward the front of the vessel. There was no sound, as such a feature on cameras from the cargo hold was considered a waste of credit, but Dofine knew what the droid was saying. The order was to vacate the vessel immediately and surrender.

While Dofine expected the response to not be immediate, as the clock ticked on, and no reaction came from the royal cruiser, he grew concerned. No, not concerned. Queen Amidala was his prisoner. However, the delay was unnerving even if no doubt driven by the purely emotional need to resist. Yet, even if she had the two Jedi from before with her, there was no chance she could escape. Not with over seven hundred battle droids and a squadron of Vulture droids watching for any movement from the cruiser.

The command droids conferred with each other before one of them moved closer. It would be repeating the order to vacate and surrender. "What is she up to?" Dofine asked no one when again there was no visible response from the cruiser.

A second later, the display flickered. It only lasted for a moment, but Dofine felt a strange chill run down his spine. One he'd not felt since Dorvalla. "What is wrong?" he asked when the display flickered again, this time for nearly a second.

"Unsure," a minor crew member manning the security station responded. "We're getting some unu…"

Whatever was going to be said was cut off as an alarm sounded from the junior officer's station and a second later, the display flickered violently before going dark.

"Report!" Dofine shouted, the cold sensation slowly spreading throughout his body.

"Cameras in the bay are being blocked," Iinvee reported as the cold sensation spread to Dofine's limbs.

He opened his mouth to shout at the officer to restore the signal, only for Unch to cut in. "Captain! I've lost the control signal with the droids throughout the entire arm." As the sensation reached his extremities, leaving Dofine almost unable to think clearly, Unch spoke again. "External connections are also down!"

"Contact has been lost with the Vuutun Palaa and the Luuhan," How added.

"By the spirits, what is going on?" Dofine asked in a voice that lacked all of the confidence and power it had held a mere minute before.

… …

… …
(Command-Variant OOM153's POV)

"By order of the Trade Federation, you are ordered to disembark from your vessel after which we will escort you to processing." The lead command-variant droid vocalized the order as the programming stated it should. Beside it, three other command variants stood, and around the seized cruiser, seven hundred and eighty other battle droids and twelve Vulture droids were deployed.

To Command-Variant OOM153, the delay caused a reaction with its base programming. Prisoners for processing were expected to disembark their craft within ten-point-three-four seconds. After that, the prisoners of importance – which from transmission from Control was the Human known as Queen Amidala along with any potential Jedi – were to be segregated from the others and taken to briefing room Dorn-5.

However, as double the expected time passed, OOM153's programming began processing alternate ways to complete its orders.

"Um, they're not exiting." OOM153 turned to OOM172 and stared at it. OOM172 had a point-zero-zero-three-six variance in its vocal processors that required correction. OOM153 found the variance a disruption to its functionality, however, the creators determined that was an inefficient use of OOM172's time.

OOM153 took a step closer to the starship, separating itself from the other command-variant droids. "By order of the Trade Federation, you are ordered to disembark from your vessel after which we will escort you to processing."

The order was repeated as there was a seven-point-six-nine-two per cent chance that the organics had simply failed to hear the initial order. There was a forty-nine-point-three-six per cent chance that the organics were considering their options for far longer than most organics would. The largest probability that was occurring to OOM153 was that the organics were preparing an illogical move to attack.

OOM153 determined that, based on the crew of the vessel, and the number of droids present in the bay, the chances of such an outcome being successful was less than point-four-three per cent. The only variable of interest was Queen Amidala as orders were clear that she was to only be stunned. If the other organics used her as mobile protection, then their odds of success increased. To four-point-eight-seven per cent.

After triple the expected time had elapsed, OOM153 turned and looked at a platoon of security-variant droids. "Sergeant, advance and breach." This plan was the one with the highest chance of success based on current parameters and known variables.

"Roger, Roger," the security droid replied. It and its platoon lifted their rifles to approach under primary caution protocols. However, before any of them had taken a step, OOM153 shuddered.

Internal diagnostics quickly confirmed the issue was that the connection to the central mainframe had been severed. OOM153 fell back on internal programming and resumed carrying outstanding orders. However, only the other command and security variant droids had such programming. The rest of the battle droids present – representing five hundred and eighty-two – lacked the additional core size to support such programming. Those droids had deactivated, their limbs and blasters falling to their sides.

OOM153 quickly calculated that the most likely vector for jamming was coming from the impounded vessel. The change in droid numbers dramatically altered the chances the organics could escape the forces under OOM153's command – rising it to thirty-seven-point-six-four per cent – however, that number was still within an acceptable range for the standing orders to be carried out without waiting for reconnection to the central mainframe.

"Sergeant, advance."

"Roger, Roger." The Sergeant led what remained of its platoon forward, though just as they passed closer to the vessel than OOM153, the shared network between the droids in the bay detected movement from underneath the vessel. "Surr…"

The sergeant's order was cut off as the two figures that had dropped from the impounded vessel opened fire.

OOM153's programming activated as the security platoon was struck down by heavy blaster fire. The rifle in its arms was lifted higher, and it along with the command variants in its squad advanced. Their rifles opened fire on the new hostiles even as additional programming activated. Reconnection with the control mainframe now took priority. OOM153 turned to issue orders to other droids, however, the command it directed was blanketed out by the sound of a heavy repeater.

A Vulture droid was blasted in its control centre, with the metal there quickly succumbing to the focused heavy fire. As more combat programming engaged within OOM153, a second Vulture droid fell, two smoking holes through what an organic would consider eyes having taken out the Vulture droid's central processing. One of the Vultures fell upon a pile of deactivated battle droids, engulfing all in an explosion as one of the underslung missiles the Vulture had been equipped with somehow exploded.

As debris was thrown throughout the landing area and OOM153's programming had it duck to avoid a large section of the Vulture droid's wing, its programming shifted again. With armed combatants present, all droids would follow standard operating procedures until such time as a connection to the central mainframe was restored.

It turned to the other command variants with it. "Move t…"

OOM153's order was never completed as its head was blown clear from its frame.

The remaining command variants quickly processed this, and OOM172 was designated the new battalion commander. Yet before any order could be given, a small circular object bounced toward them. "Uh-oh," OOM172 managed to get out once its programming determined what the object was before it and the other two command variants were destroyed. The thermal detonator ensured they and the remains of OOM153 would be unsalvageable after the battle was over.

The programming on the remaining droids again reacted to the loss of the command unit and a new chain of command was established for the battalion. Yet even while that was going on, three more Vulture droids fell, taken apart by sweeping fire from a heavy repeating blaster located on the top of the impounded vessel.

As more droids fell to the effective fire of the small number of organics engaging them, the hiss of the royal cruiser's airlock failed to draw attention from any droid, save those whose visual receptors observed the ramp begin to descend.

… …
(Asta Ordo's POV)

"Go, go, go! Oya!"

The command came from Kal Skirata, leader of Traat'aliit T'ad (Team Two). He, along with Baston Tyri had deployed through the droid shaft to the top of the Naboo cruiser to provide overwatch and sniper/heavy-weapon support for this assault. Two other warriors, Kaan and Aundars, had deployed to the underside via the escape pod hatches – said pods had been removed before the cruiser had entered the system.

The ramp of the royal cruiser deployed a split-second later, and Asta led the rest of her force, totalling twenty-eight Mandalorians, out of the cruiser. Her blaster was already firing before her armoured boots hit the deck of the Trade Federation's massive transport, and she enjoyed watching droids fall.

Her focus shifted to the squad of command droids that had issued the orders for them to surrender. While Asta had expected the order to be given, it insulted her that anyone thought several hundred droids was enough to stop an assault group of Mando'ade. However, the group was already down, having been taken out by a grenade from one of the four that had deployed to form the beachhead.

A red bolt slammed into her armour making her wince at the force, though her HUD reported no damage taken. Still, she turned toward those who had fired and returned the favour. A rocket raced from her gauntlet, slammed into the leader of a squad of red-striped droids and reduced it and its squad to their component parts.

Even as the explosion from her rocket joined the symphony of chaos erupted in the hangar, Asta was moving. Around her, more Mando'ade flooded from the cruiser, engaging the Federation's droid army. The shared Battlenet the Mando'ade used, along with decades of training, helped ensure their bolts flew out, striking different targets.

Vulture droids were targeted by any with heavier weapons as soon as possible. While their cannons wouldn't pierce beskar, the concussive force would knock a warrior from their feet, maybe even kill them. A fact proven as a member of her team, Hox Bruhl, was sent tumbling from one exploding near him. The offending Vulture was taken out by a rocket from another member of the unit even as the Battlenet reported Hox was uninjured.

"Advance," Asta ordered, her rifle singing as it brought destruction to another unit of droids. She moved to a pile of crates near the wall of the landing bay, having to dive as a Vulture near her fell over; its head destroyed by a volley of heavy blaster fire.

Once in cover, Asta examined the layout of the battle. None of her force was down, though a few like Hox had been momentarily knocked over by concentrated or heavy fire. That was a relief as, bar the odd stacks of crates, like the one she was next to, there was precious little in the way of cover inside the bay.

The ceiling cannon had been destroyed. While it had deactivated along with most of the droids, the chance it could power up again and unleash carnage was too great a chance to take to not destroy it immediately after deployment. Only three Vulture droids remained standing, along with around a hundred regular droids. The majority had shut down when the jamming signal had been activated. The royal cruiser was still in one piece, though the hull had been damaged significantly once battle had commenced.

Alor Cameron had hoped to prevent that, suggesting the cruiser could be used if Asta's warriors were forced to simply cripple or destroy the Lucrehulk. Asta knew that if that objective was taken, then departing in the Naboo vessel was unlikely. Ignoring the di'kut lack of weaponry the vessel had, the fact it would be ground zero for this battle all but ensured its ability to withdraw would be compromised. Even if it hadn't, escaping from this vessel in the cruiser was foolhardy. Even without commands from this ship, the other Lucrehulks would deploy their Vulture droids, and quickly overwhelm the royal cruiser.

No, the only option was to achieve the primary objective, and then consider which vessels of the Trade Federation could be repurposed for departure.

As she popped from her cover and let loose another trio of bolts from her rifle, the Battlenet reported Traat'aliit Solus was moving to one of the exits from the hangar. While the other traat'aliite would continue the battle, Team One was tasked with forcing open a set of doors, securing them and then slicing into the massive transport's internal network. Ideally, they'd also gain control of all internal security systems and shut down the droids remotely, but Asta didn't think the Federation was sharal enough to have not avoided that design flaw.

Still, the initial intel Alor Cameron and the Jetii had provided regarding the internal nature of the Lucrehulk had proved to be accurate enough to work with. Asta was still uncertain though as to how Alor Cameron had known details that the Jetii didn't as they, unlike him, had been onboard such a vessel before.

Those thoughts were pushed aside as her HUD warned her of an approaching unit of battle droids. The Battlenet already fed her their locations and approach vectors, so her rifle was up and unloading at the droids before they could process she was aware of their approach. Two droids fell to fire from her rifle. A third fell to a powerful bolt that all but vapourised its head, and it fell to the floor, tripping the last droid. Asta put a pair of bolts into the last droid's head even as she used the Battlenet to send Baston a thanks for his assist.

Yet, as soon as that was sent, her HUD warned of a new group of droids. Asta pivoted, her rifle unloading at the droids that had managed to get close enough she wouldn't need her HUD to make out the components of the droids' fingers. Three droids took blaster fire into their mid-sections, but as one fell its mechanical hand gripped her rifle.

Not wanting to get dragged down by the droid, and thus be taken out of position, she let it fall with the droid. A kick to the falling droid drove it into the legs of the last unit. As it stumbled to one side, generating space between her and it, and ensuring its blaster fire missed her armour, Asta lifted an arm and shot the droid with her gauntlet-mounted heavy blaster.

As the last droid fell, she stepped forward and pulled her rifle from the grip of the other, a pair of bolts from her gauntlet shattered the mechanical limb.

With her rifle, one given to her by her husband Torrhen on the day they were wed, in her hands, Asta checked the Battlenet, seeking another droid to destroy. While around thirty remained, none were near her, nor was a single Vulture droid still standing.

She turned as a notice came through the Battlenet from Team One's leader, Brild Awaud, that they'd secured control of the hangar's door system, along with internal monitors throughout the arm. While not total access to the security systems, it was more than Asta had prepared for, making it a welcome bonus.

"Traataliit'ade, move teams to Taap Solus," she ordered through one channel on the Battlenet. Confirmations came in from five of the other teams, the only one not to respond was Team One as Brild's team was already in position.

As the teams moved around, Asta examined the hangar through the Battlenet. The droids were all down or destroyed, while the five teams shifted to their first locations after the initial assault. Three Mando'ade came toward her, those were her team of Hox Brahl, Mun Xath and Nia Vizsla.

Asta was comfortable having Hox and Mun on her team, as she'd known both for many years as both clans were loyal to House Ordo. Indeed, the Zabrak, Mun, had saved her life during an ambush by Duke Anzur's force during the recent civil war. However, the sister of Alor Pre and the mother of Alor Gar was another matter. Manda, if not for Cameron and Bo-Katan Kryze vouching for Nia – likely as a favour to Naz Vizsla who was close to both – Asta wouldn't have allowed the former Kyr'tsad member on the mission, she may have even made sure she disappeared.

Now, Asta had heard reports of Nia's fighting prowess during the civil war. While she'd not had any position of command as would normally be the case given her experience and relations to two powerful Alor, the simple fact she was former Death Watch meant none could trust her in such a position. However, when the call had gone out from Cameron for warriors willing to fight – be it for honour or reward – at his side, Nia had been one of the first to step forward. Because of Cameron's word in her defence, Asta had allowed her to join the assault force, though due to Asta's distrust, Nia was kept on her traat'aliit.

She shifted the comms of her armour to the secure line for her unit. "Support Traat'aliit Solus." The three confirmed the order and Asta watched as Hox and Mun ensured Nia remained in front of them. Asta shifted the comm channel again. "Traat'aliit Verde, report in."

"Primary exit secured. Local security system overridden." That report came from Brild Awaud, whose team was one of two with a slant toward technical and computer skills. While the other teams had worked to secure the beachhead in the landing bay, Team One had achieved its initial objective of securing an exit.

"Secondary access breached. Local droids neutralized," Kal Skirata, the leader of Traat'aliit T'ad reported. "Working on overriding further controls."

When Asta had learnt that a warrior of Alor Kals calibre had answered the call for warriors, she'd been surprised. While his son Tor had fought in the civil war for Duke Adonai, Kal had generally stayed out of the matter. At least when it involved Duke Anzur. When Death Watch had been involved, Alor Kal had been close to a one-man army – even by Mando'ade standards. Because of his reputation, Asta had appointed him as her second in command, above even Baston Tyri who had served House Ordo for over four decades. Once they were underway to the rendezvous, Asta had asked Kal why he answered the call.

While he had heard of Cameron – from his son, Tor who'd served at the Institute in Keldabe, and others who enjoyed retelling Alor Cameron's verd'goten – and was curious if the Jetii was what some people claimed, that wasn't what brought him along. No, beyond even the credits promised for participating, he saw potential in their people uniting in a common cause. One that would show that while they were still warriors to be feared, they were no longer the reckless conquerors of old.

"We're going to need a new extraction plan," reported Alor Kann Dur who was leading Team Three. Kann was a close friend and ally of Duke Adonai. "Cruiser is too badly damaged for repair, even without considering external enemy forces." Kaan had signed on with his son Thun to fight beside Alor Cameron over the promise of credits. While that wasn't true of many, Asta wasn't surprised by the choice.

Kann had been there during the ijaat'akaanir, so had harboured an interest in Cameron even before the Jetii became clan chief. While Kann had volunteered for this assault – as had every warrior present – his son Thun had chosen to head to Naboo. There, if all went well, Thun and many others – including Asta's son Osto – would fight at the side of Cameron, securing bonds of friendship between them that would carry over to when Thun and Osto assumed leadership of their clans.

"Tertiary egress located. Securing now." Alor Aundars Wren was, like Alor Kann, an ally of House Kryze, and unsurprisingly had almost fought with Kann over who would volunteer first. The pair were very much inseparable, however unlike Kann, Aundars had ensured his son remained behind. That was both because his heir had just welcomed his first child and as people had to stay behind to secure clan and house holdings. While Death Watch was, Asta hoped, consigned to history as a mistake, House Varaud was still present. Duke Anzur wasn't foolish enough to think he could win a new civil war after how badly he'd been beaten by Dukes Adonai and Torrhen, but he was wily enough that he might try to cause trouble for the restored Kryze-Ordo alliance. That was why Asta's daughter Alys and Dorgo Adonai weren't present in any form either, though in the case of the latter it was more because, with the civil war now over, Dorgo needed time to truly grieve for his lost family. That Asta had ensured Alys remained at his side was a small play to see if perhaps something might develop between the pair and further secure the alliances between their houses.

"Bay secured. Primary fuel targets discovered and rigged. Working on pinpointing secondary locations and any potential weapon caches." Jad Spars led Team Five and was the only team leader who wasn't either the chief or heir of their clan. He also was the only warrior in the assault team to have not been born in the Mandalorian sector, having been adopted by his father – Alor Olaf who had command of the Getala'kara – after his birth mother had died defending the old warrior. While he might not have been born within Mandalorian space, Jed was a well-respected Mando'ade as their people placed no stigma on adoption. Family was more than just blood – something Asta had learnt from her brother Tarho, who was Togruta and someone Asta had trusted to protect her children when she and Torrhen had to head into battle.

"Overwatch achieved," reported Baston Tyri. Of everyone in the assault force, Baston was the one she trusted the most. The man had been a battle brother of Torrhen since before she'd met her husband, and Baston had pulled her arse from the fire on several occasions. Something she'd done for him as well.

While teams Zero – her team – through Five would push deeper into the massive cargo vessel, Team Six under Baston's command would remain at the beachhead. The doors to the inner hangar bay were currently sealed and should remain so with Traat'aliit Solus slicing into the mainframe, but if they opened then any droids beyond – which Asta feared was many of the Vulture droids that had escorted them onto the Lucrehulk – would attack. To help with maintaining the beachhead, even if the Naboo vessel was unusable as an extraction vessel, Baston and another member of his team would maintain overwatch while the other two were in the process of bringing two heavy blaster cannons out of the royal cruiser.

With the team leaders all having reported in, and first positions secured, Asta shifted her comms to a force-wide channel. "All traataliit'ade, proceed to Taap T'ad." As every member of the assault force reported in, Asta made her way toward where her team and Team One were.

Hox gave a slight nod as she reached the blast doors that led to the corridor running along the inside of the impressive docking arm. After placing a variety of explosives and mines around the door to the inner hangar, Team Five would join them soon, and the three teams would move forward through the corridors. Kal would take another three teams through the corridors on the outside of the arm. While that path would be longer, in theory, it should be the quieter path.

"How deep did you get?" Asta asked Brild as she moved beside her. At Brild's side, Sunel Gedycs currently had cables running from her gauntlet into a dataport. Sunel's clan was a powerful one that supported Torrhen, and while she'd never worked with Sunel before, Asta had heard of her skill with computer systems during the civil war. Kaan and Baston both spoke highly of her, which was why she'd been assigned to one of the teams deployed to slice into the Federation's systems.

"Internal defences have been disabled, though only for the arm," Sunel replied even as her fingers danced over the gauntlet's interface. "Motion sensors are on a loop while cameras are," Sunel paused for a moment, "overridden."

A new notification flashed through the Battlenet. Acknowledging it, Asta smiled as she was given sight of the cameras that ran throughout the arm. While the camera access only covered the arm, a complete layout of the massive vessel filtered into her HUD. The in-built system began plotting out routes to the bridge, highlighting spots where Asta and her force would pass close to concentrations of droids.

With a command, Asta shared access to the system with Kal and Baston. Baston would use it to determine what was in the inner bay while Kal, like her, would determine his path forward. As they confirmed access, Asta programmed her HUD to monitor the various cameras for movement. While she'd prefer to have the motion sensors, she trusted that Sunel's disabling them was the safer option.

As the HUD brought up feeds of droids moving within the arm, highlighting those with markings for command and security, Asta frowned. The numbers in the arm were far lower than she'd have expected. Even after considering the number destroyed in the landing bay and that most would be deployed to the planet. She wondered if in his haste to secure Queen Amidala, the captain of this vessel had overplayed his hand and deployed what he considered overwhelming firepower to convince the queen to surrender. If they had, then Asta was more than happy to make them pay for it.

Though as she examined the state of the royal cruiser, Asta wondered how Queen Amidala would react. While she'd only met the young queen during the briefings on how to achieve planetfall and, at the minimum, cripple a Lucrehulk, Asta had been impressed with her. There was a fire there, that while buried under a preference for peace – though not to the levels shown by those di'kute who had called themselves 'New Mandalorians' – raged to free her people. Though the queen had been ill-at-ease with using warriors to free her people, or perhaps the death and destruction the coming battles would bring to her people, she'd accepted the situation. Usually after a soft word or two from Cameron.

That and other signs made clear that the young queen had a yearning for the Jetii Mando'ade, but he seemed to either ignore it or miss it entirely. However, Asta had seen that Bo-Katan and Alor Serra were both aware of the queen's feelings. That, however, was a matter for Cameron to handle. Likely once Naboo was free and those in command of this invasion had either surrendered or died for their folly.

Her HUD laid out three primary routes that would lead to the powercore and engine section of the vessel, which pulled Asta's thoughts back to the present. Whichever route they took would take them through at least two locations where the droids that remained could attempt to delay or ambush her force. Yet as she examined those locations while they waited for Team Five, Asta didn't think they'd have enough droids to do anything more than inconvenience her teams. Not unless they deployed their droidekas.

The two Jetii with Queen Amidala spoke of having to fall back when confronted by the droids, which suggested they would be a concern. However, there was no sign of any of them within the arm. Either the Lucrehulk didn't have any or the captain – displaying an odd sense of concern – had withheld them from securing the royal cruiser. Still, unless they had at least two droidekas for every warrior under her command, Asta felt even those droids wouldn't be able to stop them from completing all their objectives.

After Team Five arrived, having finished deploying the various explosives needed to help Team Six, a quick series of signals to and from Kal confirmed his unit was ready. "Advance." The single-word command had her team take the lead down the corridor. Team One moved next with Team Five securing the rear.

Reaching the first intersection, Asta's team advanced slightly down the crossing corridor. Asta scanned the corridor. Even if the HUD and sensor feed from inside the Federation ship showed they were safe, she wasn't taking any chances. Team One pushed on, crossing the intersection and after Team Five had advanced, Asta's team slipped to follow, assuming the rear position.

As they neared the next intersection, the Battlenet flickered with reports. Asta's HUD provided details that Kal's team had engaged a small unit of droids. While not all there had been combat models, all had been dispatched with ease and his unit was pushing on.

Traat'aliit Solus reached the next intersection, and confirmation that they'd engaged a squad of battle droids flashed through Asta's command within the Battlenet. Team Five moved to assist, but even as they reached the intersection, Brild reported it was secure. Team Five thus moved forward, crossing the intersection. Asta's team followed along with Team One now assuming the rear position.

While it was only a matter of time until the Federation regained control of the sensors and camera in this arm of their vessel, Asta had given clear orders that they weren't to push forward too quickly. Doing so resulted in mistakes, and while those with her were the more experienced warriors who had answered Cameron's' call – and thus already knew this – there was never anything wrong with restating common-sense orders. While getting to the bridge before the crew re-established control of the internal defences would be preferred, the sheer scale of this vessel meant that was unlikely to happen. However, if they could reach the power cores first, or at least gain access to the security systems in that section of the vessel, then Asta would consider the initial assault successful.

The third intersection took them parallel with the inner landing bay, or more accurately the middle bay as it seemed the Lucrehulk had three sections for the main bays that dominated the ships' arms. Pulling up camera feeds from inside the middle landing zone, Asta confirmed the presence of two dozen battle droids and twice that number of Vultures. Wanting to give Alor Baston's team a better chance, and avoid the risk that those droids might emerge into the corridors and flank her forces, she inputted a new, immediate objective.

As her team and Team Five secured the intersection, Team One moved toward the doors leading into the bay. While Sunel pulled the cable from her gauntlet to slice into the door controls, Asta sent a command for Alor Kal to have his technical team do the same on their side of the arm.

While Sunel was working, Asta pulled up the map of the Lucrehulk again with her HUD. The critical locations to secure or destroy the vessel had already been tagged and teams were designated for each location. While she would lead most teams toward the bridge and droid control centre, which were located in the central sphere, other teams would move to secure the power cores, external communications control and droid relay command centre. Yet, as she examined the map once more, a new location of interest was flagged by the Battlenet.

The main computer core, while a useful objective, had been expected to be heavily guarded. However, it seemed that not only was that unlikely – or at least there wasn't a dedicated defensive position the droids could hold – but that the hyperdrive navigational core was located nearby. Asta had expected that to be close to the bridge, but either that wasn't the case, or the one being marked by her HUD was a backup.

Regardless of which it was, Asta marked that core as a priority target. Not for destruction, but for downloading. If, like the Mando'ade, the Federation had hidden hyperspace routes throughout the Outer Rim, then that data would be worth a fortune; both financially and tactically. Plus, it would only require withdrawing one of the three teams assigned to the bridge assault to secure and begin securing what charts and navigational details they could.

The blast doors to the middle landing bay slammed shut, and Sunel stepped back. Brild blasted the controls, ensuring the system couldn't be overridden locally. Before she stepped away, she attached a thermal detonator to the walls. On the off chance that the droids somehow managed to force the blast doors open, the corridor would be blocked by the explosion. The pattern was repeated at the next two sets of doors that led to the inner landing bay. Each time the blast doors were sealed, and the corridor mined.

The process wasn't fully repeated with the innermost landing bay, as while there were droids inside, none were combat variants. However, the bay was still locked down after Asta examined the camera feed and determined the Federation was loading statues, sculptures, and other objects of importance to the Naboo into shipping containers. Those objects were of minor importance to the mission, but if the vessel could be secured, and then it survived the coming battle, they could return the objects to Queen Amidala. The financial reward for doing so might be slim, but the potential political value wasn't something Asta was going to ignore.

The element slowed as they moved past the now sealed-off innermost bay. The slicing carried out earlier meant the secure feeds they had access to only reached the point where the arm ended, and the massive power cores and engines were located. While they had schematics, there was no way to know what lay ahead. Plus, this crossover location was one that the Battlenet had marked as a likely ambush location. Given the previously marked locations hadn't had anything like the droids needed to delay the force, Asta expected this to be where the Federation made one of its larger stands.

For Asta's element to advance, they'd have to move through a large open hall, one that fed into a half-dozen locations, including some that had natural elevation to rain down fire on her force. The only upside was that the passage Kal's element was moving down would lead into the same location, allowing the combined assault force to flank and overwhelm any droids present.

Asta sent a check to Kal, which was replied to with a confirmation that he and his element were two minutes out. With that confirmed, Asta ordered Traat'aliit Rayshe'a forward. Jad Spars had only taken a half-dozen steps into the hall before he was knocked back by significant blaster fire.

His team pulled him back, reacting to his falling before the Battlenet confirmed he was unharmed. As Team Five returned to cover, Asta examined the feeds from their helmets.

From what was recorded, over a hundred battle droids were gathered in the hall. While not all were detectable, the vectors of fire that had rained down on Team Five revealed the location of nearly two dozen that were in cover. Based on those locations, Asta marked others as likely points where more droids could be waiting.

Hox and Mun moved to the corner that led to the hall, taking orders from Asta as she inputted cover points. As the two moved forward, drawing considerable fire, which revealed several of the points Asta had marked as possible locations as actual ones, Nia and Siri Trumda moved to the corner.

Those two were the ones outfitted with differing backpacks, and instead of the single rocket most Mando'ade carried, they each carried four. That cost them their jetpacks, but given only two teams had those for this operation, it was a minor change. As they leant forward, programming vectors into their rockets, Brild and Jad moved closer, grenades in their hands.

Like the entire assault force, the quartet about to unleash hell on the droids were enjoying themselves. While Asta was glad the civil war was over, and they could rebuild their space, she missed combat. That feeling was one many gave in to when the call to arms was sent out by Alor Cameron, overriding the desire for credits. Not that they'd turn down the reward as to do so might insult Clan Shan, and by extension Houses Kryze and Ordo.

As the first pair of rockets took off, Brild and Jad tossed their first grenade. A second pair of rockets took off a split-second later, and as the first reached the locations and exploded, Brild and Jad tossed their second grenade.

As the grenades and last two rockets exploded, Asta rushed forward, her element behind her. The closer cover the droids had been using was gone, having been blown apart by the grenades, destroying the droids behind them. The rockets had slammed into four of the locations at higher levels where droid fire had come from. Or at least three had, the fourth rocket had struck the right side of the main droid defensive line.

Blaster fire raced across the area, more fire coming at the Mando'ade than heading out. Yet Asta's warriors could take multiple strikes before being forced back, whereas a single decently placed bolt would destroy a droid. The droids continued to fire at her warriors, undeterred by the losses they'd already suffered. While that was to be expected as droids lacked the fire of the Mando'ade, the spark that granted them, and other sentients, life, Asta knew there was more to the droids' unwillingness to withdraw than just programming.

Beyond them lay the passageways that led past and to the power cores, engines, and other critical systems of the Lucrehulk. If an extended firefight or explosions broke out there, then the entire ship might be destroyed. Yes, the chance of that was low, but given Neimoidians were known to prefer to save their skins over self-sacrifice – a fact that influenced the battle plan for this assault – Asta doubted they'd risk it, not until the ship looked close to being taken.

The advance was slowed when Ella Rang – a warrior from Team Five – took a series of bolts to her side. While the beskarweave there had resisted the first two, the third bolt broke through and she'd fallen to her knees. Her team moved to cover her even as she pulled a bacta patch from her belt. The offending droids were soon gone, blown up by a rocket from Jad's gauntlet.

Still, even though the wound to Ella wasn't critical, it did stop Asta's element. Yet just as the droids started to push forward, their right flank exploded. Rockets that the droids had seemingly not expected had slammed into their lines, followed by Alor Kal's element flooding into the area.

With the droids under assault from two sides, and part of their main defensive line broken, the battle was soon over without another Mando'ade taking a wounding hit. Asta stepped forward and gave Alor Kal a nod of thanks, which he accepted with a nod of his own.

"Taap Ehn," Asta stated over the Battlenet. Her team and Kal's took the lead, pushing through the area into the engine and power section of the Lucrehulk. Behind them, the other teams followed along, clearing rooms as they advanced. A signal from Brild brought the force to a halt, and as Sunel and the slicer in Team Three – Eili Drys – moved to the dataports that had been located, Asta waited. While she could've gone over the next stage of the assault, the plan there required no alteration.

Once security had been overridden, the force would advance toward the neck leading to the central sphere. Along the way Teams Two, Three and Four would break off, heading to secure the power cores, communication suits, engines and other locations of value. While Kal's element had orders to rig the cores and engines for detonation, those would only be inputted if the assault on the central sphere failed.

In Asta's opinion, that section would place them most at risk of failing to secure the vessel. While Vulture droids couldn't enter the handful of bays along the neck, there was a chance, however small, that the captain of the Lucrehulk would choose to abandon the arms and escape with the sphere. It wasn't a function of these massive vessels that Asta had heard of, but Sunel and others confirmed it was a rumoured feature.

A notice in the Battlenet revealed that Sunel had breached the first layer of security for the cameras in this section. While Asta disliked Neimoidians and their beliefs, she could at least respect the smidgen of intelligence they'd displayed in designing their internal security. Keeping the cameras, sensors and whatever else for each section separate, prevented any intruder from gaining complete control of the vessel from the landing bay. That would've made the assault much easier, but Asta was glad it hadn't been the case as she was enjoying the battle. Even if the droids, outside of the Vultures, hadn't been a match for her warriors. That said, the fact they have full deck plans from a single dataport was a flaw, which if the Neimoidians survived the assault and upcoming space battle, Asta expected them to report to their superiors. Of course, her people would have complete plans regardless as altering the internal structure of vessels this size would take time and cost more credits than the Federation may well be willing to afford. To say nothing of the number of Lucrehulks the Federation was rumoured to possess.

A second notification in the Battlenet was followed by a new datafeed into her HUD. Opening it, Asta smiled at seeing the cameras for the engine and neck sections had been secured. A small notice confirmed that internal sensors and defensives were disabled. However, before she could examine the various routes that would lead her element to the bridge, a warning flashed in the HUD. The camera feeds from the arm had gone, along with a warning the internal sensors there had reactivated.

"Blast doors are opening," Alor Baston's voice called over the team leader's channel. "Droids advancing. Secure for now."

"Acknowledged," Asta replied. The doors to the inner landing bay were always expected to be open, but Baston and his team were prepared for it. They couldn't hold out indefinitely, not if enough Vulture droids walked through, but they were secure for now. That said, the loss of the camera feed from the arm meant two things.

First, they had an idea of how long it would take the bridge to override their slice of the security systems in their current section of the vessel. Plus, the Lucrehulk's command staff now knew who had boarded them, or at least who were deployed in the bay. With even a modicum of intelligence, they'd determine the rest of her team were also Mando'ade and adapt whatever security protocols they had. They'd also be working hard to overcome the jamming signal or destroy the royal cruiser as the source of that, which meant securing the communication suite was a higher priority.

Accessing the Battlenet, she shifted the plans for Kal's element to reflect that, and he confirmed the change. "Execute Taap Cuir."

The six teams moved forward, heading for the main elevators that connected the land bay level with the others. Once there, and after securing the room – which was devoid of droids suggesting they'd been part of the company that had attempted to stop her warriors before they left the docking arm – her and Kal's teams moved to different shafts. With the new orders, Kal's team would take the communication suite. Kaan and Aundars' teams would secure the reactor cores and engines along with the auxiliary control centres. From there, they should be able to ensure no external signal was sent even if the jamming device was destroyed.

"Oya, Manda!"

"Oya, Manda!" Asta's war cry was returned by the others with them, and after a nod to Kal and his element, her team and Team Five entered the elevator. However, instead of moving up, he sent the car down a level. The teams waited there until a signal came from Jad. His team was now in the shaft and moving upward with their jetpacks. After waiting a short while, and another signal meaning Team Five was almost at the deployment floor, Asta programmed the car to rise.

The ride was quick, though it felt like an eternity to Asta. The security systems might be down for this section, but they were still vulnerable. In theory, an override command could send the car hurtling to the base of the shaft, a fall of potentially a hundred levels. That made the moments inside the elevator the riskiest after securing the landing bay.

When the car jerked, Asta's grip on her rifle tightened. While she relaxed as the car indicated they'd arrived at their floor, she maintained a tight grip, expecting some form of resistance when the doors opened. She was the first to step out of the car, her helmet and rifle moving as one as she scanned the intersection. Even while doing this, she moved forward letting the others surge out.

Thankfully, the intersection was clear, which was a relief. While it was unlikely whatever remained of the droid forces would gather here – as there were over two dozen levels her element could've chosen to exit and advance along – the chance was always there. However, since there was no clear and present danger, she felt that any droids that might stop her element from reaching the bridge would be deployed there as no matter which level they used to move along the neck, they had to emerge on the bridge level to take it. The question was if the command crew of the Lucrehulk would do that.

The element advanced along the corridor rapidly. Each intersection or door was examined, secured, and then moved past. The rooms here were quarters, though their lack of extravagance suggested they weren't for the senior crew or important guests. Yet, as they reached the end of the section that contained the quarters, the lead members of the element came under attack.

As Hox and Mun returned fire, the Battlenet reported they were engaged by sentients. The pair slipped back, using the intersection they'd been caught as for cover and fired down the opposing corridor. Team One moved forward to support while Team Five turned and moved to the previous intersection to counter any potential ambush. While that was going on, Asta accessed the camera network for the surrounding area.

A dozen sentients – a mix of Weequay, Humans, and Nikto – were attacking the front of her element. From their lack of common armament and weaponry, they had to be mercenaries, which was odd. With the believed size of the droid army on Naboo, there didn't appear to be much need for hired guns. Well, not unless there were operations taking place that the Federation didn't want directly tied to them, though given they controlled the planet and system, there weren't many such operations that could exist.

The group at the front had deployed makeshift barriers to protect them, which along with the other two dozen moving down parallel corridors to flank her force, meant this was a planned ambush. Either the bridge still had access to the camera feeds she was using, or there was a separate system that was controlled from the sphere. Learning which it was would have to wait, and Asta sent the details of the enemy to her warriors. A second later, a standard battle plan for such situations was sent as well. The simple two-word code was enough that every warrior with her knew their roles the moment they saw the words.

Hox and Mun advanced, Brild's team supporting them. The Battlenet reported bolts striking their armour with a greater degree of accuracy, yet as the lead pair bore the brunt of the attack, Brild and his team supported. A second later explosions engulfed both corridors as grenades thrown by Team Five exploded, shattering the barriers placed by the mercenaries, and tearing limbs from bodies.

As smoke engulfed the intersection, and her warriors began mowing down the remaining enemy, Asta – with Nia at her side – moved beyond the intersection, securing the next section of the passageway. As the blaster fire from the intersection died down, Team Five returned. Asta knew Jad was smirking even as he tapped at his gauntlet and the previous intersection was engulfed in smoke and fire as well when whatever explosives the team had deployed were detonated.

Asta checked the camera feeds, however those closest to the short skirmish were down, taken out in the carnage. However, those slightly further away suggested no movement from either flanking force. While she'd have preferred to ensure the mercenaries were all eliminated, time was becoming a factor.

The element advanced quickly, Asta scanning the camera feeds for another possible ambush. None appeared and she smiled when only two members of the last ambush emerged from the flames. Given both were dragging themselves along the deck, blood trailing behind them along with missing limbs, they'd soon join the others.

The camera feeds were pushed away as the element reached the frames of massive blast doors. Those were a sign the sphere could detach and when they passed beyond the doors, Asta was relieved they'd made it this far without that happening. It had been unlikely and still was, but it was a concern floating at the rear of her thoughts.

A short corridor later, they emerged at a control point with elevator shafts. As Sunel moved to the nearest dataport, Asta opened a channel to Kal and Baston." Report."

"Primary and secondary communication suites are secured. Reactors rigged for overload. Droid control arrays overridden." As Kal's report came in, Asta sighed in relief. Even if the bridge was able to overcome the jamming, or the Naboo cruiser was destroyed, then the captain of the vessel was unable to alert the other Lucrehulks. Additionally, with the control arrays under Kal's control, if they were forced to scuttle this vessel, they could use the ships' Vulture droids to target the other Lucrehulks.

The channel shifted, though the first sounds to reach Asta's ears was that of blaster fire – of a heavy calibre – and something exploding. "Bay secure, for now. Heavy repeaters destroyed. Position at risk of overrun." Baston's voice was calm, but as Asta accessed the datafeed for the team through the Battlenet, it revealed that Ayso Tathiss, one of the heavy cannon operators, was wounded. Not enough that they couldn't fight, but such that the Battlenet reported a discernible decrease in her combat efficiency.

"Acknowledged. Withdraw from the hangar. External comms secured."

"Moving." With that, the channel closed. Once in a corridor, Team Six should be safe from Vulture droids, which were what would be causing the greatest issue. Even if they could slip into the corridors, as soon as two or three were taken out, they'd block the corridor to any other. Once the bridge was secured, shutdown commands would be sent to all internal combat droids. Those outside wouldn't be shut down as that would alert the other Lucrehulks and whatever command structure the Neimoidians had on the surface. No, it was better to leave those active, and then reveal the deception over ownership of this vessel during the major surface and space co-ordinated battle Cameron was considering with Queen Amidala.

Asta's focus shifted Brild spoke. "Can't secure security for the sphere. Appears to be controlled directly from the bridge. Cameras sliced into, but they'll see us coming."

"Understood." Asta pulled up the new camera feed and examined the viable options available. After a quick consideration, she tasked Team One with reaching the Droid Control Centre that dominated the sphere. Even if the bridge took longer to secure than expected, having all internal droids disabled would all but ensure the ship was theirs.

Brild acknowledged the change in orders and moved off with his team. While they'd need to take an elevator to another level, they wouldn't be taking this one, and by moving to another location, it would force the bridge to either split their defences, or risk allowing one unit to achieve its objective unopposed.

As with the previous elevator car, Team Five remained outside while Asta's boarded. The car moved down and remained there until the second signal from Jad Spars, at which point Asta had the car rise. While it rose, Asta was again concerned, as they were exposed, and with the bridge still having control of the security systems, they could theoretically override safety protocols and send the car crashing down the shaft. Thus, when the alert came that they'd reach the bridge level, Asta was relieved.

That relief vanished as the doors opened and she took a step forward. Rapid blaster fire slammed into her, driving her from her feet and slamming her into the rear of the car.

"Droidekas." Nia's voice came over the Battlenet as Asta felt someone dragged her to the side and blaster fire peppered her and what of the car was exposed. She gave Mun a nod of thanks while her HUD confirmed she wasn't wounded. Standing, she pushed herself against the wall, joining Mun on one side of the car while Nia and Hox did the same on the other.

The car began to shake with the volume of fire coming in, and Asta prepped for her team to charge out. While the sheer volume of fire coming toward them in a closed area meant there was a real risk one of them would be wounded, if not killed, there was little option other than a frontal assault as the controls for the car had been destroyed when a bolt had deflected off her armour. Yet there was little other option as droidekas were the ones the Jetii had warned her about, and with them lacking cover, there was no other option.

Yet before she could issue the order, Nia dropped low and swung out. Her armour was battered with bolts of plasma – her helmet taking the brunt of the damage even if she'd be feeling it in the morning – but before Hox pulled her back into cover, one of the two remaining rockets Nia carried launched.

Asta had the urge to scold Nia for her recklessness, but as the car rocked due to the explosion of the rocket, she pushed the urge aside for now. Instead, she rushed forward, using the unexpected chaos to her advantage.

Her rifle flared to life, bolts rushing from the barrel as fast as they could. Behind her, Hox and Mun's rifles did likewise. Normally she was averse to using her rifle like this, but given droidekas had shields, concentrated heavy fire was the best option. Grenades might also work, but given how close the droidekas were to the elevator exit, Asta and her team would be caught in any blast radius.

Asta's fire shifted, guided by her HUD to a droidekas that had been knocked over by the explosion. Its shields were down, and her blaster ensured it wouldn't be righting itself as she blew apart the droid's brain. She slid down behind the wreckage, using it as cover as two droidekas that were upright fired at her. The frame of their fallen comrade took the brunt of their attack as the Battlenet revealed Hox had done the same as her while Mun had reached a support that offered some protection. Nia was exiting the elevator, and while her vitals were low, they weren't critical.

Nia had barely slipped from the elevator before the car groaned loudly. A second later, as blaster fire rippled around the intersection, the car fell away. The sound of metal scraping and crashing into metal echoed through the open shaft doors, which slammed closed an instant later, no doubt due to safety protocols.

While she did that, Nia rushed forward, slamming into a droideka that had just righted itself but hadn't yet activated its shields. The droideka toppled over, and Nia dove over it, using it as cover. A warning in Asta's HUD came as the charge in her rifle's power pack dipped below fifty per cent even as she unloaded into another droideka. Its shields flared at the volume of fire coming even as it and two other droidekas fired at Asta.

She grunted as her armour took over a dozen high-powered bolts, wincing as a trio of them struck her leg. The beskarweave held, but the HUD was reporting it was weakening. Dropping low, she pulled a grenade from her belt and rolled it slowly toward the droids.

She smirked as the grenade rolled through the droideka's shield and exploded, taking out that droid and showering the other two with enough explosive force that they tumbled over. She slipped from her cover, blasting the two downed droids; something Hox also did as the Battlenet reported the weakened opponents to Asta's team.

Destroying three more droidekas was a relief, yet before Asta could target a new droid – or consider Alor Cameron's idea about slow-moving objects slipping through the droideka's shields – she stumbled forward. Over a dozen bolts slammed into her back, and she fell. Adapting, she shifted her weight and landed on one shoulder.

Her grunt of pain was hidden by her helmet, and she rolled over, her rifle returning fire at the droid that had attacked her. A click came from her rifle, and she cursed at realising the power cell was depleted. Scrambling to take cover behind another destroyed droid – even as reports in the Battlenet reported the rest of her team struggling to hold their ground – she yanked the cell from her rifle.

As she slammed a new power cell into her rifle, Asta examined her team's condition through the Battlenet. Hox was pinned down by a foursome of droidekas while Mun had been driven back down one corridor, the structural support she'd used as initial cover now looking like nothing more than a pillar of twisted metal. Nia's armour was reporting a wound on her left arm, limiting her ability to use her rifle.

All in all, even though they'd taken out some droidekas, those that remained were slowly winning the battle.

Asta's mind ran through a dozen plans, looking for a way to extract from the location, yet before she settled on one, the elevator doors exploded. A second later Jad and his team swooped out of the smoke, their rifles singing as they soared into the corridor.

The droidekas shifted fire, regarding the new group as a greater threat. While true, the weakening of fire against Asta allowed her to choose a pattern of attack. As Ella Rang swooped low, slamming into a droid moving to flank Hox, Asta sent the command through the Battlenet. Confirmations came in within seconds and by then Asta was already moving.

Racing to Nia's side, Asta grabbed the other warrior's arm and pulled her to her feet. The pair then turned, blasting at the nearest droidekas even as Hox moved toward them. Down the corridor they were backing toward, Mun held her position, and the droidekas that had pushed her away were caught in a crossfire.

Before they could react, a grenade bounced off their shields and exploded. While it hadn't disabled the droids, the concussive force knocked them over, disrupting their protection as the shields overloaded and Asta's team obliterated the pair with ease. All four used the downed droids as cover, allowing them to concentrate their fire toward the intersection.

At the same time her team had moved, Jad had split Traat'aliit Reyshe'a in half, with two members of each moving down a corridor. The droidekas had split their fire, but with eight targets to engage and thirteen droidekas, they couldn't bring enough firepower to bear against a single target to kill a Mando'ade. Only she, Nia and Pirwe Puto – a member of Team Five – had been wounded in this fight, though Ella Rang had been injured previously. None of the new injuries were anything more than minor. Yet now, Asta's warriors had the droidekas hemmed in.

On her signal, grenades came into the intersection. Some were thrown, some bounced and Asta rolled hers, wanting to see if the trick would work again. Almost as one, the grenades exploded, shaking the intersection and surrounding corridors, and the Mandalorians increased their rate of fire.

As the smoke cleared, Asta stood and moved toward the intersection, surveying the devastation. Only a few droids were still moving, though given those were missing limbs they were quickly put down by blaster fire from her warriors. She reached into a pouch and pulled a bacta patch out. While there was no faint hint of the bacta due to her helmet, she heard the faint hiss of the patch attaching to her leg and injecting healing fluid onto the wound.

Once that was done, she turned and moved. The droidekas had delayed them, but in the end, it hadn't been enough. As she moved, her team and Jad's fell into position behind her. A glance at Nia reminded Asta to speak with the other woman about her reckless actions. Yes, it had helped them escape the elevator before the car fell, but it was a risk a warrior of Nia's age and experience shouldn't be taking.

Yet Asta felt that might be why Nia had done it. Because of her time as a member of kyr'tsad, Nia had lost much of her honour in the eyes of many. Joining this assault, and possibly being ready to die in it, might just be Nia's way of regaining that honour. At least enough that it would no longer reflect on her family. The logic was there, but Asta disagreed with the need for any to throw their lives away in such a pointless manner.

The teams moved rapidly down the corridor, quickly reaching the secured blast doors to the bridge. A signal through the Battlenet had Jad lead his team into another corridor, one that would move to secure the door on the other side of the bridge. As Team Five moved off, Asta turned toward the cameras that monitored the area outside the doors.

"Open the doors," she ordered. "Your droids are disabled, and my warriors control all external communications and the reactor cores. If we must force our way in, then no guarantee for your safety will be given." While there was a chance the frogs might listen and open the doors to prevent themselves from being harmed, nothing she'd seen in this assault suggested the captain lacked that much of a backbone. If he had, then the sphere would've separated and the rings of the enormous, converted transport vessel would've detonated.

A signal in the Battlenet confirmed Jad's team had reached the other door. "Very well." She turned to the door and tapped a button on her gauntlet. Hox and Mun stepped forward, pulling shaped explosives that they'd brought specifically for this.

When she and Alor Kal had debriefed the Jetii, the elder one had revealed that the bridge had blast doors and that they'd almost managed to breach them before being driven off by droidekas. After fighting a concerted force of those droids, Asta understood why the Jetii had withdrawn, even if she might well have not done the same. However, the reveal of the blast doors, and the chance they'd have to breach such doors simply to secure their beachhead, had meant each team brought designed breaching charges.

Once Hox and Mun were finished, the entire team moved back. A signal came to Asta, letting her know Jad's team had deployed their breaching charges as well. A tap of her gauntlet was followed by an explosion that would've vaporised the ears of any nearby, though since her warriors were in armour, they were saved from the worst of the explosion even as they braced to avoid being knocked over by the shockwave that raced away from the blast doors.

Asta stepped back into view of the blast doors, wondering how the crew on the bridge had reacted to that explosion. The lights in the corridor were gone, like some of the panelling, they'd been destroyed by the shockwave, however, Asta frowned as her HUD reported the doors were still standing. As Jad confirmed with a short message the same from his side, Asta moved closer, guided by her helmet's scanners.

The doors had been breached, at least partially. It seemed that the bridge had a dual set of blast doors, and while those were shattered, the charges had forced them inward, jagging into what was probably the base door in such a way that opening it wasn't going to happen without help. The HUD analysed the doors and highlighted several points of weakness.

As she walked away, she transmitted those points to Nia. Grenades wouldn't cut it, so the rocket Nia had left would have to do. Or at least pierce the innermost door enough for a greater hole to be made with grenades. The former Kyr'tsad member moved into the corridor, moving back further from the door than the alcoves where the rest of the team was waiting.

A moment later, the rocket launched, and the corridor was again engulfed in a shockwave. While not as large as before, there was more dust and debris thrown in it, though thanks to the sensors in their armour all Asta's team could see well enough to advance.

Asta rushed toward the door, wanting to slip inside as quickly as possible if it was breached. As she neared, she saw it was, though only wide enough that they'd have to enter in a single file. A tap at her gauntlet let Jed know they'd breached the door and her hand only just returned to her rifle before she leapt through the breach.

Even as she stepped onto the bridge, blaster fire rattled against her armour. That easily held and her rifle moved, guided by her HUD toward the first target. A pair of B1s fell to accurate fire as she stepped into the storm of plasma, her rifle moving to the next target even as the first droids fell to the ground.

Another B1 fell before she slipped into one of the recesses of the bridge. As she used that as cover, Hox slipped through the gap following herself and Mun.

There were droids in the recess with her, but the HUD marked them as non-combatants, so even as she blasted another B1, Asta ignored those droids. However, when the HUD reported a Neimoidian reaching under their station, Asta put them down with a pair of bolts to their chest.

The remaining combat droids on the bridge fell before Nia had stepped through the breach, and Asta stood on the main walkway, heading toward the trio of chairs that dominated the room. The organic crew was all down in the forward recess, hiding behind anything they could find, be that a droid, a seat, or even each other.

"Who's in command?" Asta asked as Jad slipped through the breach, her voice still modulated by the armour. The Neimoidians chose to cower further than respond to her question. One of the droids manning a station fell as Asta blasted it. "I won't ask again!"

Most of the Neimoidians continued to cower, but three of the crew pointed at another. Analysing with her sensors, Asta confirmed that one's robes were of a higher quality than the others. Plus, this one wasn't cowering, instead seemingly glaring at her.

She smirked and dropped into the forward recess. "You!" she said, pointing her rifle at the Neimoidian. "Stand!"

Continuing to glare, the Neimoidian obeyed, though the glare fell when Hox marched over to them and gripped their sleeve. A look of terror flashed over their face as Hox dragged them toward Asta. That behaviour, and the fact the rest of the organic crew scurried away when Hox approached, disgusted Asta. These beings were hut'unne, having less honour or drive than any of the droids destroyed during the assault.

"Name." Asta held her rifle still, aimed at the Neimoidian's gut as he stopped in front of her.

The Neimoidian shivered for a moment before seemingly getting a hold of themselves. With a straightening back, they looked down at her. "Daultay Dofine," the Neimoidian replied, some backbone in his tone. That at least proved he deserved to be commanding the others of his species as he had some fire, pitiful as it was.

"As of now, your ship is under our control," she spoke slowly, wanting there to be no confusion about the situation. "Your crew, be they organic or droid, will obey our orders. Comply, and no further harm will come to you or your crew. Resist and well…" she tapped the barrel of her blaster.

"W-why should we obey? You'll just kill us and destroy the ship when you get whatever you want from us."

Asta chuckled, which due to the modulation of her armour, seemed to terrify the other Neimoidians. "While I could do that, and it is an option, that's not the primary reason why we're here." She slung her rifle over her shoulder, letting go once the magnetic lock was confirmed as secure by the HUD. "However, what we'd prefer to do is take our time, secure this impressive marvel of yours and consider our next move."

"We have nothing of value!" Dofine snapped, again showing some backbone. However, as Asta placed an armoured hand on his shoulder, the barrels of her vambrace blaster aimed at his head, that backbone shattered. "W-we can arrange for a ransom to be paid…"

Asta laughed in his face. "No. While that is certainly tempting, I think we'll be staying. At least for now." She gave him a gentle push and he stumbled away. "Unless, of course, you and your crew wish to die slowly and painfully."

"W-what would you have us do?" Dofine asked; trying, and failing to make himself as imposing as he'd appeared just a moment ago.

Asta turned and walked toward the largest and central chair. She sat down and placed her legs over the armrest. "First, return to your stations and disable all internal defences. Both built-in and droids. However, keep the Vulture droids outside and anything on the planet below active. We wouldn't want your friends on the other ships to get wind of the change in command. That would force me to do something none of you would enjoy."

Dofine held her gaze for a short while before sighing. As his shoulders drooped, he turned to this crew. "Do as they say."

As the Neimoidians slowly stood, some requiring a few helpful gestures from her warriors, Asta leaned back in the chair. While she disliked playing the scoundrel, the longer it took for these beings to realise she wasn't just a run-of-the-mill mercenary out to make a quick credit, the longer they could retain control of the vessel.

The Saak'ak belonged to her and House Ordo now and she had little interest in losing such a valuable asset before its purpose was served.

… …

… …
(Cam's POV)

I slowed as I neared the gathered forces. While most were outside the range of my minimap, I could already detect the sentries that were along my path. I doubted they'd fire on me as I was in my armour – sans the helmet which I was carrying under my arm – and that should connect instantly to the Battlenet, but sudden movement in the jungle of a combat location might make someone jumpy.

Now, I could've just teleported directly to the rendezvous location, but that would've meant leaving Fenrir behind and as he wasn't connected into the Mandalorian Battlenet, there was more chance he'd be fired on if moving alone. His lack of connection to the Battlenet was an issue I'd not considered until we'd gathered on the Getala'kara, so there was little I could do about it now. However, once Naboo was freed, I'd speak with Bo and others about developing a way to at least have him tracked as an ally the next time I was linked into a Battlenet.

I checked my gauntlet again, ensuring there'd been no ping from Raven. While I'd slipped her under the jungle canopy and covered her with vegetation to hide her, I was concerned droids might come looking for her. Every other vessel had dropped their passengers off and then departed, whereas Raven had landed as I wasn't willing to allow anyone else to pilot her. Certainly not when I wasn't on board.

Thankfully, there'd not been any Vulture droids buzzing the jungle, so either the Federation's commander had decided not to risk doing so, and potentially alerting the populace that something was amiss, or that Asta and her team caused enough chaos that the Federation had other issues.

While I hoped they could capture the Lucrehulk they'd landed on, even if they could only ensure its destruction before escaping, deploying most of the more experienced warriors with her would've been worthwhile. The combined fleet waiting a jump away should be able to take a single Lucrehulk, but two was going to be a challenge. Three was just impossible, so if Asta's team failed, then the only way to end the invasion was to capture Gunray.

I was pulled from those worries when my gauntlet flared with a challenge code. Recognising it easily, I sent the correct reply – which out of context, had nothing to do with the challenge code – and received clearance. A light blinked on my gauntlet and a moment later the datafeed from the Mandalorian Battlenet connected with my armour.

A small holographic map displayed the exact location, and I shifted my path to head toward it. Unlike Asta's team, the ground forces were a mixture of forces. Mandalorians and Lokella formed the bulk of the deployed force, though most of those who'd escaped with Padmé had come along. The ones that hadn't were either serving temporarily on a Lokella vessel or had remained on Coruscant with Palpatine.

While the Lokella and Naboo forces lacked the armour of the Mandalorians, I wasn't discounting them as I felt some of the Mandalorians might be doing. The Lokella had been fighting in guerrilla operations against larger and better-prepared forces for years now while the Naboo were fighting for their home. While there were going to be teething problems of getting them to all work together, I was looking forward to seeing how Lokella such as Ferox and Validus worked alongside Bo, Osto and the other Mandalorians.

That said, I had pulled Ferox aside before we'd deployed to the Naboo system as I couldn't in good conscience have him enter a battle before knowing Shmi was with child. He'd thanked me for telling him, though he'd learnt of her pregnancy before he'd departed. The couple had agreed that once Naboo was free, he would step back from frontline combat to help her raise their child. He'd also asked if, should something happen to both of them, I was willing to watch over the child – and Anakin – alongside Validus, to which I'd happily agreed. After, I informed him that I intended to train Anakin in the ways of the Force and Mandalorians after Naboo was free. While Ferox seemed uncertain about the Jedi – understandable given how little the Order had officially done to stamp out slavery in the Outer Rim – he was pleased that Anakin would be trained as a warrior.

It took me about five minutes to reach the gathering, the various guards either ignoring me – as I was connected to the Battlenet – or offering a small nod – as I was the Mtael of the Lokella. "I hope I'm not too late," I said as I moved toward where the leaders of the operation were gathered.

Padmé, Ferox, Validus, Bo, Qui-Gon and others all looked up as I approached. All were pleased to see me, though I could sense some concern from Qui-Gon. I'd sensed the same from Obi-Wan, though it had been stronger, which was likely caused because I was wearing full beskar armour along with my dragon-skin cloak. If not for the lightsaber at my hip, none would even think I had a connection to the Jedi. However, with a fight with Maul coming up, I knew I needed every advantage I could get.

I'd sparred with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan while the scouts had learnt the Federation's layout in the Naboo system. Obi-Wan had improved his Soresu greatly, but I was still able to pick his defence apart with relative ease. Qui-Gon, though, had beaten me. Oh, I'd tired him out faster than I think he'd expected, but I was still being held back by whatever was causing me problems. I was reasonably sure it was the way the Interface and the Force interacted, and hoped that things would change once I was level 30.

However, since I had to face Maul before then, I knew I needed every advantage I could get. Hence the full armour, and the various additions to my gauntlets. While none of them alone would be enough to take down a Jedi – never mind a Sith trained to kill Jedi – I had various plans to use against the Zabrak that I felt gave me a good chance to defeat him without dying in the process.

"We have been waiting for you, Master Jedi, before settling on our next step," Padmé replied. "Please, join us."

As I moved closer, Bo and Qui-Gon sent me looks. Bo's look was because she and Serra had commented on how Padmé seemed to like me. I'd ignored the teasing, and explained that even if Padmé did like me in the way they suspected, I wasn't going to pursue anything with her since I already had two companions. Bo had reminded me that it was three as I'd bedded Naz, though she had made clear not to expect any other Mandalorians to join me. Apparently, Bo and Naz were outliers in being more open-minded about relationships and having multiple partners. Most Mandalorians were monogamous once in a relationship, which it turned out, was why Bo wasn't as close to Ursa Wren as she'd been when we'd first met.

As for Qui-Gon, his issue was due to Padmé calling me a Master Jedi, which was understandable. I'd explained I didn't consider myself a Jedi Master, and that Padmé was doing it simply to show respect to me for the help I'd arranged. Qui-Gon had accepted that not having sensed any deception in my words.

The Padawan had stated his distaste for Serra being here, especially as she was doing so as a Mandalorian and, in his mind, breaking her oath as a Jedi. So far, it hadn't developed into anything more than a few glares and comments, but if he kept it up, there was a chance I'd step in and educate him.

Just before I reached the holo-map they were all gathered around – one that covered around several hundred miles in all directions from our current location, up to the edges of Theed – I paused and turned.

A few metres away, Serra was looking skyward, apprehension on her face. As I wondered what was wrong, I felt a faint shift in the Force. Not enough to suggest a threat, but enough that something unexpected, and potentially troublesome, was about to happen.

… …

… …
This story is crossposted on Fanfiction.net, Archive of our Own, and Royal Road.
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USSExplorer · Nov 17, 2023

A/N:
As always, thanks to those helping me write and plan out this story and checking it for continuality and logic errors.

This chapter was released at least 2 weeks ago to my Patreons (with them seeing a draft version around 2 months ago) and on the story's Discord server (in GDoc form) about a week ago.
Links for both are at the end of the chapter.
Hopefully, all the little mistakes have been found and removed.

Phantom Menace 3
... ...

I turned away from Serra. Whatever was bothering her, whatever event the Force was suggesting was coming soon, was a matter to focus on once the meeting was over.

My focus shifted to the large holographic map which displayed a large section of the planet. At one end of the projection was the Lianorm Swamp, with our current location marked by a pulsing red dot. At the other end, beyond the Gallo Mountain range and the great grass plains, was Theed. Another red pulsing light was there, centred around the royal palace. The sheer size of Theed on the map gave an indication of just how far away we were from the city and had me curious as to how Padmé and the others had reached there so quickly in the other timeline.

Judging by the map, it would take a week to trek to the city, and that was if we walked non-stop without the threat of interception by Vulture droids or any elements of the droid army. Said army had to be larger than in the other timeline, as this time there were three Lucrehulks in orbit. Now, the other two vessels might have been simply to reinforce the planet, but I had my doubts about that.

Ever since discovering there were three Lucrehulks in orbit, I'd been working through why that would be. The only plausible answer that remained was that Sidious wanted to test me. While the main thrust of that would come from Maul – which was a different, and much more concerning issue than the Federation's droid army – the increased droid forces would require me to adapt. He and Plagueis knew of events on Zonama Sekot, and how I'd led a small insurgent group against a larger invading force. While the Vong shouldn't be reappearing in bulk for several decades if the Invaders From the Void quest had indicated, testing me and the forces I'd assembled against a large droid force would allow the Sith to determine if I was powerful and competent enough for them to start taking me seriously as a possible ally…or an enemy that needed removal. Plus, Sidious was aware I'd put out calls for help, and if he was even a tenth as intelligent as I knew he was, then he'd have tracked my Holonet calls to the Lokella and Duke Adonai and quickly worked out where I was gathering my support from.

Once Naboo was free, the Sith would doubtlessly review my actions during the battle for Naboo to learn as much as they could about my style in combat, and willingness to engage in violence. How they'd get the recordings to review my actions I couldn't be sure of, but I knew they would as it's what I'd do in their place. Regardless, by placing three Lucrehulks around Naboo, each with their own independent contingent of droids, it meant the damage done to the Federation would be greater and the embarrassment of failing to hold the planet even higher once the planet was free.

Now, since the jungle wasn't being buzzed by Vulture droids, nor were the sentries detecting the movement of companies of droids, I felt that at least some of the threat the Federation posed had been, if not removed then at least nullified for the time being. Since there'd not been a fireball in the sky signalling the destruction of a vessel, that meant Asta's team had captured and were holding the Lucrehulk they'd boarded. Ideally, that vessel wouldn't be destroyed during the orbital battle, as it would provide a wonderful financial and technological bonus to me and my allies. However, given it would be, even with the support of the gathered fleet of Lokella and Mandalorian vessels, outgunned by the other two Lucrehulks and their Vulture droids, the odds of it being space-worthy afterwards were slim.

"Has there been any word from Lady Asta?"

The question from Padmé drew my attention, and I turned to face her, seeing HK standing behind her. His photoreceptors were scanning everyone, judging who might be a threat to the young queen. While he might not be happy about my choice to assign him to protect her, he would carry out the order with his typical lethal efficiency.

To Padmé's left were Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Captain Panaka. Panaka kept glaring at HK, not liking that a droid was guarding her, but I'd assured him that HK was more than a match for anything either the Federation or our forces might have. I stood opposite Padmé around the map while to my left were Validus and Ferox representing the Lokella ground forces, and then the Mandalorians. Bo and Osto had positions due to their houses being the main backers of my call to arms, but the senior warriors present were Shal Beroya, Vhonte Tervho and Rangemaster Dun Marod.

I knew nothing about the former two, but both came recommended by Asta, Osto, Bo, and others. Marod being here was a surprise, and I'd spoken to him before we'd jumped to Naboo, wondering why he'd come. It seemed that while he enjoyed his work teaching new generations of warriors, he missed battle and glory. When the civil war had ended and he'd survived the various battles he'd fought in, he'd grown despondent, fearing he might never die in battle as a warrior should. When the call for warriors had gone out, he'd answered quickly, and while the credits on offer were a factor, the chance to go into battle once more had been a larger factor in his choice.

"No. Operational procedures mean the only time we'll receive any signal from my mother is if they are forced to evacuate and destroy the target," Osto replied bluntly. "Unless Cameron or one of the other Jetii can add more, we won't know how successful her mission was until the orbital battle begins."

"There was nothing on the sensors when I left Raven," I added. "While they're powerful, I couldn't risk using them actively and giving away her position. Nor alerting the other Federation vessels that something might be amiss."

"While the Force isn't as forthcoming with revelations as many would believe, neither I nor my Padawan have sensed anything amiss regarding the vessels in orbit," Qui-Gon added, though I noted he specifically mentioned space and not the planet, which had me thinking he could sense something was off within the Force, meaning that Maul was waiting for us, for me, in the city.

"Has anything been heard from the local forces?"

Panaka fixed Vhonte with a glare, but the Mandalorian was unfazed by it. I wasn't sure why, but Panaka seemed to dislike the presence of the Mandalorians. Nevertheless, he was still willing to accept fighting alongside them.

"Yes, I have. However, what we have is rudimentary at best as many are working off-grid to avoid detection by Federation forces." Panaka stepped toward the map and accessed the display through a wrist-based interface. Along with the others, I watched as the map zoomed in on Theed, with lines heading toward it from smaller cities while large red blobs appeared in and around Theed. "The Federation have concentrated their forces in Theed and other major cities. Citizens from other smaller cities and towns have been rounded up and herded in or near the major population centres."

"Makes sense," Shal Beroya. "Easier to control the locals and cut down on resistance if you keep civilians in central locations, preferably near critical infrastructure as well."

"I would advise against engaging the Federation's army inside the city limits, Your Highness. The civilian casualties would be impossible to keep down."

Padmé lowered her head in acceptance of Qui-Gon's words. "Agreed, Master Jedi, which is why I feel we need to draw the Federation army, or at least most of it, out of Theed." She paused and turned, looking toward others who were close by but not part of the meeting like Serra. She was currently mingling with the former members of our team from the Institute on Mandalore, all of whom had signed on when word went out that I needed warriors for battle. "Jar Jar Binks!"

I forced down a grimace at hearing Padmé call for the Gungan. I knew she would, but I'd rather not be around him. While I was reserving judgment on the rest of his people, Jar Jar was, in simple terms, a bumbling fool. That said, the Force Potential he had – which was comparable to Mundi's – explained how he seemed to keep lucking out in every event he found himself inexplicably stuck in.

There was a delay as we waited on the Gungan to first realise he'd been summoned, and for him to then walk over. During that time, I noticed that R2-D2 was resting near HK and while he was being quiet, faint beeps and bleeps were coming from the Astromech. HK wasn't responding verbally, but I saw his hand moving. It remained near his blaster, but it was enough that the pair were having a conversation without disrupting the meeting. I'd have to ask HK about that later.

"Mesa?"

The irritating voice of Jar Jar snapped my focus back to the purpose of this meeting and I saw the Gungan had moved over, coming close to Padmé and was now pointing at himself. As if there was any other being in the galaxy with such a name. And Force was that a scary thought.

"I wish for you to return to your people as my official envoy." At Padmé's words, Jar Jar seemed to shrink in on himself, as if anyone could miss his gangly frame. "I understand you were cast out by your people," I sensed the Mandalorians and Lokella tense at hearing this, "however you are the only link we have with the leaders of Otoh Gunga."

"Mesa an envoy?" As he spoke, I saw Vhonte clench her fists, which when combined with the irritation radiating from her in waves, made it clear she disliked Jar Jar. Perhaps not to the level I did – was it bad I kept contemplating how long it would take to turn him to ash with Force Lightning? – but enough that I hoped it wouldn't colour her thoughts about the rest of his people. They did, after all, have the common sense to exile him, though I didn't know why that was beyond clumsiness and would admit to being curious about it.

"Yes, I need you to take an offer of alliance to your people. The Federation threatens both our great cultures and if we cannot unite and stand against them together, they will enslave us separately."

Jar Jar blinked and starched behind one of his long, droopy ears. "Uh, mesa no sure da Bosses will agreen wit yousa planen." I took a deep breath, letting my irritation toward the Gungan slide away. He was still needed, otherwise, the Gungan army wouldn't be around to draw the Federation out of Theed, making things a thousand times more complicated.

"Yes, I'm aware the Bosses won't like it, but we need them as much as they need us," Padmé replied with a genuine smile that proved beyond doubt she had the patience of an angel, perhaps even of Fay.

"Ok," Jar Jar replied with a shrug, "mesa try." With that, the Gungan turned and walked away, heading toward, I assumed, the nearest tributary of Lake Paonga.

"What… abilities do the Gungans possess?" Validus asked, bringing forth a question that had to be addressed.

"We're currently unaware of their exact capabilities, however, the most recent skirmish between our people and the Gungans saw them deploy over ten thousand warriors. They also have the ability to navigate the oceans that run through the planet's core."

"Which will be very useful for, among other things, slipping forces into Theed under the noses of the Federation," I added to Panaka's report. As Validus nodded, accepting the information, I gestured to the map. Panaka nodded and stepped back. "While not from this world, I visited recently to celebrate the Queen's coronation," I smiled at Padmé before highlighting the city. "These rivers run through Theed, coming in from either the Gallo mountains or a lake further away. While I'm uncertain if the Gungan vessels…"

"Bongos," Obi-Wan supplied.

"… bongos, can emerge into the rivers, I suspect they'd be able to arrive in the lake and then travel downstream provided the river is deep enough. Once we have better intel from the local resistance, we should be able to determine insertion points for both primary teams to capture the Federation's leadership and disrupt any droid forces within the city limits."

"You suspect the Federation's leaders are on-planet?"

I turned to Panaka, letting him answer Vhonte's question.

"Reports suggest Viceroy Gunray himself is still present, having taken up residence in the palace."

"What about the Gungan tech? Are we sure it's useable?"

"While Jar Jar is… strange," I began, giving Ferox a smirk to make clear I disliked him as well, "I don't think it's fair to judge his species based on our time around him. He was, after all, exiled when he encountered Master Jinn and Padawan Kenobi."

"Jar Jar Binks is a peculiar creature," Qui-Gon added, drawing a snort of amusement from Ferox. "However, Cameron is correct in saying we shouldn't judge the Gungans on him. From what I and Obi-Wan observed while in their underwater city as well as on our travel through the planet's core to Theed, the Gungans while appearing primitive, have some remarkable technology."

"We'll see," muttered Shal, making his opinion clear.

"Regardless, the issue of the droid army occupying Theed, and detaining civilians means we still have other obstacles to overcome before any attempt to capture the Viceroy," Qui-Gon continued, shifting the topic away from the Gungans. "A method to either disable the droids or draw them out of Theed has to be your main focus."

"Outside of Theed, the only possible battlefields are the Great Grass Plains or the Gallo mountains," Panaka offered as he moved in close to the map again. I stepped back as he adjusted the display. "However, without a force large enough to draw the attention of the Federation's army, neither is a viable option."

"Which is why I suspect the Queen just sent Jar Jar to his people," I said, smiling at Padmé. Padmé nodded, as I sensed Bo's amusement at my antics. "Still, simply engaging them on an open field is, at best, foolish."

"Assuming the Gungan force joins us here, then they would have to move through the mountains," Validus commented as he pointed at the Gallo range. "While we wait for the Gungan response, perhaps we might scout the passages through the range. To both determine which, if any, could support a large force, and where the Federation has deployed advanced units."

"Our warriors will be capable of doing that," Osto said, drawing nods from Vhonte and Marod. "Though it would be a useful mission to further the cooperation between our men." Validus nodded in agreement while I smiled. Getting the Lokella and Mandalorians used to working and fighting side-by-side was going to be important. While some would remain with the Gungans for the battle on the plains, most would deploy to Theed. The better their understanding of each other was, the less chance there was of friendly fire incidents.

"I'll take an advanced element with jetpacks for a deeper sortie. Ideally, we can determine where, if anywhere, the droids are based within the mountains, and locations for diversionary engagements to allow our forces to slip past the Federation's outposts." That came from Marod, and while I'd rather he didn't die in a simple skirmish, I knew he'd not throw his life away recklessly to gain what he desired of death in battle. There was no honour in such a fate.

"And what of the Jetii?" Bo asked, turning her focus on Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan. "Will you fight for the cause?"

"Obi-Wan and I are here simply to continue our mission to protect Queen Amidala," Qui-Gon replied, drawing a sneer from Bo. "We aren't here to fight in her war." I knew that would be his answer, but I'd hoped he might be more subtle about his motivations for being present.

"Whereas I was the one who asked all of you to come," I jumped in, looking at the Mandalorians and Lokella. "While I shouldn't become involved, it would be dishonourable of me to ask you to risk your lives in freeing this planet if I didn't do likewise." That drew nods of agreement from most, though I sensed some concern from Qui-Gon, along with distaste from Obi-Wan. "That being said, when the time comes, I feel my place is in Theed. I sense a disturbance in the Force there calling to me, and who am I to deny its will?" I asked rhetorically to Qui-Gon. That drew a nod, though there was a frown as well suggesting he could also sense the disturbance that signalled Maul was present. "However, if we can't count on the Gungans, getting to Theed is going to be a kriffing challenge." Well, not for me as I could simply Teleport while Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Serra could move fast enough that they'd be able to clear the distance quickly, though it would leave them winded when they arrived.

"The handful of resistance units I've already managed to contact say they have skimmers. Not enough to get everyone we have to Theed, but enough that if the other cells are similarly equipped, it might be possible."

"I feel that even if the Gungans have an army to rival the Federation, not all of us will be needed in the city." Vhonte stepped toward the map as she spoke. "We'll need ways to counter the overwhelming number of droids, which is where many of the Mando'ade will come in." She finished with a smile that promised chaos, and I had to bite back a chuckle at just what she and the other Mandalorians would come up with to wreck the droid army. "The Gungans need to draw out and then pin down the Federation's forces. For that, they'll need to cause as many diversions and distractions as possible."

"Once the Viceroy is in our hands, the Federation will surrender," Padmé spoke with conviction, and while some might question her certainty, everything I knew of Gunray – both from the other timeline and this one – meant he would. Of course, that left the question of what to do with him afterwards, at least before Palpatine, as the new Chancellor, arrived on the planet.

"It is a bold plan, Your Highness. However, until we learn what forces we have, and better intel on what we face, perhaps we should wait to decide on the critical aims of the battle." I knew Padmé's plan was sound, as it had worked in the other timeline, however with the changes in play here, I couldn't be certain it would work this time. That meant I needed to play it safe for now, and not commit to her seemingly reckless goal, regardless of how logical it actually was.

"Commentary: Based on the files I have reviewed regarding the… battle droids used by this Trade Federation, I believe that unless faced by numbers greater than five-hundred-to-one, then our current force would be more than sufficient, Master." I chuckled at HK's comment, having had to listen to his review of what was publicly available on the droids, and what I 'suspected' was true. While he felt the concept of the droid army was practical – as they were superior to meatbags – he was, to put it mildly, disappointed in the B1s. Now, the Vulture and droideka models he regarded as much more impressive, so much so that he was looking forward to testing himself against a unit of droidekas that might very well be guarding Gunray, but the B1s he considered an insult to what a battledroid should be. Haran, I'd learnt some new curses from his description of their failings, though I doubted I'd ever need to use such vulgar expressions.

"Our initial reports suggest over a hundred thousand battledroids in Theed alone."

HK's optical receptors flickered as he considered Panaka's words. "Observation: That is a substantial number of droids, meatbag. Addendum: I will enjoy facing such a large opposing force."

That drew laughter from the Mandalorians and Lokella even as Qui-Gon turned to face me. "I hope, perhaps, you might explain where exactly you discovered this droid." He spoke softly, but there was a firmness in his tone making clear he wasn't willing to drop the matter.

"I guess there's little point in trying to claim HK is simply a protocol droid, is there?" Given he was carrying a large, high-powered rifle, and many of his hidden features might well be revealed in the upcoming battle, I saw little point in keeping up the charade. "Did you read your copy of the holonovel I sent you?" I asked Padmé while I saw Bo trying and failing to not grin like the proverbial cat that had caught the canary.

"Yes, but I fail to…" Padmé's words trailed off. I watched as the switch flicked in her head and she turned to her newest protector with wide, disbelieving eyes. "By the Force…"

"Your Highness?" Panaka asked, his stance shifting, fearing there was a threat. He stayed still though, not risking a firefight with Padmé so close to HK.

"Observation: If I wished her dead, meatbag, there is little you could do to stop me." HK all but crackled as he spoke. "Query: May I introduce myself formally, Master?"

"Please." I suspected I was struggling as badly as Bo to not enjoy this moment.

"Greetings: I am HK-47, the personal assassin droid of the Jedi and Sith known as Revan." At the mention of an assassin, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan both drew their lightsabers as the Mandalorians and Lokella tensed. The mention of Revan had everyone turning to me.

"Where did you find this droid?" Qui-Gon asked tensely, his lightsaber still in his hands but his stance relaxing slightly.

"That is a private matter. HK is very much a family heirloom, and while I'm not Revan, I'm not going into battle again without such a legendary droid at my side." I saw Osto struggling to keep his mind focused as his eyes darted between me, HK, and Bo. It seemed he realised where I'd found HK.

"Exclamation: Such kind words, Master. Query: Are you feeling well? I know how you meatbags so often struggle due to faulty construction."

"No, HK, I'm fine. Just amused" I replied with a smile even as Qui-Gon slowly powered down his lightsaber.

"Affirmative: Yes, the reactions of the various meatbags, bar the one with red hair, are most amusing, Master." I glanced at Bo who now had a hand over her mouth as the other Mandalorians stared at her, wondering how long she'd known the truth about HK.

"I will forego many of the questions regarding how, when and why you have this droid," Qui-Gon said slowly as he gestured for Obi-Wan to lower his blade. "However, I need to know if either of your Masters are aware of this."

"Neither have explicitly mentioned HK's name and how it links to my ancestor. However, I feel Master Dooku was aware but accepting of the situation. Until a few weeks ago, HK had only been a head." I spoke calmly, pushing the moment of enjoyment at everyone's reaction to the reveal to the side. "Honestly, I'm surprised many hadn't already connected his name to Revan as it's not exactly a common droid designation."

"Commentary: While there have been imitations, none have lived up to the original, Master."

"And I would hope not," I replied to HK before returning my attention to Qui-Gon. "Until now, only those I trust implicitly were aware of the truth, but given I'd rather not go into battle with those nearby potentially caught out by HK's capabilities, I feel the need for his nature to remain hidden has passed." Once the High Council knew of this, they'd no doubt want to speak at length with me, as would Sidious. However, there was nothing anyone could say that would force me to dismantle HK, and if he played an important role in freeing Naboo, I knew Padmé would go to bat for him as well.

"While I disapprove of your keeping this from us, if, as you say, Master Dooku was aware and permitted it, then I cannot offer judgment on the matter. However, the Council may well wish to speak with you once Naboo is free."

"I'm quite sure they will." However, if all went well, they wouldn't come to Naboo as Qui-Gon would be alive. From there, I'd simply do my best to ignore their calls. That would also give me a reason to avoid Palpatine without it seeming like I was avoiding him. Well, unless he summoned me as Chancellor, in which case I'd have to get in and leave Coruscant before any member of the Order learnt of my presence. Though with Palpatine's connections, that shouldn't be too difficult. "However, that is a matter for the future."

"Yes. Yes, it is, Master Jedi," Padmé said, a wide smile still on her face. "For now, we should wait for Jar Jar Binks to return, and allow our forces to both scout the mountains and arrive with new intelligence on the Federation." There was a spark in her eyes that I took to mean she adored the idea of me granting her HK as a bodyguard. With Knights of the Old Republic: The Dark Times out, and her having read it, I was sure she understood what HK was capable of.

I nodded in agreement and then turned to the Mandalorians and Lokella. "I trust combined command codes have been established?"

"Yes," Osto said while the other Mandalorians looked at me like I'd suddenly grown a second head. "The former Rangemaster has helped the Lokella integrate their systems into the Battlenet. Once the local forces are assembled, channels will be created for them as well."

"What has made it easier is that early training for our people was done with Mandalorian support," Validus added. "While that was before myself and Ferox were freed, the training regimes they put in place are still active today." He tapped his chest, bringing attention to the phrik-laced armour he wore, which bore similarities to beskar'gam. "Though we did have to adapt some of their ideals regarding armour and weaponry to what we had on hand."

"While the Lokella'ade are not Mando'ade, phrik is an acceptable substitute for their warriors," Dun offered with a smile. "It is not Beskar, but it is almost as effective. From what I've seen of their warriors, they fight well and for a noble cause." Ferox had tensed for a moment but relaxed as Dun had continued. That said, I did notice Vhonte seemed displeased about the Lokella, either because they used Mandalorian tactics, or mimicked beskar'gam.

Feeling no need to comment, I nodded, accepting the situation, and then turned to Padmé. "Unless there is anything else to discuss, Your Majesty, perhaps we might reconvene once Jar Jar returns?"

"Agreed."

After giving her a smile, I turned away. I could see Osto and Bo wished to speak with me, but my thoughts were drawn to Serra. She'd not been at the map, but throughout the meeting, I'd sensed her growing apprehension and as I approached, I saw she was looking skyward. "You alright?" I asked as I placed a hand on her shoulder.

She turned slowly and sighed. "Cam, I'm sorry… Master Drallig is coming."

Caught out by that, I blinked and then looked skyward. For a moment I considered suggesting she was wrong, but at the time, I sensed a shift in the Force. Using Enhance Senses on my sight, I saw the faintest streak high in the atmosphere. That was the telltale sign of something entering the planet's air, and since it was alone I realised Serra was right.

"Are you ready for this?" I asked, throwing away the generic 'Are you ok' question as I didn't need the Force to tell me she wasn't. To Serra, Drallig was the closest thing she had to a father, and in coming here without telling him, she had risked damage to their relationship. While Bo saw nothing wrong with that, I knew Serra was conflicted about it, which meant this impending meeting was going to be difficult for her.

"I… I don't know." She turned, keeping my hand on her shoulder even as hers came to rest in the crook of my elbow. "But I know I'm staying. I need to be here."

I smiled at her and squeezed her shoulder gently. "Ok. Whatever happens, I'll be nearby when you're ready."

With a nod, she returned her gaze to the sky. Part of me wanted to interfere in this, as Serra was important to me, but I knew I couldn't. This was a personal matter for her, and I had to trust her to handle it.

… …

… …
(Cin Drallig's POV)

Cin Drallig took careful, measured steps as he moved through the jungle of Naboo, just as he'd done ever since his starship had landed. He wasn't meant to be here. No, this was Qui-Gon Jinn's mission. He should've been in the Temple helping instruct the various Initiates, Padawans, Knights, and even Masters seeking additional help with their style of lightsaber combat. However, his Padawan had displayed her worrying trend of recklessness, and in a move that had taken him time to decipher, travelled here as well.

Yet as he laid eyes upon his Padawan, his rhythmic walk nearly slipped.

While she was wearing the outer robe of a Jedi, what lay underneath was not how she should be attired. Instead of the expected clothing of a Jedi Padawan was armour. Specifically, that of a Mandalorian. As he neared her, he saw that while the armour was well-fitting, it wasn't entirely made of Beskar, with only the sections of armour on her boots – a holdover from her time training on Mandalore many years ago – and gauntlets being of that legendary metal. The rest of the armour appeared to be composed of durasteel, yet it was clear that while Serra was wearing the armour, she seemed ill-at-ease in it. Drallig was pleased that even with all the unnecessary armour to hide what she was, her lightsabers still hung at her side. Of course, the armour simply confirmed to Drallig why his Padawan was here.

Knight Cameron Shan.

Drallig had been, if not concerned, then uncertain of the close bond Serra shared with Knight Shan, one that went back to before either were taken as Padawans. While the story of Serra helping Shan settle into the Order was something that had further assured him that she was the correct choice to take as his Padawan, as the years had passed and their bond had continued to evolve, Drallig had grown wary of Shan. He could sense the Force wished them to remain close, remain friends, yet Drallig suspected that, within the last year, that friendship had potentially developed into something else; something that came perilously close to violating the tenets of the Jedi Order. Something that seemed too often be the case with Knight Shan.

Drallig understood that drifting close to violating the rules of the Jedi wasn't an uncommon failing of younger Jedi. Knights Vos and Kota were also both proven to skirt the rules when they felt the situation called for it, and Knight Kota was another who had come late to the Order – older still than Knight Shan – and struggled at times to find balance. Yet, when all of that was combined with Knight Shan's age, and his proclivity for entering situations that would test even a Jedi Master – to say nothing of the lineage he bore –Drallig had grown concerned about his Padawan's safety.

Yet, the Council had felt Shan was ready for Knighthood, and while his first official assignment as a Knight had almost cost Shan his life, Drallig had seen little in the last year to suggest the Council had erred in their decision. Indeed, if he felt it would be accepted, Drallig would have begun training Knight Shan to one day become the Temple's Battlemaster. The young Knight had an innate ability to make any he taught better, regardless of their age, though Drallig was at a loss to explain what Knight Shan was doing differently from himself or the various lightsaber instructors within the Temple, so much so that he'd spoken with Masters Windu and Yoda, though they too were uncertain how Knight Shan was imparting knowledge so efficiently.

Yet, for all that, Drallig knew Knight Shan wouldn't accept an offer to be anything more than a roaming lightsaber instructor. Primarily for three factors, the first of which was that Knight Shan had yet to form a style of combat that suited him fully. Now, this wasn't an uncommon issue with young Jedi – as an example, Qui-Gon Jinn's Padawan had shifted his base form to Soresu several years ago, and Drallig could see it was a better fit for the Padawan – Knight Shan's issues were less from his understanding of the forms he wished to adapt, but more of a mental concern. Or at least that appeared to be the issue to Drallig. Shan was an exceptionally proficient Jedi, yet seemed unwilling or unable to allow the Force to guide his movements.

The second issue was that like many younger Jedi, Knight Shan felt a pull from the Force to head out into the wider galaxy. Much like Knight Kota and others who had come to the Order later in life – including a certain gifted but outspoken young Initiate that Knight Shan had discovered – Shan was ill-at-ease in the Temple.

The third reason that Drallig had not extended an offer to Knight Shan was because of his Padawan. Drallig knew well that a Jedi must let go of attachments, and the strengthening connection between Serra and Knight Shan certainly was part of this reason. Yet, the larger part was because Drallig cared for Serra, and he was concerned that allowing her closeness to Knight Shan to develop further, or letting her defer to his judgment as she often did, would somehow threaten her status as a Jedi and cost Drallig a skilled if impulsive apprentice.

Since Serra was here on Naboo, as was Knight Shan, the third reason for withholding the offer was reinforced in Drallig's mind. She had once more chosen to walk the path that Knight Shan was taking, and given the continual threats that appeared around Knight Shan, Drallig feared losing his latest - and he felt his last - Padawan.

Yet as he approached, he considered not the fact Serra was here, nor her status in non-Jedi clothing, but that she and the others should never have reached the planet's surface. The Trade Federation was clearly blockading the planet – just as Queen Amidala had stated to the Senate a week ago – and even with the abilities of Knight Shan's unique vessel, deploying any force to the planet should have been improbable. Yet beyond his Padawan, Drallig could sense the familiar presences of Qui-Gon Jinn, his Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi, Knight Shan, and dozens of others.

Serra had reached out to him through the Force, letting him know where on the planet she was, and with this group that she was a part of gathered in the swamp far from the planetary capital, Drallig was curious as to how the situation had evolved. And what Serra and these others – no doubt summoned by Knight Shan – could do to alleviate the suffering of the local populace which he felt on his approach.

"Master."

Serra's greeting, and the accompanying deep bow, returned Drallig's focus entirely to his Padawan. Gently probing her thoughts through the Force, Drallig saw that while she appeared calm, internally, she was a raging cauldron of emotions. As he taught her, she wasn't drawing upon those emotions, nor displaying them openly, but having been her Master for years, he knew his way around the walls that protected her mind.

He waited until he was barely a metre away from her before replying. "Padawan. I was concerned when you failed to come to our morning spar earlier this week," he said slowly, measuring his words. "When I learnt that your reason for missing our session was because you had not only discovered a method to escape the Temple and evade Temple security my concern grew further." Drallig suspected Initiate Zill might have helped but he hadn't spoken with her since she had departed for Ilum to select her lightsaber crystal. "Discovering that you had then left the planet aboard a vessel arranged by the Mandalorian Senator raised several questions that I needed answers to."

Serra stood from her bow. "I…" She paused and licked her lips as Drallig sensed the swirling, conflicting emotions within her brewing oddly. Doubt, confusion, fear, and relief moved around and with each other in the chamber that was her being, though before any could become worryingly prevalent, Serra brought them under control enough that they no longer shone like a beacon within the Force. "I'm sorry, Master, when I learnt of the true situation on Naboo, and the unwillingness of the Senate to help, I felt I had to do something."

"And somehow this need, this desire to help resulted in you leaving the Temple, boarding a starship and departing Coruscant all without any effort to alert me." Drallig sensed Serra's thoughts drift toward Knight Shan for a second, but she didn't dwell on him. He would allow that for now, but the discussion of Serra's friendship – and perhaps more – with Knight Shan would be a topic they discussed at length.

"An innocent world has been invaded, Master, and the Senate and Jedi chose to do nothing!" As she spoke, Serra thrust out an arm, indicating the planet they were currently standing upon.

Drallig raised a single eyebrow. "Calm yourself Padawan."

Serra stared at him as if he'd suddenly turned into a Hutt, though a moment later she brought her arm back to her body and inhaled deeply several times. He sensed the swirling emotions within her lessen and was relieved to sense her release the strongest part of them into the Force, clearing her mind. However, he did note that she didn't release all her emotions.

"I'm sorry, Master, for my outburst," Serra said slowly, her voice now relaxed and centred. "But what is happening on Naboo is wrong. This is a peaceful planet which placed its faith in the Republic, and the Jedi Order, to defend it. Yet, when they needed that protection from invasion, the Senate chose to debate the matter, letting the very entity that had invaded direct the discussion. And the Council failed to act, feeling that it wasn't the place of the Jedi to protect the citizens of the galaxy!" as she spoke, Serra's tone rose and the remaining brewing emotions within her started to rise into a maelstrom. It never breached externally, but Drallig was concerned at the willingness of his Padawan to draw upon those emotions and the passion it enflamed within her.

"The Council's decision was, no matter how you or I might disagree, the correct one." Drallig's tone stayed calm, devoid of emotional influence in what he hoped was a subtle reminder to Serra. "The Order serves the Force, and guards the Republic from threat."

Drallig had spoken with Qui-Gon before he'd resumed protecting Queen Amidala regarding the situation here on Naboo. Qui-Gon had felt, much like Serra, that the Order should intervene in this matter, though he prefaced it by saying he sensed a disturbance in the Force centred around Naboo and its young monarch. While Drallig did agree that there was a rising darkness in the galaxy – something he felt had been a reason for Master Bondara's recent death – he maintained that the Council should guide the Order, not individual Jedi. Their positions on the Council and its leadership had been a long-running thorn in Drallig's friendship with Qui-Gon and his former Master, Dooku, and other more outspoken members of the Order. It had never threatened their friendships, but it had placed a strain on them, and now, standing on this world, Drallig could sense the darkness was moving here, which made him interested in speaking further with Qui-Gon.

"The Federation is a threat, Master! Not just to Naboo, but other worlds throughout the Republic!" Serra shot back, her arms flailing around her, yet before Drallig could comment on her continuing lack of control, she blinked. As she looked away, taking time to refocus, Drallig gave an almost imperceivable nod. "If the Federation is allowed to directly control Naboo through the use of force, then how long until they do so again?" Serra asked her tone now far more becoming of a Jedi. "The longer the Senate and the Order continue to not act against this unwarranted aggression, the more willing the Federation will be to use these tactics again, arguing that a precedent has now been set. Perhaps reaching a moment where the Senate will simply shrug and accept that 'this is the way of things.' That makes them a clear and present threat to the Republic and by extension the Jedi Order."

Drallig took a moment, though that was more to observe how Serra reacted to his lack of immediate response. That said, as he took his time to respond and monitor Serra's reaction, he saw that Serra's words mirrored those – though with more emotional influence, of Qui-Gon and Dooku. Drallig was certain that the source of this mentality in his Padawan could be linked to Dooku's most recent Padawan, which was something he hadn't realised had taken root so deeply within Serra.

"The Jedi serve the Force, not the Senate or the people of the Republic. There are times when a request from the Senate is accepted by the Council, or when the Jedi feel the Force wishing us to intervene, but the moments where the wishes of the Senate and the will of the Force align are far less common than when they don't. Naboo, sadly for its citizens, is one more example of the latter. Such matters are the purview of the Senate and the Chancellor, and the Jedi will not intervene unless requested, as was the case with Master Jinn being assigned the mission at the request of Chancellor Valorum. The Jedi stand as guardians of the Force and protect it and the wider galaxy against threats by those who seek to corrupt and draw upon the Dark Side."

"The Sith are gone!" Serra shot back, and Drallig's brow creased when he detected some uncertainty in her conviction. While unexpected, it would align with his thoughts on what might have influenced the deaths of Anoon Bondara and his Padawan, Darsha Assant. He had spoken with Masters Windu and Yoda about his concerns, and while they shared his opinion that the Dark Side was growing stronger, they asked that he keep such concerns private. They assured him that the Council would investigate further, but so far he had heard nothing regarding any investigation.

"You feel that, with the Sith gone, the Jedi should move from being protectors of the Force to defenders of law across the Republic? That we should become judge and jury for every criminal moment across the quadrillions of sentients that inhabit the galaxy?" Drallig asked to see how Serra would reply, and if her words, as emotionally influenced as they were, might reveal something she would otherwise prefer to keep hidden.

"No!" Serra's response was swift and firm, which relieved Drallig even as Serra sighed loudly and shook her head. "I mean, we should help protect people and defend the law, but not enforce it. Which is why I had to come here."

"And if you, and those with you, are able to drive the Federation from Naboo, what then?" Drallig watched Serra carefully, seeing this as a moment of education for her. However, before the lesson could begin, he had to determine where her thoughts on what would come after Naboo was free were. "Should the Federation's leadership be arrested and imprisoned for their actions?"

"Yes, but their punishment would be placed in the hands of the Republic."

"And what if the people of Naboo, their emotions strong and disrupting, decide that the Federation's leadership should be imprisoned, or possibly executed for this invasion? Should we, having helped free the planet and arrest those responsible, choose to either allow that to happen, or help ensure its occurrence?"

"No," Serra said firmly. "They should stand trial for their actions, by the laws of the Republic. The Jedi are not judges and never will be executioners. That is not our way."

"Indeed, it is not. However, if the Senate, after considering the Federation's actions, decides to simply release the Federation's leadership with nothing more than a slap on the wrist, would that feel like justice has been served?"

Serra stayed silent, taking her time to consider his words, which Drallig was more than willing to allow. The lesson, it seemed, had begun, and it was one that many Jedi struggled with once they experienced much of the inherent flaws that existed within the Republic. Understanding that correcting those flaws wasn't the role the Jedi should be filling, was something that took time to learn and accept. The line between doing what one knew was right, and protecting the rule of law without forcing their beliefs on others, was a fine one that young Jedi regularly struggled to discover, never mind staying on the correct side of it. The problem existed in all Jedi as they grew, but it was more pronounced by those who spent most of their time either in the Temple or only seeing various major worlds in the Republic from the surface and not examining what might lay underneath.

"I… I don't know, Master," Serra eventually replied, her eyes staying on the ground around them. "I… I feel that I'm not wise or old enough to know how I might react to such an event, or how I might respond to the Senate making such a judgment."

Drallig smiled slightly and moved toward her. He placed a hand on her shoulder – pushing aside his distaste for the armour he felt under her robe – and waited for her to meet his gaze. "That you understand how you would respond in that situation is a wise answer. One I feel many Padawans and Knights in your position would struggle to recognize, to say nothing of answering. That said, it is a thought that you should have considered before acting rashly in leaving the Temple to come here."

"They need help," Serra shot back with conviction.

"If you had spoken to me in the temple, I would have agreed with you. However, it is not a decision for either of us to make, and certainly not one to be rushed into."

As she held his gaze, Drallig sensed a firming of her convictions. For a moment, he hoped she had understood the flaw in her actions and decision-making, yet she stepped back, slipping from his touch. "I know when I return there will be repercussions for my actions, but I'm not going back until I help free the Naboo."

Drallig's smile slipped as Serra spoke. "The Naboo? Or perhaps your motives are toward helping Knight Shan and Queen Amidala?" The question came easily to him, as it had been in his head ever since he'd discovered where Serra had been heading. Normally, he wouldn't mention her friends with those outside the Order, as while uncommon, those often developed as a Jedi matured.

Drallig had long ago accepted the friendship Serra had with Knight Shan, and trusted the pair to maintain decorum in how close they were. He was also aware of the friendship that had struck up between Serra and a young Naboo noble named Padmé Naberrie, and discovering that that girl was the new Queen Amidala had been a surprise, though it did explain much.

As head of Temple security, not to mention Serra's Jedi Master, he was aware of who she was communicating with outside the Temple. Drallig had never felt any reason to examine closely the contents of the various calls – which had grown to include a Bo-Katan Kryze in the last few years – however, with hindsight, he wondered if perhaps he should have. It might well have granted a warning about Serra's intentions.

At the question, Serra's jaw fell slightly, as she hadn't expected the response. There was another flare of her emotions as uncertainty and concern mixed with a spike of anger. A flare of desire from Serra had Drallig narrow his gaze, and his thoughts wondered if perhaps the bond between Serra and Knight Shan had gone further than he'd realised, perhaps violating the rules of the Order. However, he held his tongue, wanting to grant her the chance to respond to his challenging question.

"Emotion, yet peace."

The words muttered by Serra eased some of Drallig's tensions regarding her motives, and he relaxed further as he felt the emotions bubbling away within her seep away, being released into the Force. While her words weren't the currently taught form of the Jedi Code, they were still valid for use, and he knew of several other Jedi who used the older-style Code. Since that wording seemed to resonate with her, he'd never felt a need to insist on the more common wording.

He waited patiently as she worked her way through the mantra of the Jedi, using it to let go of her emotions and help find her centre. When her eyes met his again, he saw the model Jedi he expected.

"I don't deny that I have personal connections to Cam and Padmé, however, their presence wasn't the deciding reason behind my actions, Master. Helping the people of Naboo, seeing their world free of oppression, was the correct action to take. I do though, see that I should have spoken to you before leaving Coruscant."

Drallig was slightly caught out by her saying Coruscant and not the Temple. He assumed that meant she understood that if she'd brought the matter to him within the walls of the Jedi Order, he'd have denied her intention of joining the mission.

"It is good that you understand some of your mistakes, though I would suggest that the pattern of seeking forgiveness after the fact does not replace a need for permission beforehand." Serra tensed, and Drallig suspected she expected a dressing down. However, given their current location, he felt doing so now would be counterproductive. "That discussion shall be tabled for now. In its place, might you be willing to bring me up to speed on the current situation?"

"Master?"

Drallig grinned, enjoying another moment of not acting as his Padawan expected. "While I disagree with you about this being a matter we should intervene in, and we will be discussing – at length – the repercussions of your choices to bring us here, I cannot fault your logic in why you wished to involve the Order. I can sense the suffering of the locals, and while a diplomatic solution would be preferable, I sense that moment has long passed. If we choose to remain here and simply wait for a resolution from the Senate, then the suffering of the local populace will grow. When all that is considered, alongside the fact that I doubt the Federation will allow me to leave as easily as I arrived, then it appears the Force wishes for us to help."

Serra smiled broadly, and as Drallig sensed happiness and relief radiating from her, she moved toward him. She stopped after just a single step though, and he watched in amusement as her hands patted at the side of her robes as if unsure what to do with them. While warmer emotions were always preferable to colder emotions, Drallig was still relieved to sense Serra release those emotions into the Force as she had earlier done with her darker feelings. Still, once the people of Naboo were freed and they had returned to the Temple, Drallig resolved to monitor his Padawan more closely.

"I can catch you up to speed as we move toward the camp," Serra said as she moved to one side. Drallig nodded and they walked forward. He could sense they were heading toward where Qui-Gon and others were gathered, but his eyes drifted from their path to his Padawan as she pulled back her robe. He struggled to keep a frown from his brow as he watched her tap away at the Mandalorian gauntlet she wore. While she seemed ill-at-ease in the armour, she was comfortable with the gauntlets. That would be a holdover from her time training with the Mandalorians several years ago.

If most of the sentients he could sense were from that group – and given that most of the minds he could sense were closed to even surface sensing, Drallig suspected they were – then using their communication interface was logical. However, the fact she was willing to not only use their technology but wear their armour was another thing that he would have to speak with her about once Naboo was free.

Once whatever message she sent generated a reply, she turned to him and smiled. Drallig sensed the Force shift around her before she accelerated away. He smiled as he used the Force to match her pace and opened the connection they shared within the Force, allowing her thoughts to slowly drift against his so she could explain the current situation.

… …

It took barely ten minutes to reach the encampment, which was enough time for Serra to bring Drallig up to date on the current plans. They had passed several sentries though none had moved to intercept them, choosing instead to remain hidden. Or at least hidden from one not trained to work with the Force, as Drallig had sensed every sentient as they neared, though he noted that not all were Mandalorians, with a mixture of others – predominantly human – also filling in those roles.

They slowed to a walk as they reached the centre of the encampment, and Drallig looked at those wandering or standing around. Three groups were clear to pick out: the Mandalorians, another group of fighters that were influenced by the Mandalorians, but appeared to be using something other than beskar for their armour, and a third group that was the smallest and wore very light armour. Based on the files Drallig had reviewed while enroute, these were what remained of the local security force.

Near the centre of the camp, a group was gathered around a skimmer that was displaying a large holomap on its rear. In that group, Drallig spotted Qui-Gon, Knight Shan and Queen Amidala. Serra broke away, not heading toward the map. That Drallig was pleased with as, like Padawan Kenobi, Serra had no place at any table discussing battle plans.

However, when Serra moved toward a pair of female Mandalorians, one of whom Drallig recognized as Bo-Katan Kryze, he wondered if perhaps not keeping Serra by his side was a mistake. That suspicion grew when the other Mandalorian, a blonde, said something to Serra. There was a faint rush of mixed, conflicting emotions from Serra even as Miss Kryze laughed at whatever was said. So long as whatever existed between the trio was not allowed to develop into anything serious, then there was no major issue. While attachment was forbidden, many Jedi, including Drallig, had found pleasure in the company of others. Yet, when coupled with Serra's choice to come to Naboo to help her friend Queen Amidala – and possibly grow her bond with Knight Shan – it was something that Drallig would have to monitor. Serra was at that age where many sentients were impressionable and curious about others.

"Master Drallig, I'm glad to see you here, even if the reason for your arrival wasn't the same as the rest of us." Knight Shan's words had Drallig instantly refocusing on those around the holomap with the Battlemaster's eyes drawn to Shan's attire.

As always – and in what Drallig took as a nod to Master Dooku – Shan wore the long cloak made of the krayt dragon he defeated during a Mandalorian trial. While Drallig didn't approve that both Shan and Serra had completed that trial, he could respect the challenge it presented by denying each access to the Force. However, everything else Shan wore almost had Drallig stop mid-step.

While Serra had seemed ill-at-ease in her armour, Shan not only seemed almost moulded into the armour and the faint ripples of the metal under the black colouring meant all that Drallig could see was composed of beskar. While some Jedi might question the colouring, Drallig was wise enough to know that such dark colours weren't seen by most sentients as a sign of darkness. Yet seeing that it was made entirely of beskar was a shock. That metal was extremely rare for any outside the Mandalorian culture to wear, and while Shan had completed their trial, he was a Jedi first and foremost. For a second the image of Darth Revan flashed through Drallig's mind, as while he hadn't worn beskar, he had favoured armour of black and a Mandalorian helmet.

Drallig's eyes drifted to the gauntlets, as he knew that was where Mandalorians hid various weapons. Serra's gauntlets had blasters attached though the rest were non-lethal. Shan's however, looked to have altered to a more standard Mandalorian warrior, something unbecoming of a Jedi. That impression was further enforced by the blade that hung from the small of his back, a handle made from a large fang and with a spiked knuckle guard barely visible.

Drallig's gaze returned to Shan's face, seeing the younger Jedi smiling at him even as the rest of the group turned to face Drallig. He gave a nod to Qui-Gon before replying. "Yes. I hadn't planned on an excursion from the Temple, however, my Padawan's actions left me with little choice. After speaking with her, I feel that the Force wished me to be here and offer my services in liberating the local populace."

Shan's face twitched, growing his smile which suggested he caught Drallig's hidden meaning regarding Serra. "Regardless of the exact details of why you came, I for one am glad you're here." Oddly, Drallig felt Shan was entirely honest about that, and Drallig wondered if Shan would've preferred if Serra hadn't come. That did call into question why he had allowed her to stay, but that could be discussed after the planet was free.

Shan turned, the clasp of silvery metal that held his hair in its ponytail clinging with the telltale sheen of silver chromium, drawing a small frown at the display of wealth, and looked at a young lady at his side. Even without the armour, Shan would dwarf her, yet a presence and conviction was radiating from the lady that Drallig felt would stand against anyone who opposed her. "Your Majesty, may I present Jedi Master Cin Drallig. Apart from being Serra's Master," Drallig sensed an odd burst of anger from one of the non-Mandalorian off-worlders, "he is also the Order's Battlemaster and head of security for the Temple."

Drallig bowed to the lady, who he understood was Queen Amidala outside of the regalia of office. "Your Majesty."

"Master Drallig, we are grateful for your presence, as unexpected as it is, in this trying time." The Queen looked even younger than she had in the recording of her Senate appearance, but that could easily be put down to the regalia she'd worn during that appearance, and how she appeared now. However, what caught Drallig's attention had been the brief look the Queen had given Shan before speaking to him, almost as if she was checking with Shan about him. That was unexpected, as was the faint sensation in the Force. As if the Queen was in some way important beyond her status as Naboo's leader.

"While my blade is yours, as I'm sure Master Jinn and Knight Shan have already said, a Jedi can only defend those in need. We cannot fight this war for you." That made the Queen smile oddly while the armoured figures – be they Mandalorian or other – chuckled amongst themselves, and Drallig suspected he was missing whatever odd joke was in play.

"And yet, if not for Knight Shan's actions, the force you see gathered here wouldn't be as varied or impressive as it is." Drallig frowned at the Queen's response and turned to Qui-Gon for answers.

"When the Senate failed to offer immediate help to the plight of the Naboo, Cameron reached out to contacts he had among the Mandalorians and Lokella," Qui-Gon explained with that knowing smile he seemed to always wear. "Though I should add that what you see here isn't the entirety of those who answered his request."

"I see." Drallig understood there was more he didn't know, but from how Qui-Gon spoke, it appeared Shan had acted to circumvent the rulings of the Senate and Council to provide help. An ingenious approach for a Knight, particularly a newly recognized one, to make. By reaching out to contacts, Shan had acted in a way that removed any potential questions about direct Jedi involvement, while still allowing him to place himself near the centre of the issue.

"Battlemaster Drallig," Drallig turned as the oldest Mandalorian – one perhaps his age – stepped forward. "I'm Rangemaster Dun Marod of House Kryze." At that, Marod clashed a hand to his chest, which Drallig returned with an inclining of his head. "It is an honour to see one as highly regarded and skilled as yourself join our cause, and once the battles are over, I hope we might share a drink and war stories."

Drallig smiled at the old warrior's words. "As do I, Rangemaster Marod." The others present, be they Mandalorian or Lokella – which, if Drallig recalled, was the group of slaves freed by the actions of Master Dooku and Knight Shan several years prior – were closer in age to Shan and Padawan Kenobi. Since Mandalorians placed importance on combat from birth, the young age of some of them was of no concern to Drallig.

Drallig offered nods to the others around the map and then turned back to Queen Amidala. "Forgive me if I arrived at an inopportune time, Your Majesty."

Amidala smiled. "You didn't, Master Jedi, we wer…"

"Mesa back!"

Drallig turned towards the oddly accented Basic to see an unusual sentient approaching. Thanks to its large ears, which appeared slightly too large for the skull, the being was taller than most present. The way it moved suggested it was not a species evolved to purely live upon the land, but the way the tongue half-hung out of the sentient's mouth had Drallig momentarily wondering about the overall intelligence of the sentient. This being generated an odd ripple in the Force, suggesting that it, like with Queen Amidala, was somehow important to events beyond the here and now.

"Dalee's nosa una dalee. Da city's deserted. Some sort of fighten mesa think." The sentient continued as it walked toward the map, drawing a brief burst of irritation from both Knight Shan and Padawan Kenobi.

"I assume the Gungans aren't dead, and the Federation cleared the city up afterwards," Shan said after letting go of his irritation.

"Mesa no think so. When in trouble, Gungans go to Sacred Place."

"Where?"

The alien stepped closer to the map. "Mesa show you."

Drallig watched with the others as the sentient stared at the map, its tongue hanging lopsidedly from its mouth. While Drallig knew it was often inaccurate to judge a new species based on appearance, with this sentient it was hard to not question the level of intelligence it possessed. However, this sentient appeared important to the current situation, and Drallig had to assume that it was from another race that inhabited the planet beyond the Naboo themselves.

"Jar Jar," Shan said after nearly a minute had passed of the sentient staring at the map, "can you read the map?" The irritation had returned for Shan and Kenobi as the seconds ticked away, and Drallig suspected the pair didn't enjoy the presence of this apparently slow-minded alien.

"Um, no. Mesa not understand this. Sorry." Jar Jar's shoulders slumped, which somehow made him look even less sentient, which had Drallig offering a few words of hope to the Force that this sentient wasn't in any way critical toward the plans to free the planet.

"Could you lead us there instead?" Queen Amidala asked in a tone Drallig recognized of one being polite while perhaps not feeling so. While there was no irritation coming from her, Qui-Gon, or Rangemaster Marod, it was growing in the others around the table.

Jar Jar seemed to suddenly come alive. "Oh! Yes! Mesa can do dat." He turned, his ears flying out and Shan leaned back to avoid being smacked in the face. "Come on, come on." Drallig glanced at Qui-Gon, wondering if this behaviour was common for Jar Jar, and when his fellow Jedi Master shrugged in acceptance, Drallig suspected it was.

Queen Amidala turned to follow, with her guard at her side when Shan spoke. "Perhaps it would be best if we didn't take everyone to meet the Gungan leaders," he said softly. "While I admit that I know little about their society, Your Majesty, turning up with so many armed warriors might be taken as an aggressive action."

Queen Amidala paused and after considering Shan's words, offered him a small smile. "Wise words, Master Jedi. Might I ask your opinion on who, other than yourself, should accompany me, Captain Panaka, and Master Jinn?"

As Shan lowered his head in acceptance of her request, Drallig felt a sprinkle of concern. Queen Amidala had deferred to his judgment so easily. None of the others gathered, be they Master Jinn, Captain Panaka, the Mandalorians nor the Lokella had any issue with the youngest among them having such a position of importance in Queen Amidala's leadership.

Shan turned to the warriors he'd assembled. "Osto, Marod, Validus, if you would." The three all moved toward Queen Amidala, again accepting the words of one far younger than them. Now, there was no hint of pride or arrogance from Shan at issuing the orders, but it was something Drallig would keep a close eye upon, and then once Naboo was free, speak with Qui-Gon about. "Master Drallig, we would be grateful for your counsel during this meeting."

Drallig inclined his head. "Then you shall have it." Shan nodded in thanks and then turned to Queen Amidala, offering her a smile. When she smiled back, Drallig perceived a short burst of delight and desire aimed toward Shan. While that wasn't unexpected as Shan had come to her aid with support, and was probably nothing more than a passing interest in Shan because of this, Drallig made note of it. He didn't expect it to develop into anything concerning, but it was yet another little point that would need discussing later.

Jedi often developed friendships with people of importance throughout the galaxy. Grandmaster Yoda had accumulated hundreds of such connections in his time within the Order while Master Gallia was close with the current Chancellor. However, most Jedi learnt to keep those friendships at a distance to avoid any hint of impropriety and seemingly inserting themselves into moments of importance for those friends that might question the Order's neutrality.

Knight Shan, it seemed, had yet to learn that lesson. While understandable since he was young, his apparent vested interest in the fates of Queen Amidala – and Senator Palpatine – the Mandalorians and Lokella was something the Order would need to be made aware of. Perhaps it might need a deeper investigation by the Council to ensure he wasn't acting in ways that might concern the Order.

… …

… …
(Cam's POV)

As I walked behind Padmé and many of the others, my gaze drifted to those watching us. Many Gungans had come out to see us, which made sense as the Gungans and the Naboo generally avoided each other. However, this was far from a normal time for the two peoples, so those conventions were placed to one side.

On either side rows of Gungans watched as we were escorted toward their Sacred Place, and it was easy to tell which were warriors and which weren't by the way they stood and glared – or didn't – and if they held any weapon. While their staff weapons would be little threat to us, their energy balls could be an issue. Thankfully, none of the Gungan warriors seemed intent on attacking, not when in front and behind our party were two dozen warriors, with their leaders – including Captain Tarpals – riding mounts.

Osto, Marod and Validus were behind me and before we'd been escorted in, I'd asked that they remained calm. While I doubted any of the trio would cause problems, they were variables to this meeting that I had to account for. All three kept their blasters and blades holstered, but I could sense their unease at entering potential enemy territory. Still, they were the calmer members of their groups that I could trust to not act rashly, which was why Ferox for one was left behind.

Hate, fear and distrust flooded the Force as we moved deeper into the swamp around the Gungan's Sacred Place, and I watched the behaviour of those in front of me. Drallig and Qui-Gon were just ahead, they were quiet, but I suspected they'd been discussing a multitude of subjects telepathically. Some of that would be linked to me as, apart from Drallig's problems with Serra's coming, I'd caught the slight tightening around his eyes at certain moments when we'd spoken around the holomap.

In front of them walked HK, Padmé, and Panaka. HK's optical receptors would be analysing every Gungan and assigning them a threat potential for when – he hoped – things went sideways. Panaka was probably doing something similar, though his focus would be on ensuring no Gungan hurt Padmé if things went sour while Padmé was playing her role as a humble servant to the Queen.

At the front of our little group walked Sabé, in disguise as Queen Amidala, with Jar Jar at her side.

"You Honour," Captain Tarpals began as we arrived at our destination, "Queen Amidala of the Naboo." He swept out an arm to indicate her and our group.

My eyes moved to Boss Nass and the other Gungan leaders who stood on top of statues. Each statue reminded me of ones I'd seen in my previous life, but here they would either be tributes to the Gungan deities or to another tribe of beings that might have lived on the planet before the Human colonists arrived millennia ago. Though since they were standing on the giant heads, I doubted these were the Gungan gods, as that would be highly disrespectful.

"Eh, hello there, you Big Boss Nass, Your Honour," Jar Jar said slowly with a nervous wave, the feelings of worry from him now slipping into his tone. Since he was banished, it made sense that Jar Jar wouldn't feel comfortable being in Boss Nass' presence, to say nothing of the fact he'd brought the ruler of the Naboo with him.

Boss Nass reminded me slightly of a Hutt. Oh, he wasn't as large as a Hutt, but the disdain on his face brought back memories of meeting Gardulla the Hutt several years ago. "Jar Jar Binks," he began, his disdain for Jar Jar easy to pick up on, "Who's da uss-en others?"

"I'm Queen Amidala of the Naboo," Sabé responded as she took a step forward, though as Tarpals and others tensed, she stopped. "I come before you in peace."

While this should play out as I expected, I wasn't sure. Yet, as Sabé spoke, I sensed a faint flicker in the Force. Turning my head, I tried to find the source.

"Ah, Naboo biggen. Yousa bringen da Mackineeks. Yousa all bombad."

Boss Nass' butchering of Basic was hard to not react to, but I kept my face calm as I scanned the crowd of Gungans looking for whoever had caused the flicker in the Force. My eyes soon settled on a young Gungan, though it was impossible to tell gender.

"We have searched you out as we wish to form an alliance…" as Sabé began speaking I used Observe and blinked in surprise at what it revealed.

Fle Kedta
Race: Gungan
Level: 7
Health: 100%
Age: 6
Force Potential: High
Threat Potential: Low
Reputation: Disliked
Affiliation Loyalty: Gungan people (65%)
Emotional State: Confused/curious
Fle is uncertain as to why you and the other Humans are here, though his father says it's your fault they have to hide at the Sacred Place.
However, he feels something odd about the three dressed more plainly and is curious about why.
…

I blinked, shocked to discover a Force Sensitive here and now, but movement from Padmé forced me to push aside questions about the young Gungan.

"Your honour," Padmé said as she slipped past her guards and moved to stand in front of Sabé.

Boss Nass reared back, as if insulted to have such a plainly dressed Human speak to him. "Whosa dis?" he asked, confusion mixed with disgust in his tone.

"I am Queen Amidala." As Padmé spoke, Jar Jar's head snapped to her so fast, I almost wished he had broken it. "This is my decoy," Padmé turned to Sabé, "my protection, my loyal bodyguard." As she continued I sensed amusement from Qui-Gon signifying he'd long since seen through the ruse, perhaps even before I met them on Tatooine.

Padmé turned back to Boss Nass and took another step forward. "I am sorry for the deception, but it was necessary to protect myself." I wondered how useful that protection was given we were outnumbered by – according to my Detection-boosted minimap – ten thousand to eleven. "Although we do not always agree, your Honour, our two great societies have always lived in peace." Boss Nass grunted off what sounded like laughter, suggesting he wasn't buying Padmé's words, which made sense. While there had generally been a peaceful avoidance between the Naboo and the Gungans, they had fought each other several times since Humans came to the planet, the most recent of those being less than a century ago at the behest of King Veruna.

"The Trade Federation has destroyed all that both our peoples have worked so hard to build," Padmé continued. "If we don't act quickly, and together, then all we have will be lost forever. I ask you," Padmé paused for a second before dropping to her knees. "No, I beg you to help us." There were murmurs from the Gungans as the entire area was engulfed in shock at her action. I looked at Panaka as his hand moved to his blaster, yet after Sabé joined her queen in kneeling, the Captain followed suit. As did Qui-Gon and Drallig. "Our fate is in your hands."

I stayed standing, as did HK and the trio behind me. Since I wasn't dressed as a Jedi, I saw no need to follow Qui-Gon and Drallig's choice. Plus, I knew the Mandalorians would question why I felt the need to submit to the Gungan leader.

"Yousa no follow yousa Queen?" Nass asked when he saw we'd not also kneeled.

"We aren't from Naboo. Queen Amidala is my friend, yes, but we're not here to concern ourselves with local politics." I spoke slowly, keeping my hands away from my waist to avoid any rash actions from the Gungan warriors around us. "We're here to fight to free your people because it is the right thing to do and, well, we enjoy a good fight." I heard the trio behind me chuckle in response. "If she asked, I would kneel for her because I know she wouldn't betray that trust. But until you and your warriors prove themselves in battle, I refuse to do so to you."

I knew there was a risk in taking this approach, but with Osto, Marod and Validus present, I knew I'd need to confront the issue head-on. While I could have left the trio behind, there needed to be representatives of their forces at this meeting. Thus, while we'd walked here, I'd gone over possible ways to handle the issue, and falling on what little I knew of Gungan culture, I'd gone for the slightly challenging approach of 'prove yourself.'

If the trio had been ordered to kneel, they would've resisted. Validus had sworn like many former slaves to never do so to another again, while for the Mandalorians, that would only come if ordered to by their Mand'alor. A position that, at least without contention, had been unclaimed for centuries.

"Yousa tinken yousa greater than us?" Nass asked, his tone hardening.

"No. I simply reserve judgment on you and your warriors until I see them in battle." I could sense trepidation from Padmé along with disapproval from Drallig. However, this wasn't the same timeline as before, so I had to adapt to the changes. "While we could easily fight right now to prove the worth of our warriors, that would only serve our mutual enemy. Instead, we should work together and focus that aggression toward the Federation's droid army."

Nass frowned, or at least I took it as a frown given how often Jar Jar did it when thinking. Around us, the Gungans shifted. Warriors tensed, expecting a battle while they moved to shield civilians, while parents tried to pull younglings back in an attempt to avoid losing them in any crossfire. Through it all, I held Nass' gaze, making clear I wasn't backing down.

A sudden deep, booming laugh from Nass punctured the air, catching everyone off-guard. "Yousa thinken Gungans great warriors?" I nodded slowly, not wanting to correct his assumption. He laughed again and then shifted his gaze to Padmé, who along with her people, Jar Jar and the two Jedi Masters, was still kneeling. "And yousa no tinken yousa greater den da Gungans. Mesa like this, wesa bein friends."

As cheers erupted from the Gungans, the others stood. Qui-Gon and Drallig turned, and while there was no hint of annoyance on their faces, I knew what they were thinking. "Yes, that was a risk, but I knew it would come up the moment this lot," I jerked a hand at the trio behind me, "came along. They were never going to kneel to the Gungans, and thinking any former slave would do so ever again is, perhaps, a flawed approach to take. Thus, I made the call to speak for them and soothe any misunderstanding that might occur."

"Normally, I would have suggested them not coming to this meeting," Drallig began, his eyes drifting past me. "However, as they are here as allies of Queen Amidala, not bringing them would risk insulting their forces." I nodded, pleased that he understood my logic. "That said, I do wish you had informed us and Queen Amidala of this plan beforehand, and perhaps not stood with them when presented to the Gungan leader."

"Padmé knew the Mandalorians and Lokella wouldn't kneel, Master Drallig, however, she wasn't aware of my choice to speak for them. That allowed her reaction to be genuine and not be construed as some elaborate trick to get warriors close to the Gungan Bosses."

Drallig stared at me intently, as if searching for some deception in my words. He wouldn't find anything though as I was being entirely honest with him. Still, it was another little moment since his arrival where I could tell he was silently judging me and my choices and would, once Naboo was free, report it to the Council. Of course, I now had an unexpected trump card to play.

I turned, as if to speak to the trio behind me, only to stop and snap my fingers. "Oh, before I forget. I believe I've found a potential Jedi recruit among the Gungans."

I grinned wildly at the shocked expressions that flashed across the faces of the two older men. They might have schooled their features quickly, but I'd enjoy reminding them about finding a potential Jedi during this situation.

… …

… …

A few days later I was standing at the edge of the forest that separated the Gallo Mountain Range from the grass plains that stretched all the way to Theed. Boss Nass had sent out word to other Gungan groups scattered throughout the swamp and around Lake Paonga and while many were gathered with us, almost as many were still to arrive.

Our journey here had been uneventful, mainly because Vhonte and Shal had taken a unit of Mandalorians and Lokella through another, wider pass. That one had been patrolled by droids, with several lookout points set up through it. However, the combined force had taken out the hundred or so droids stationed there without loss. That had distracted any droid forces patrolling this side of the mountains and brought a large cache of blasters and replacement gas packs for our force. While none of those who had answered my call needed them, they allowed us to fully arm those Naboo who were making do with either simple hunting rifles or pistols that lacked range. Or it would if they had arrived.

The call had gone out for the local resistance groups to arrive here around lunchtime, yet as the sun slowly set over the plains, only one group had arrived. That wasn't a major issue as the Gungans still had several other forces filtering in from camps further away from their Sacred Place, still, I hoped many more groups would arrive in time for the battles.

I had used the time waiting to go over plans for Theed, with a heavy focus on Maul. In my former life, there'd been a group of people who felt Maul was not a skilled fighter since he'd lost to Obi-Wan. However, I put that down to arrogance, and Maul all but playing with his prey before killing them. With the increased number of Jedi on Naboo, and with the high probability that Maul was targeting me over anyone or anything else, I knew that moment of luck wasn't something I could count on.

Engaging him in a pure lightsaber duel was a non-starter. While I had no idea of his level, he had defeated Qui-Gon with almost contemptuous ease in the other timeline, whereas in this one I'd yet to even score a point against him in a training spar. Regardless of what exactly was blocking my advancement with a lightsaber, it wouldn't be resolved until after facing Maul, though that was part of the reason why I'd gotten my beskar'gam, and HK had been rebuilt with a phrik chassis, in the weeks before Naboo was blockaded and then invaded.

While the armour didn't cover every part of my body – a flaw that I suspected came about due to a rarity of beskar as in Revan's time they'd worn full suits of armour – the beskar underweave I wore would protect against most glancing blows from a lightsaber. The gauntlets had been outfitted, with suggestions from Bo and HK, with weaponry designed to counter a Force user along with a few ideas that, I hoped, would turn the tide of the duel in my favour. At least long enough for me to either take Maul down or get significant help from someone like Drallig.

The unexpected arrival of Serra's Master had removed a lot of my concern about her being present, at least until I'd remembered the vision I'd had of two Jedi duelling a Sith. The blade configurations and colours from that perfectly matched those used by Maul, Drallig and Serra, which had sent my mind into a tailspin for a few hours. At least until I'd resolved on a method to counter that event coming to pass. All I had to do was ensure that the pair remained as far from the hangar and palace as possible, as those were the locations Maul was most likely to be if he wanted to intercept me and Sidious had given him intelligence that I preferred to lead for the front.

While I had been fine with Serra staying close to her Master, Bo and Naz hadn't been. On several occasions, they'd come to speak with me about it, sometimes at length. They'd made clear they disliked Drallig pulling them away as she was here as a Mandalorian. I had reminded them that while that was true, Serra was uncertain of her path, and in many ways, Drallig was someone she regarded as a parental figure. Until Serra left the Order – something that Bo was excited about even if I felt it was unlikely to happen – or she was knighted, she would continue having to balance the two worlds she was a part of. Haran, even once she was knighted it would be a balancing act. However, that was a far easier situation to be in than as a Padawan.

Neither of them had liked my responses, but as I'd explained several times, so long as there was no Mand'alor, or clash between the Clans and the Republic, then Serra – and I – could walk a fine line between our choices. Or Serra could once she was a Knight, until then, she had to listen to Drallig, or do as she did here and sneak out of the Temple without permission.

That wasn't to say that I disapproved of her being here, only that I would rather she'd not come because of that vision. However, I couldn't deny how her choosing me over the Order made me feel. Nor if the situations were reversed, how I would've fought half the galaxy to reach her side.

"Master Jedi." I opened my eyes and looked down from my current location – sitting comfortably on a high branch in a tree- to see Sabé nearby. She'd not come right to the bottom of the tree as Fenrir was currently there, and while she had no reason to fear the tuk'ata, his size naturally made many wary. "The Queen requests your presence."

I smiled. "Then who am I to deny her?" I pushed off from the branch and used the Force to both guide me away from Fenrir and cushion my fall as the branch I'd settled into was a good six metres above the ground. My descent was slower than it should have been as I used Levitation to all but float down, which had Sabé looking on in awe. "I do hope this isn't some attempt to move me closer to Padmé," I teased as I approached the handmaiden.

I hadn't brought it up before, but even without using the Force or Observe I knew Sabé was still amused by what had happened at Padmé's coronation. The subtle looks and smirks she gave whenever I caught her watching Padmé while we were close, made clear her feelings on the matter. "Or an effort to convince me to somehow allow you to join us," I added as I walked past her.

While I didn't need Observe to read her, I still used it and discovered that like Padmé she was curious about me, in more than a professional way. Though again like with Padmé, I wasn't going to start anything due to a myriad of reasons. Not least that I was already balancing something with three others, we were about to go into battle, and both the queen and her handmaiden were fourteen. Still, that didn't prevent me from taking the chance to turn the tables on Sabé for what happened in Padmé's antechamber several months ago.

Fenrir had risen and reached my side before Sabé recovered, and while she petted the tuk'ata – or more accurately, he leaned toward her demanding attention – she chose not to respond to my tease. Thus, we walked the short distance to where Padmé and others were gathered in silence.

Once closer, I saw a quartet of skimmers just inside the tree line. At one of those skimmers, as was common for planning sessions, was a holomap of the area for here, Theed, and the surrounding area with the senior figures in our forces. However, there were about a dozen people gathered nearby that I didn't recognize. Since most of them wore similar attire to Panaka, I assumed they were members of the Naboo resistance, though to be sure, I used Observe on about half as we approached.

Several of the newcomers tensed as they saw me – in full armour sans the helmet – and Fenrir approach. As Padmé turned to see what had drawn their attention, I saw Jar Jar place a hand on Boss Nass' shoulder before fainting. While I'd have preferred he not be made a Bombad General, I knew it was something I'd struggle to change. All I'd have to ensure is that whoever led the non-Gungans during the battle of the plains spoke with Captain Tarpals to find the true leader of the Gungan army.

"Your Majesty," I said with a deep bow once Padmé saw me.

"Master Jedi, welcome." I stood fully and returned the smile she wore. She turned quickly to those with her and Panaka – and HK, who was watching the group like he expected every one of them to attack Padmé. "This is Jedi Knight Cameron Shan," her hand pointed toward us. "Many of you might remember him, or more likely Fenrir, his tuk'ata, from my coronation." A few of the newcomers chuckled nervously, tensing when Fenrir strode forward and brushed against Padmé's outstretched hand. "It is because of him that we have so much off-world support."

As Drallig, Qui-Gon, and the Mandalorian and Lokella leaders watched on without comment, many of the newcomers nodded in recognition. Though some seemed confused, either because I was wearing Mandalorian armour, or because Padmé was so relaxed around a beast that dwarfed her.

I'd found his behaviour a little strange around Padmé and Sabé since we'd landed on the planet as, baring Serra, Bo, and Naz, he didn't seek attention from others. Well, there was me and Simvyl, though the Cathar generally only petted Fenrir for as short a time as possible before finding something else to do. However, since we'd landed, Fenrir had made sure to brush up against, and on occasion, almost knock the two local ladies over. I put that down to him sensing my need to keep Padmé safe, and that Sabé was almost always at her side.

"Your Majesty is too kind," I replied as I moved to join the group. "I assume that we're here to determine how the battle, or battles, will go?" Apart from time thinking on Maul, I'd also gone over the plans for the three main battles that would take place simultaneously.

Without Anakin present – and the Force deus ex machina he'd had on his side then – a new plan for the orbital battle had been needed. Especially once we'd discovered three Lucrehulks in orbit. Thankfully, with Asta and her squad seemingly having taken one Lucrehulk, and the fleet waiting less than an hour away by hyperspace, then that part should be taken care of. The other battles wouldn't require too much reordering, though for the plains, I wanted to hand that over to one of the Mandalorians. They'd have ways to engage such a large force and limit Gungan casualties.

"We are, though a new matter has been brought to us by our forces." She turned back to the map, making Fenrir whine – which I always found amusing – as she used that hand to indicate one of the newcomers.

"Master Jedi," he said to me and then gave nods to Drallig and Qui-Gon with the former's face stoic even if I knew he was getting perturbed at people referring to me as Master. "The Federation has moved most of our people out of Theed and other major cities into camps nearby. They've begun looting the cities with transports leaving for orbit regularly full of anything they feel has potential value."

"I hadn't expected the Federation to resort to robbery," murmured Drallig thoughtfully.

"Assembling the fleet to blockade Naboo would have taken considerable time, and cost them credits from work those vessels would normally do," I said to Drallig. "The invasion and leaving three vessels in orbit add to a continual outlay, which they'd want to seek compensation for. To be clear, what they're doing is wrong, but to them, the logic is sound."

"Regardless of why they're doing so, that isn't the most concerning element," Padmé said as I felt a surge of anger from her and the other Naboo.

"In the last few days, the Federation have begun ferrying people into the cities, and then placing them onto their transports."

"Slaves?" Ferox growled, doing a fair impression of Fenrir.

"Yes," the man responded even as Validus placed a hand on Ferox's shoulder.

"You must forgive my friend," Validus said softly even as Ferox continued to stew. "We, like all our people, were once enslaved."

"I'm not sure we can do much for those in other cities currently, but where in Theed are your people being gathered before they board the transports?"

The man looked at Padmé, who nodded, before indicating a point on the map. One that was highlighted in red. "Here, near Jafan's Spire."

I looked at the location, noting that while it was on the same island as the hangar, it was at the point where two parts of the Solleu River Delta met.

"How many guards?" Ferox asked, his confrontational tone indicating he'd not calmed down much, which was understandable given his background.

"At last report, nearly two hundred plus some droidekas and a pair of tanks."

I tapped my chin, considering the situation. "I suspect most of those forces will deploy to meet the Gungan army, but we can't run the chance the Federation might try and rush those prisoners off-world if they feel the battle is turning against them." I looked over at Drallig. "Master Drallig, would you and Serra be able to free them?"

Drallig fixed me with a gaze as if searching for a reason why I was asking him to do this. "Yes," he said after a moment. "I believe we can free them without any loss of life. Even if the Federation forces don't decrease."

I nodded in thanks, doing my best to keep my relief at getting Serra away from where Maul would likely be from echoing into the Force. If either Jedi Master sensed that, they might wonder why I was so concerned about the situation, and if questioned, why I'd allowed Serra to accompany the combined force to Naboo. As much as I felt Drallig's blade against Maul would be useful, with the vision of them engaging Maul in battle stuck in my head, there was no way I was chancing it. If either Drallig or I confronted Maul near Serra, she'd rush in to help, and I couldn't face losing her.

Perhaps it was arrogant to think Maul would be seeking me out, as the longer the situation on Naboo dragged on, the more sympathy Palpatine would have in the first few months of his Chancellorship. However, I felt Sidious and Plagueis would want to test me, and with Maul being potentially disposable – at least to Plagueis as I'd always wondered if Sidious saw true potential in Maul or not – then throwing him at me and seeing who emerged from the battle was a fair test for both of us.

Assuming my plans allowed me to defeat Maul, then Sidious would consider me the same way he had Anakin in the other timeline, as his true apprentice for when the new Sith Empire rose from the ashes of the Republic. Of course, there was always the chance that Plagueis might not be killed before the Clone Wars broke out, but I wasn't focusing on that happening as I had little information to work off.

"I'll accompany you, Jedi," Ferox all but spat out, drawing me from my moment of introspection. His tone left no room for argument, and after a glance at me – to which I gave a fractional nod – Drallig sighed.

"Very well, however, I will be in command of our unit."

"Might I suggest a few more warriors join you, Master Drallig? The Lokella will happily agree to help, and taking a handful of Naboo will ensure the civilians are more likely to listen to your orders once you reach them. Plus, I wouldn't put it past the Federation to execute the prisoners if they feel the battle is turning against them."

Drallig rubbed his chin in that way all Jedi seemed to. "While I don't believe the Federation would do something so underhanded, your caution is warranted."

I gave Drallig another nod before returning the map. Various spots outside Theed were marked with locations where the Federation had at least a significant presence. "How many droids are there in Theed?" There'd undoubtedly be more spread across the planet, but the army that would face the Gungans would come mainly from the forces in and near the capital.

"We don't have a full count, but our estimates place their numbers, not counting their transports, tanks or aerial support, at over half a million droids."

That reply drew a lot of concern from those around the map, and I let out a low, slow whistle. "That's a lot of droids."

"Good. Means more targets for our blasters." I looked at Vhonte with a wolfish grin. It was just like a Mandalorian to enjoy facing seemingly insane odds.

Turning back to the map, I considered ways to draw more droids away from Theed without them being in the main army. That was going to be much larger than it had been in the other timeline, and as the Gungan forces would only be supported by a dozen or so others, I needed ways to limit the size of that army without too many remaining in Theed.

"These markers, they're camps where your people are being held?" Marod asked, indicating the various spots near Theed. Most were on the other side of the city from us, but some were between us and the capital.

"Yes, sir," the older Naboo guardsman who'd reported the Federation numbers replied. He gestured at the ones nearest us. "These three hold the city's population." He then pointed directly at another. "This one, Your Highness, holds many of your council including Governor Bibble." The man paused and then looked at me, Drallig and Qui-Gon. "There are also two more Jedi on the planet," he said, and I blinked in shock, not having sensed anyone. Though given I'd refused to truly push out with Detection for fear of alerting Maul of my position, that I'd missed a Jedi wasn't as surprising as the fact there were others on the planet.

"I don't recall meeting any when we first arrived," Qui-Gon commented, doing a better job of hiding his surprise than I had.

"They and others, including the son of the Ambassador from Kashyyyk, were studying at the Royal House of Learning. They and other students that escaped during the invasion are working with the Underground."

I let the entirely unoriginal name for the resistance go, instead wondering how the Padawans – which they had to be based on where they were when the invasion happened – had avoided Maul. He had to be in Theed now, so unless he considered them beneath him, which was a distinct possibility, then he'd run through them like a vibroblade through butter.

"Do you have a way to contact them from here?" Drallig asked, suggesting he wanted to either get the Padawans to safety or bring them into our forces.

"Technically yes, but any signal from here would give away Her Highness' location," Panaka responded just as the Naboo guardsman moved a hand toward his belt. "I'm sure that once we have determined a plan of attack, they can be informed when our men return to the city."

"Makes sense since we'll need the resistance cells to know the plans before we begin," I said, pulling the conversation back to the main topic. While another pair of Jedi, even Padawans, wouldn't go amiss, they were minor players in the grand scheme of things. I moved closer, examining the map carefully. "Even if every Gungan and warrior here marched onto the plains, the Federation wouldn't commit their entire force to wipe us out." I looked at the various camps as an idea took shape. "We need to draw more forces out of the city and increase the size of our force."

"You're thinking of attacking the camps?" Marod offered and I nodded. "Aye, a wise play. While many might not be willing to fight, even a false attempt on various camps would force the Federation to divert droids to them, weakening their overall number in Theed and the plains."

"What about these camps?" I asked the Naboo, pointing at two that were nearer us than Theed but hadn't been mentioned earlier. "What's being held there?"

"From what we can tell, they're being used as pens for animals. Bursas, falumpasets, gualamas, kaadus, Fambaas and the like." The names meant nothing to me, but as they were listed Boss Nass grew agitated.

"How daren daysa to da Fambaas!" Nass spat out, his temper rising rapidly. "Wesa must free thems!"

"What exactly are Fambaas?" Qui-Gon asked, which was a valid question. I knew what they were as I'd studied up on Naboo for this battle, but most people wouldn't.

"Daysa important tada gungans. Wesa usen themsa in battlen," Nass replied, and I ground my teeth, not enjoying the variant of Basic the Gungans used.

"From what records we have, the Gungans use several of those species in their army," Panaka explained.

"So, it would serve us to free these beasts for our allies?" Shal added, drawing a furious nod from Nass.

"Yes! Wesa must free themsa!" Spittle flew from Nass' mouth as he spoke and behind him I saw several Gungans who'd come closer at Nass' shift in emotions – since Tarpals was there, I assumed they were leaders of the army – nod in agreement.

"Even ignoring that the Gungans use the creatures in battle, freeing them would create chaos for the Federation and force them to divert attention to rounding them up again." The comment came from Drallig, and I found myself agreeing with it.

"That it would, Master Drallig." I turned and looked at the Mandalorians. "If a force worked with the Gungans to strike those camps first, and then once as our allies worked to take the beasts away, others moved to free the civilian camps, we could inflict several strikes against the Federation without diverting a large portion of our force."

"It would. And it would strengthen the Gungan forces for their battle," Marod agreed as he moved forward. "They will need all the support they can get."

"Wesa no scared to fight the Mackineeks."

"We know you aren't, Boss Nass," I cut in, not wanting Nass' anger toward the Federation to be misdirected, "but you said the Fambaas, and I assume others, are used by your army?"

"Wesa do."

"Then freeing them first makes sense. While Her Majesty and the Naboo understand that a great many Gungans will die in battle, I won't sanction a plan that doesn't give your warriors at least a fighting chance," I said slowly but clearly. "Simply charging onto the plains and daring the Federation to turn up will only result in the needless deaths of thousands of your warriors. With your war beasts, and some advice from your allies," I held an arm toward the Mandalorians, expecting them to have ideas to change the Battle of the Great Grass Plains into something less of a rout. "Then we can ensure your warriors not only fight with honour but live to tell the tale of their part in freeing your planet!"

I paused, taking a breath. I'd grown more passionate as I'd spoken, almost as if I'd drawn on Nass' anger for myself. I then shook my head. "Sorry, not quite the time for a rallying cry." There were some chuckles from those around the table, including Nass. Though I noticed that Drallig wasn't one of those who seemed amused. "To be clear, Boss Nass, I, and those with me, respect your people's desire to fight. However, I cannot advise Her Majesty to accept any battle plan that throws away lives needlessly."

"On this, I agree with Knight Shan," Padmé said as I felt her move to stand next to me. "We need to fight smart. Mandalorians are renowned for their experience in war. I'm sure they can offer advice that would help with planning your battle to not only save lives but ensure we defeat the Federation and drive them from our world."

"Aye, I'm sure we can come up with something," Osto added.

"Wesa have many warriors, but without da fambaas, our army has nosa coveren. Daysa carryen da shield generators." As Nass spoke I watched at the Mandalorians. While Shal, Osto and Marod seemed accepting of the Gungans, Vhonte had appeared less than happy about them. However, when shield generators were mentioned, I saw Vhonte's expression change. Haran, the troubling – for the Federation – smirk that came quickly to her lips had me curious about what she was cooking up.

"Then freeing the fambaas has to be done. Can you and your most experienced warriors work with these warriors," I gestured to the Mandalorians, "to develop battle plans?"

"Wesa can do tis," Nass said with a smile. "Yousa young, but yousa wise general. Da Naboo lucky to have yousa."

"We are all fortunate Knight Shan is here, Boss Nass," Padmé responded while giving me a soft smile.

"Let's save any thanks until after we win, huh?" I suggested with a chuckle. I then turned and looked at the group. "Perhaps it might be wise to break into teams now? Those attacking the camps or involved in the diversionary battle should head with Boss Nass. Those staying to fight in Theed should remain with Queen Amidala."

There were nods around the group and I waited, wanting to see how the divide went.

Shal, Marod, Vhonte, Ferox and about half the Naboo resistance went with Boss Nass. The rest stayed, making things a lot easier to manage.

"If I may, Your Majesty?" I asked, indicating the holomap. Padmé nodded and gestured for me to approach the controls. Quickly I focused it on Theed. "Queen Amidala has already said that Viceroy Gunray is the key to winning this war, and I'm inclined to agree. We capture him, and not only can we convince him to surrender, but he can be brought before the courts for justice."

I knew that the Republic, with Palpatine at its head, wouldn't do anything that Gunray couldn't weasel his way out of, but the others didn't, which was why I said it. Of course, handing him over to the Republic for trial only applied if he was alive by the time Palpatine would arrive to celebrate the freedom of his homeworld. Apart from justice being served for Gunray's actions, his removal might well delay the Sith plan by a few years. It wouldn't be much, but every minor delay was something I could use to prepare. Of course, so could Sidious and he'd been playing this game far longer than I had and the deck was stacked in his favour by a millennium of work done by the Sith that came before him.

"Our reports place him and his entourage in the Royal Palace." That came from the same older local as before. "Apologies, Your Highness, but it appears he has taken over your residence as his base."

Padmé tensed, and her jaw tightened for a moment before she nodded. "Then we can use that to our advantage." She indicated the controls of the map, and I stepped back, letting her take control once more. "There are hidden tunnels leading into Theed and others that allow quick access to the Palace from various locations around the city."

Five red marks appeared on the map, and from each, a line moved around with all converging on the palace, though they emerged at differing points.

"That we can certainly use," Osto commented, a grin spreading across his face. "These tunnels can be used along with the Gungan vessels to insert warriors throughout the city. Teams sent in to distract the defence forces and allow a clearer path along this route," I watched as he indicated the path that led through the hangar and near the plasma refinery, "for your forces to enter the palace unopposed."

"At least if no one has sold out to the Federation," I suggested slowly. "Or the droids didn't discover them when securing the city. Even if they haven't, then each of those locations," I pointed at the areas where the tunnels that led out Theed emerged into the city, "will be swarming with droids. The moment we emerge they'll know we're there. whatever forces that remain in the city will swarm us."

"Perhaps diversionary strikes would be helpful?" Drallig offered as he moved closer and pointed at various points on the map. Padmé marked each with a dot. "If we could have teams, perhaps no more than four to a group, emerge at these locations, it would divert attention from most of the secret passages." The idea had occurred to me, but like some other ideas, I'd waited for others to mention them. I couldn't be seen to provide every detail of the attack, as even as the nominal leader – at Padmé's insistence – I shouldn't, at my current age, be that skilled in warfare.

"I can easily assign my warriors to such actions," Osto said before turning to Validus, "would yours be able to join us?"

"They can."

Osto smiled and turned back to the map. "Then we can use the Gungan vessels to enter these teams with orders to engage Federation forces as soon as encountered. That would divert their reserves to us, not that I expect them to be able to contain us," he added as his grin turned almost feral. "Meanwhile, others can enter the palace and capture their commander."

"We'll need to see how many bongos the Gungans have, and how easily they can slip through the river, but that should work for getting boots on the ground," I said with a nod to Osto, trusting him and Validus to divide up their men as needed. "Ideally, with most of the army outside the city, and what remains inside diverted, the assault teams can move toward the palace." I paused, knowing I had to ensure my place in all this and that some wouldn't like it. "I'll lead a team to the hangar. Ideally, there will be pilots either with us from the resistance or the camps, and if so, they need to launch. We need to relay a signal to the fleet so it can engage the Lucrehulks and keep the Vulture droids occupied. Otherwise, the Gungan army will be obliterated."

"And if we have no pilots among the freed Naboo?"

I shrugged. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, but I'm not going to do anything stupid like fly up by myself and engage that many Vulture droids." That, as expected, drew a round of tight smiles.

"Even if there are pilots for the Naboo starfighters, they will be seriously outgunned," Drallig remarked, though there was no hint of confusion from him. As if he expected there to be more to the orbital battle than suicidal odds.

"They would be if they were alone," I replied, glancing at Osto, "however we've already got pieces in place for that battle."

"My mother led a large team aboard on Lucrehulk as we landed, which might be why your vessel approached unopposed. Since there has been no word from them, nor the sight of such a vessel exploding from ruptured power cores, we believe the ship has been secured. When the battle commences, they will use that ship against the others while other vessels will jump into the system."

"Ignoring the dangers from assuming, then the plan is sound. However, even with a Lucrehulk on your side, you are likely to be outgunned."

Osto continued to smile at Drallig. "The forces the Clans have assembled will be more than a match for the Federations vessels." I frowned, wondering what he was on about. While the Getala'kara was well-armed, it was no match for a single Lucrehulk, even with the support vessels in the fleet. "Even if my mother has, unlikely though I feel it is, fallen in battle without completing her mission, there is a vessel at the very edge of the system monitoring the planet. Once it detects fighters from combat in orbit, it will signal the fleet to jump in with precise hyperspace coordinates to allow our vessels to deploy directly on top of the Lucrehulks."

Drallig stared at Osto for a moment, judging the plan, before offering a nod. "I will bow to your understanding of that element of the plan." He turned and looked at me and Padmé. "However, it will all depend on the quick capture of the Viceroy and convincing him to stand down his forces."

"Which is why everything else, in every location, is a diversion and distraction. Queen Amidala and the teams she'll take into the palace, are all that matters." Which was why I'd assigned HK and Simvyl to guard her. I'd have sent Fenrir, but in the close quarters of the palace, and with that much blaster fire streaking around, I wasn't comfortable letting him go. Though the same was true of the other theatres, save mine and I didn't want him anywhere near Maul.

Hopefully, by the time we deployed, I would know where he would go. If he didn't go with me, then He'd head with Bo as she was the only one besides myself that he'd obey. Even if that, when it happened, was a matter of choice and not respect.

… …

… …

Later that evening, the plans for battle were set and the various units were determined.

Shal, Ferox, Captain Tarpals, and several teams from the Naboo resistance would command the units targeting the camps, with the Gungan and those under his direct command breaking off after the first camps, which housed the various beasts the Gungan army needed, were kept. At the same time, the others would target the nearby camps, with those there brought back to the base camp by the Naboo. Shal and Ferox would move onto other camps, with the intent of not so much taking them, than on diverting more droids away from Theed.

Once the Gungans and Naboo were back here, the group heading to Theed would break away. The Gungans had provided a dozen bongos to slip units into Theed through the caverns beneath the surface, though some teams would still move over land via skimmers to avoid placing all our eggs in one basket. Padmé, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, I, and others would travel in skimmers while Sabé – who would be in the full regalia of Queen Amidala– Drallig, Serra, Bo, and most of the Mandalorians and Lokella assigned to the city-assault, would travel in a bongo.

Vhonte, Marod, and a dozen Mandalorians would remain with the Gungan army. I didn't know what they had planned to change how that battle went, but given I'd seen those warriors borrowing every piece of heavy firepower anyone could spare, I suspected it would be impressive. I didn't mind if they turned the grass plains into a crater just so long as the droid army was bogged down, and Gungan casualties were kept to a minimum.

Something that had caught my eye was the way the Mandalorians and Lokella seemed interested in some of the Gungan weaponry. Of particular interest were their energy balls – called boombas – which I knew would work well against droids, even if they were a little impractical in their larger form. Though it seemed the Gungans had them at grenade-sized, which if they shorted out all electrics, could make them very interesting to adapt. Haran, they might well be more effective than more common ion weaponry used across the galaxy. Though I doubted they'd be as effective as Ionize. While I didn't plan to use the power much, I had trained the power regularly when I could, and had it up to Master:25. Still, I'd added a handful of the smallest boombas to my Inventory for future research, or the possibility I could use them in Theed once we were deployed.

The diversion teams, led by Osto and Gar, would deploy first, doing exactly what their name implied while Padmé, Sabé's, and my teams would meet just outside the royal hangar. While they would push on toward the palace, I'd move with my team to the hangar. Amusingly, three of the seven warriors with me were Andeeld Krhul, Ginia Aran, and Huzu Cadora who had been on my team when I'd trained on Mandalore. The only other one I knew was Thun Dur, heir to Clan Dur and another warrior I remembered from the Institute. Normally we'd have two more members to our team, but numbers didn't allow it, and while we could've taken Fenrir with us, I'd decided against that. Instead, he would deploy with Bo in a distraction team – and Force he would be a distraction for the Federation – simply because it was the best place to deploy him.

While tuk'ata when matured developed skin all but immune to blaster bolts – and even glancing strikes from a lightsaber – Fenrir was years away from that. Oh, he was fully grown in height, and I hoped bulk as he was a monster when he wanted attention, his skin could barely stop my beskad from cutting it.

When I'd told Bo this and explained why I was doing so, she asked why I'd not had a beskarweave skin made for him. I'd not know such things were common, but she and Osto had explained that his father Torrhen's Raqour'daan had a weave for combat, as did other beast companions that Mando'ade considered family. While full beskar wasn't doable for many of the beasts, a beskarweave skinsuit was. Obviously, I'd facepalmed hard at discovering that, and once the battle was over, promised Fenrir we'd go to Mandalore and get him one. Since he was close to full size, there wouldn't be much need to resize it later, though I'd make sure to get at least three such suits made as they weren't as invulnerable as proper armour. For now though, he'd have to do without, and Bo promised me she'd keep an eye out for him.

My team would move to secure the refinery once the hangar was taken and any pilots available launched. We were to do that to ensure the Federation didn't attempt anything stupid like rigging it, and by extension most of Theed, to explode. Though as my team did that, I was going to break away and start hunting Maul.

Of course, before any of the plans could be initiated, the assaults on the camps had to depart. Which they would do soon, however, Padmé had insisted that everyone – at least not on sentry or otherwise indisposed – gather. That was why I was standing near her with the other leaders of our combined force. When she looked at me, I moved to her side and helped her stand upon the bonnet of a skimmer, letting everyone present see her.

What little chatter had been coming from the group of warriors fell away as they saw her watching them.

"To those who aren't aware, I am Padmé Amidala, Queen of the Naboo, and before the first teams head out to begin the liberation of the world we share with the Gungans, I wish to thank all of you for your actions. I stand before you with a heart overflowing with gratitude. Because of you, be you Naboo, Gungan, friends, or unexpected allies, we stand on a precipice of history. A moment that will show the Trade Federation and the Republic that the voices of worlds far from their corridors of power matter, that we will be heard!"

"As I look out upon the sea of faces before me, I find myself humbled by the courage, determination, and force of will that you have, and in awe of the strength of unity you represent." Padmé paused and looked to where the members of the local resistance were gathered. "To my fellow Naboo, I cannot begin to express my gratitude to you for your bravery. Faced with a threat none of us could've imagined, you have risen to the challenge and faced an unspeakable evil that has captured our world, stolen our history, and even I'm told, sold our people into slavery." Her focus then drifted to the Gungans, with Boss Nass and, Force help me, Jar Jar Binks standing at the forefront. "To our esteemed Gungan allies, I offer my heartfelt promise that every life lost in the freeing of our world, every one of your warriors that falls in the greatest battle in our planet's history, will be remembered by all the sentients of Naboo as heroes of freedom. From what we do today, a new era of peace and cooperation between our two great peoples will bloom, bringing light to our darkest hour."

As she turned to the Mandalorians and Lokella, I marvelled at her ability to hold attention. She didn't have a team of speech writers with her, so at best, she had worked on this with only Sabé for help, and was crafting a speech that, thanks to the recordings of the Mandalorians, would spread across the galaxy. "To our new, and unexpected, friends and allies from across the stars, know that whatever it was that brought you to our world, you and your descendants will always be welcome in our halls and at our feasts. With you at our side, along with our Jedi friends," she swept out an arm to where the four other Jedi were standing, "we demonstrate the power, strength, and conviction that can be brought about by alliances of like-minded individuals."

"The path we find ourselves about to embark upon is a dangerous and arduous one, but, by working shoulder to shoulder and fighting as brothers and sisters in arms, I know we have the strength of arms and will to emerge victorious. Many have already given their lives in defending this world and their ideals. However, their deaths don't, as our enemy wishes, make us cower in fear. No, their sacrifices fuel the flames of liberty, justice, and the ideals that all should be free!"

I could feel the shift in the crowd through the Force. While most had been set in their paths, many had been concerned, even fearful of what lay ahead. While that remained, it was slowly being consumed by a spark of something powerful, something that was hard to extinguish. Hope.

"We stand now on the precipice of history, of a turning point of the Republic. For centuries, the Core and those in the Senate have seen those in the Rim, be it Inner, Mid, or Outer, as irrelevant. As unimportant. Over the next day, we will show them that their disinterest, their inaction, will no longer be tolerated. That we matter!"

"We did not ask for this battle to come here, but it has. And now, a battle for freedom awaits us. Let the bonds we have forged here shine as a beacon to all throughout the galaxy who yearn for liberation, for freedom!"

A cheer erupted from the crowd, her words resonating with everyone in a way that I'd seen very few able to manage. Yet, as the cheer echoed through the forest – hopefully not enough to alert any Federation forces – Padmé remained standing on the skimmer as if she had more to say.

"To every one of you, words fail me to express how much your actions, your sacrifices, inspire me. Not as the leader of an invaded world, but one who very recently questioned the motives and priorities of those who should lead us, those who should rule for us. They chose instead to rule over us, as if our planets, our lives, are but toys to be played with. Yet from all of you, I see that the flaws I saw within the highest halls of the Republic are not a sentiment shared by the peoples of the galaxy. We stand now, together, regardless of species, creed, or belief, united together under the ideals that all hold dear. That oppression, that tyranny will never rule us!"

"Our courage in the coming hours will remind everyone, from those born with their basic liberties already taken, to those at the highest echelons of power who consider us beneath them, that our spirits cannot be broken! That, with warriors of a just and noble cause at our side, and the Force to guide us, freedom cannot, will not be denied! Tonight, the flame of hope, the fires of freedom burn brightly on Naboo, and the galaxy shall see that we, that freedom, shall not fall!"

… …

… …
A/N: To those who disliked reading Gungan-Basic, it's worse to write it.

This story is crossposted on Fanfiction.net, Archive of our Own, and Royal Road.
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USSExplorer · Dec 23, 2023

A/N:
As always, thanks to those helping me write and plan out this story and checking it for continuality and logic errors.

This chapter was released at least 2 weeks ago to my Patreons (with them seeing a draft version around 2 months ago) and on the story's Discord server (in GDoc form) about a week ago.
Links for both are at the end of the chapter.
Hopefully, all the little mistakes have been found and removed.

This chapter has multiple POVs.

The Phantom Menace 4
... ...

(Vhonte Tervho's POV)
If someone had told Vhonte a month or even a week ago that she'd be fighting to defend a planet inhabited by naak-loving fools, she'd have assumed she was being paid an extraordinary amount. After laughing endlessly at the destruction of the so-called 'New Mandalorian' faction during her people's most recent civil war, she wanted nothing to do with anyone who held similar ideals. Yet, that was where Vhonte found herself, though as she watched the lead elements of the Great Gungan Army slip from the cover of the forest onto the plains that allowed clear passage all the way to the city of Theed over a hundred kilometres away, she couldn't say she disliked where she found herself.

Unlike many in this battle, she had no connection to those responsible for the call to arms. Instead, she had come for the promise of credits. Cameron Shan was an unknown, and a curious one at that. She had heard the stories of the Mando'ade Jetii, viewed the recording of his verd'goten, and even seen the skull of the great beast that Adonai Kryze had displayed, yet she knew nothing of him personally. Nor did she care to. She was primarily here for the credits, as were many others, though some few were here at the word of Torrhen Ordo or Adonai Kryze, or to see if the descendant of Naast be Me'suums was everything others claimed him to be.

To be clear, she respected all three to varying amounts, with Torrhen Ordo being the worthiest of respect. Unlike Adonai Kryze he hadn't aligned with the dar'manda who licked at the feet of the Tsad Droten, and unlike Cameron Shan, didn't try to claim a position of power among their people while standing with the lapdogs of the Republic. None were truly worthy of any loyalty from her, as none had been since Jango Fett had abandoned his calling.

Her father had served with Jaster Mereel in the Haat Mando'ade, and when Jaster had fallen, and named Jango his heir, Vhonte's father had been ready to follow him as Mand'alor. However, after the disaster on Galidraan – which had taken the life of Vhonte's father – Jango lost faith in their people. Once Tor Vizsla was dead, Jango withdrew from Mando'ade culture, becoming a feared bounty hunter. While Vhonte also worked for the Guild, she had never been Mand'alor, never abandoned her people as Jango had, and his actions had cost her much of her hope that one day their people might reunite under a strong leader and once again threaten the stars themselves.

Yet, if not for those events, Vhonte wouldn't be here now, helping a planet and people she'd have dismissed as deserving of being invaded free itself. Nor see that, when they had to, the Naboo were willing to fight for their home.

Vhonte would have preferred to have fought in the battle for the Lucrehulk, getting a chance to serve once more alongside Kal Skirata. Failing that, if she had the power to ensure it, she'd have gone with the strike teams to Theed, where the true battle for the planet would take place. However, she, along with Dun Marod and others, was tasked with integrating Mando'ade with the other warriors who would fight in the battle on the plains, and distract most of the forces of the Trade Federation.

Which, after discovering the initial Gungan plan, was a good thing.

Vhonte was shocked that any army would consider simply marching on an open field and engaging a numerically and technologically superior army as anything less than osik. And that was before considering that the Federation would have total air superiority if the Naboo fighters couldn't launch in time to engage the Lucrehulks.

Yet, that the Gungans knew all this and were still willing to march out to their deaths, to die defending their home, was something Vhonte and other Mando'ade could respect. That was why she and Dun had argued for hours with the Gungans – enduring their odd butchering of Basic that almost made her miss listening to a Hutt – to convince them to alter the plan.

They'd hoped to arm the Gungans with modern blasters, as over a hundred had been liberated from droids while moving through the mountains, but the Gungans had refused. They would face the battle with the weapons of their people, no matter how ineffective wooden spears may be against droids, riding beasts of burden into battle.

And yet, for all the primitive appearance of the Gungans, they had some technology. Shield generators were carried on the backs of large local beasts called fambaas, and behind them, dragged by the same beasts the Gungans rode as mounts, ammunition for their siege weaponry. Spheres of plasma, harvested from deep in the planet's core – which explained why the Trade Federation had chosen this world – would be launched at the droids, potentially disabling anything they struck. Up to, and including, tanks and troop transports.

The strike teams, or at least the majority of them, for Theed, would move to their target via submersibles that while appearing organic, were marvels of organic technology that allowed the Gungans to traverse the underwater tunnels that lined this world – even passing through its very core. From what she had been told, the core was inhabited by beasts comparable to the mythosaurs of her culture's history. Vhonte respected the Gungans' bravery for travelling routes controlled by such creatures, and if the chance arose to hunt these beasts, she would be interested in doing so. While she didn't enjoy game hunting as much as others might, the appeal of challenging, and killing an apex predator was never to be overlooked.

The Gungans were, even if they lacked modern technology, warriors, and that earned them Vhonte's respect; and that of the other Mando'ade, and the Lokella'ade that had also come to fight for Naboo. Haran, if not for the speech given by the Naboo's leader, and the unexpected warrior's spirit the Naboo displayed, Vhonte would've considered the Naboo unworthy of the effort to save them, credits be damned.

With their world in danger, the Naboo had stepped forward and placed themselves into the firing line, and all that started with Queen Amidala. On the way to the rendezvous, Vhonte had watched the Queen's appearance before Tsad Droten with Kal and others. That the same, small, seemingly insignificant child was the same as the one who spoke last night was something Vhonte was still finding hard to reconcile.

That she had, after seeing the failings of the Tsad Droten, decided to return home and fight was unexpected to Vhonte, and impressed her. That feeling grew as the forces called for by Cameron Shan answered the call to arms. Queen Amidala was willing to fight for her home, and her people, and after last night, it was clear her people would follow.

That speech, one that challenged the Tsad Droten, and all those fools who placed blind faith in Coruscant, was worthy of a leader; one who would fight on the front lines for their people. Vhonte held no love for the Naboo, but seeing how their leader had inspired them, the Gungans, and the others here to fight, Vhonte saw the spark of the Warrior still resided in the Naboo. Amidala's speech, recorded by Vhonte and others, would soon make its way throughout the Galaxy, and show the masses the flaws of the Tsad Droten. It would show them that they had been deceived; that the Tsad Droten only cared about themselves and not the people they claimed to serve.

Thus, while she was here for the credits, and that would be true no matter what anyone said, Vhonte would admit to herself that now she was motivated beyond the simple desire for credits. The veil of the false peace of the Tsad Droten was slipping, and Vhonte knew in her bones that soon the truth would be understood by the masses. This battle, for a minor, seemingly insignificant world, was a spark that would light the fires of war throughout the galaxy.

Vhonte looked forward to that, almost as much as she was looking forward to the credits and battles it would bring.

… …

… …

(Cam's POV)
As we moved through the hidden tunnels that led into Theed, I once more marvelled at the data coming to me through the HUD of my armour. Now, I'd experienced the dataflow from my team when I'd trained on Mandalore, but there it had been limited to just those seven others. Here, as we advanced quickly through secret passageways hundreds of metres below the plains of Naboo and the outer building of the capital city, I understood how powerful the Battlenet truly was.

I'd had something similar in my previous life, but here the data was coming in for everything. I could watch through the cameras of any warrior connected to the Battlenet – which included the Lokella for this operation – with ease. As we walked forward, a small display in the HUD showed feed from the armour of Osto and Bo as their assault teams neared their deployment positions, then from Naz as she moved with Sabe's unit toward where we'd meet them, before quickly switching to the datafeed from Vhonte Tervho as she watched the Gungan army assembled a few kilometres from the forest where she and the warriors with her remained; hidden from the sensors of the Federation by localised jamming equipment that wouldn't stand out unless the Federation did a detailed, equally localised scan of the battlefield.

At the same time, I could pull up the condition of any of the warriors in the battle, viewing their health, weapon loadout – including spare clips, grenades, and rockets – along with their location on a superimposed map of the planet. Or at least the planet near where they were. While I could look at other sections of the planet, there was no real-time feed coming into me as there wasn't anyone connected to the Battlenet, nor in range of a booster – which normally was just another warrior at another location – to carry their signal to my feed. Amusingly, I'd set the HUD's map feed to superimpose over my minimap. So long as the HUD map remained focused on roughly the same area as the Minimap, it acted as an enhanced map combining the Force, the Interface, and the Battlenet into one.

Haran, even just focusing on what my armour was relaying to me was a marvel. Beyond knowing my condition and setup – minus my Inventory as that was outside anything any could detect so long as I didn't access it – my armour knew the model of the various blasters and other weaponry being carried by Padmé and those with her - though I had already memorised most models and weapons in my training -; including the report that one of the guards under Panaka's command was taking medication for a rash. I'd rather not have known that, nor where the rash was, but that level of detail was incredible.

The HUD also prioritised targets based on preset parameters, with protocols to shift those parameters if a hostile was of a given species or group, or if they carried highly dangerous weaponry. It also had a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree field of vision that I could call up. However, I had that disabled as I found it, when combined with the Interface, to be a sensory overload. Once Naboo was free and I was away with Anakin to teach him, I planned to get used to the system, but for now, it was turned off.

"How much further?"

The question came from Serra as we slowed our approach. I knew we were under Theed now, so it shouldn't be too long. Serra, along with Drallig and Panaka, was leading our teams through the tunnels. Padmé, HK, R2, Simvyl, and others were behind them while my unit, which included three of those from my Institute team back on Mandalore, brought up the rear.

As I looked at Serra, I once more noted how odd it was to see her in almost full armour, the only missing section being her helmet. While Drallig couldn't force me to remove mine – not that I would've even if he could – as her Master, he had ordered Serra to do that, and she had acquiesced.

Many of the Mandalorians present hadn't been happy about that, with Bo and Naz coming and complaining to me about it. They argued that Serra had come as Mando'ade to this battle and that her removing her helmet was, to some, an insult, not to mention stupid. However, I'd countered by saying that until Serra was made a Jedi Knight – and thus considered a full member of the Jedi – or she chose to leave the Order, then she was under the command of Master Drallig. Neither girl had been happy about it, but they'd accepted my word on the matter and passed it along to others, and it seemed to have sunk in as no one had challenged her about it.

That was because I'd met the one most likely to do so last night, and made clear if he had an issue with my command, he could stay behind and forfeit his pay for the battle, or close his mouth and accept my orders. Normally, he'd have the right to challenge me for command over this, but given lead elements such as striking the prison camps around Theed had already deployed, that option wasn't available. Thus, the warrior from Clan Wrajud had shut his mouth, though Osto had warned me that the warrior and others might challenge me after the battle, especially if it resulted in defeat. I'd thanked him for the warning and was prepared to deal with the matter afterwards, though I made sure to keep an eye on the unit Wrajud was serving with.

"No more than five minutes unless the exit's blocked," Panaka replied, his voice barely above a whisper.

The tunnel had, so far, been empty. Even the various passageways that led elsewhere – which had me wondering why such tunnels were built – were deserted. Either that meant the Federation didn't know about them, or they did and were waiting for us to emerge to ambush us. In their place, I'd have mined the tunnels, or at the very least, placed sensors to detect movement if I knew of them. Since we'd yet to encounter any such threats, it appeared the Force was with us.

"Assault teams, report in." The command was said internally, travelling through the Battlenet. While I could've used eye gestures to send the commands, I found it easier and more familiar, to use vocal commands, and with all the seals on my armour, any reply or command given wouldn't sneak out. Something proved as neither HK nor R2 could detect when I was speaking within the armour.

Commands filtered in from the various teams around Theed. Most were still waiting in the bongos, below the waterline and hidden from sight. The few teams that had inserted via speeder were also in position, ready to begin the various attacks to draw attention away from the palace. The commands were filtered to Osto as well, as I knew once I found him, my focus would be entirely on Maul. My free hand gently touched one of my vambraces, reassuring myself that the various weaponry I'd had installed was there. Taking Maul down was going to be a fucking pain, though a challenge I absolutely relished, but I felt I had enough aces up my sleeve that I had a fair chance of achieving my goals.

My thoughts turned from Maul as one of the speeder teams reported that they'd met local resistance and been paired up with two Jedi. Pulling up their feed, I saw that one of the Jedi was Sia-Lan Wezz, which made me pause. I had no idea she, nor Rann I-Kanu, who I only knew in passing but had sparred with several times over the years, were on the planet. Still, learning they were here added new wrinkles to the plan, though thankfully the pair were far from the hangar, and thus beyond Maul's reach.

Pushing aside thoughts on the unexpected extra help – and wondering how they'd been doing since the invasion began – I waited, letting time tick away as we slowly reached the tunnel's exit. Once Panaka signalled we were there, I spoke through the Battlenet.

"Slannar."

No direct response of command came through the Battlenet, though within seconds details of warriors engaging battledroids filtered to me. Blue marks on the city map confirmed the engagement, and if I focused on those marks, details of the various warriors connected to the Battlenet were brought forth. Updates of warrior's conditions, be that ammo rates, strikes against armour, and the like appeared in a stream that, thanks to setting up the HUD earlier, meant they arrived in the same corner of my vision as Interface notices. Having the HUD overlay the interface meant I wasn't distracted by information overload in a dozen different points of vision.

"Assault is underway," I said, using the armour's external speakers for the first time since entering the tunnels. Unlike others, I wasn't using voice modulation, as I didn't want to blend into the masses.

A faint spike of concern and apprehension came from the Naboo with us – well, bar Panaka and Padmé. The former was focused only on protecting Padmé while the young queen radiated quiet determination; understanding that what was to come had to be done. The warriors with us, be they Mando'ade or Lokella, were battle-hardened and ready for what was to come, while the Jedi drew on the Force, releasing any concerns – which were mainly coming from Serra and directed toward me – into it.

Two battles were flagged for attention, and as Panaka worked to open the hatch leading to the surface, I reviewed the feeds, seeing the teams were engaging sentients. Given the hodgepodge array of species and weaponry, those were mercenary units, and I bit back a growl at seeing Trandoshans among the mercenaries, kriffing lizards. That there were mercenary units in play wasn't unexpected, but it was concerning to see them engage assault units so quickly. I sent new orders to the assault units engaged with the mercenaries to capture at least one from each group for questioning. Naboo had been gathered for shipping off-world, so if the Federation somehow destroyed the data of where those people had been sent and sold, the mercenaries might give up that information in return for their lives.

Regardless of how we learnt that information, Ferox and Validus had already promised Padmé the support of the Lokella to find and free her people. Padmé had been grateful for their help, and for the offers that they and Osto had extended to help train Naboo's security forces once the planet was free. It would cost the Naboo to hire instructors, but it seemed that Padmé understood that after this battle, Naboo couldn't entirely go back to how things had been before.

Light filtering into the tunnel let me know the exit was open, and as Panaka, HK, and Drallig led everyone upward, I sent a signal to Naz. She was with Sabé's unit and would bring them to the meeting point close to the hangar and entrance to the set of passageways that would lead to the palace.

Emerging into Theed, my eyes were instantly scanning for threats, my main lightsaber in hand. The HUD and my minimap were giving an insanely detailed map of the combat going on in the city, but it seemed that, for the moment, we'd emerged undetected.

Looking over the section of the Solleu River we'd emerged next to, I scanned the buildings on the far side. Detection located groups of droids and sentients moving around; however, I frowned as I realised that the sentients weren't from anyone connected to the Battlenet. Pulling up the details, I passed orders to the nearest units to engage and subdue what I believed to be another team of mercenaries, with the same intent to capture at least one for questioning.

A bongo rose from the river, and the rest of my team moved to cover them as Sabé, dressed as Amidala as seen in the Senate, emerged behind Naz. Others came with her, providing protection for Sabé; none of them aware that they weren't escorting the true queen.

Around me, I could feel the Force shifting, a growing conflagration of energy making clear it knew a critical moment was drawing close. Maul, if he was still expecting to engage the Jedi or me, would be nearby, yet no report had come in of a Force user in the field. There was no chance he didn't know that the city was under attack, or that there were Jedi present. Outside of myself, none of them were making any effort to hide their Force Presence. Qui-Gon had wondered why I was doing that when we'd entered the tunnel, though he'd not given voice to his curiosity. Provided he survived, as he likely would, I already had reasoning as to why I did so that should hide my foreknowledge of Maul's presence from him during the debrief.

My eyes drifted toward the hangar, the headquarters of the Naboo Security Force, and the main power generator that was attached to it. That area was expected to have droid patrols; however, none had moved to engage us. Given a unit half a klick away, in the general direction of the palace, was battling droids, I suspected the defenders here had been pulled away to handle them.

My gaze then shifted toward Jafan's Spire, and I reached out with the Force, searching for any hint of Maul. That was the direction Drallig and Serra were heading, and it should be clear, though I couldn't be sure. While Detection wasn't sensing him, the vision of the Jedi fighting him played on my mind; something that had been increasingly common the closer we'd gotten to the city.

Drallig and Serra would be fine freeing the prisoners at the Spire, especially as there was a unit of Mandalorians there to help. Yet until Maul was located and engaged, my concerns for her would continue to bother me. Haran, I might even still be concerned for her if she didn't fight Maul as this was the first true battle that she'd fought in. If a mistake was going to be made, the odds were that it would occur when she was first put under real pressure.

As Sabé reached Padmé, messages came in through the Battlenet, continually updating me on the situation around the city. Before a quick meeting could take place, I sent instructions to teams around the battlefield, altering their assault plans. Beyond a receipt of orders, no response came, but that was enough. Additional support was being sent to three units who, while well-armed, had lucked out and encountered tank squadrons not long after the order to attack had been given. With time, I knew all three would eliminate the tanks, but I'd rather not risk their lives needlessly.

"Master Drallig," I said, getting his attention as the meeting began. "Your support units are waiting here, and here." A small map of our location was projected from my vambrace. It marked the primary route to Jafan's Spire and the location where the two support units would meet them.

"Very well. May the Force be with you." After nods from myself and Qui-Gon – who along with Obi-Wan had been escorting Sabé to complete the illusion that she was Amidala – he moved off. After a brief moment, where her eyes found mine even under my helmet, Serra went after him.

"How far to the passageways?" Qui-Gon asked. My helmet stayed toward the meeting though my eyes tracked Serra as she headed away. When she and Drallig slipped through the first archway on their path, taking them perhaps ten metres from us, I relaxed ever so slightly. They were heading away from where Maul should be, though with so much of this battle changing I couldn't trust that he'd be waiting for us at the exit of the hangar as he had in the other timeline.

"The other side of the hangar," Panaka replied, and after a nod from Sabé, turned to take the lead. I moved quickly past him, the grip on my lightsaber's hilt tightening as I moved toward the large domed hangar. To reach it we first had to slip over a promenade that ran down the edge of the river to the Virdugo waterfall. In the other timeline, there had been a tank waiting at the end of the promenade, taking shots at the fighters as they took off. Here though, resistance units had reported four tanks on the promenade, along with at least three squads of battledroids.

Reaching the edge of an intersection that opened onto the promenade, I reached out with the Force, quickly sensing nearly three dozen droids waiting. Sticking my arm out, I used the vambrace to gain a visual and confirmed two tanks and twenty droids guarding the entrance to the hangar, and the passageway that led to the Naboo Security Forces headquarters. The other Federation forces had been called away to deal with the various assaults taking place in the city, but this lot had remained behind.

At the far side of the promenade, as in the other timeline, a local resistance unit was waiting, and as before, Padmé sent them a signal with a light. After they confirmed the signal, a speeder with an attached heavy repeater slipped into view and opened fire on the droids.

Their fire glanced off the tanks, doing no damage to them, but five B1s fell before the Federation forces reacted. As the tanks turned, their turrets bearing down on the speeder, the resistance unit slipped away; taking cover behind the wall of the building they'd emerged from.

Heavy blasts from the tank slammed into the building, shattering the stone with ease. As Padmé and Panaka led the rest across the promenade, I rushed forward. The resistance fighters had risked their lives to give us an opening, and I planned to make sure their move didn't cost them.

The faint roar of my blade as it ignited drew the attention of four droids near me. Before they could turn to see what had caused the noise, I was on them. The Force accelerated my movements, making it hard for their processors to track my movements, and after barely three steps, I was moving past them; the remains of the droids sliding to the floor; edges glowing where my lightsaber had slid through their frames.

Two more droids turned, detecting that something was amiss, but a flick of my wrist sent them crashing into the side of one tank. While that did nothing to damage the tank, it took out the droids and gave me room to leap. I twisted in mid-air, bringing my blade down on the barrel of the tank even as I used my other hand to send a Force Blast at another group of battledroids.

The barrel clanked against the hull of the tank, rendering its primary weapon inoperable, though I was still moving. Another jump carried me to the top of the other tank. The command droid there, realising my intent, dropped low, pulling the hatch closed behind him. However, I landed before the hatch could close fully and my blade slipped into the darkness within, burning a hole through the droid's head.

As I pulled my blade back, I used my other hand to rip the hatch from its hinges, tossing it behind me into a group of battledroids. With the access clear, I pulled a grenade from my belt, started the timer, and dropped it down. It bounced down to the trio of droid gunners, even as I leapt away, avoiding fire from the few remaining battledroids.

I planned to land on the first tank and finish that off, but a warning from the Force had me alter my jump an instant before I leapt, and as I landed – my lightsaber coming around to destroy three battledroids – a rocket slammed into the rear of the remaining tank. The rear hatch exploded, and the tank lurched forward, the repulsor-lifts holding it up failing as the front edge dug into the tiled ground of the promenade.

Looking at where the rocket had come from, I saw my unit in action. The Battlenet reported the rocket had come from Thun Dur's back, and as the last battledroid fell, he slid a new one into the launcher.

With the small droid force destroyed in less than half a minute, I jogged back over to the others.

"I believe the intent was for a silent insertion," Qui-Gon commented with an amused smirk.

"For you and Queen Amidala, yes," I replied as I gave Sabé a nod, keeping up the deception. "However, my unit is tasked with helping the pilots launch and then securing the generator." Officially, the reasoning there was that the pilots would need flight control – which was situated above the hanger – and prevent the Federation from attempting to destroy the generator, thus damaging a large part of Theed. "The more droids we draw to us, the less you should encounter as you approach the palace."

Qui-Gon nodded, accepting my logic. Both he and Drallig were surprised I'd given myself a seemingly minor role in the battle. Perhaps they felt I'd try to take part in a bigger battle, claiming more glory for myself. That I hadn't, had most likely eased their fears about my motivations for assembling the force helping to free Naboo.

I turned to Sabé and bowed. "May the Force be with you, your Majesty."

"And with you, Master Jedi," Sabé replied. The HUD could detect the faint variance in her tone that confirmed she wasn't the queen, but that was only because I'd been around her and Padmé for some time planning the battle. Otherwise, the slight variance between Sabé's tone and Padmé's would be ignored by most as something caused by the situation.

"Oya!"

I blinked, caught flat-footed by Padmé's comment. While it fit the situation perfectly, and amused the Mandalorians with us, I hadn't realised she'd picked up any Mando'a. Before I could give her a response, she followed Sabé and the others to the hangar. My unit moved as cover for the pilots while I hung back. I needed to be ready to move the moment Maul was sighted.

Qui-Gon and Panaka reached the hangar entrance first and quickly slipped inside. Padmé, Sabé, HK, Obi-Wan, and Simvyl moved next, along with the handful of Naboo security also acting as the decoy defence team for Sabé. Behind them, a four-warrior unit led by Naz came. They'd be the security for Padmé in the palace, with HK breaking off with Padmé as well.

However, as Thun Dur and Andeeld Krhul covered the pilots as they slipped inside, I felt the Force shift.

The HUD flared as it detected movement in a nearby building. Reacting to the warning going through the Battlenet, my unit moved, facing the new threat. Trusting the force, I leapt from my cover, and a moment later the pillar I'd been using exploded as a powerful plasma bolt slammed into it.

As the pillar groaned, and began the process of falling, I landed and rolled, the tiles behind me exploding as a series of blaster bolts slammed into them.

As I reached fresh cover, the Battlenet was already relaying into my HUD. Three snipers had taken up position over the small square we'd crossed, and had the unit pinned down. Huzu Cadora had taken a hit in the chest, knocking her from her feet though the only damage from the bolt was the scorching of the paint on her beskar. Other than the embarrassment of that, the unit was fine, and she and the others were already returning fire.

Yet, as their fire forced the snipers to pull back, I growled as a new group emerged into the square. Trandoshans were my least-liked species – even the Vong were worthy of more respect in my mind – yet that was what the group was composed of.

That they were here while groups of Naboo were being sold into slavery wasn't surprising, but I'd have rather avoided the walking handbags and furniture. Biting back a snarl, I reached out with the Force, gripping one of the lizards by its neck. As it frantically scratched at the sudden lack of air, I yanked my arm to the side, slamming it into one of its brethren.

The pair were assaulted with blaster fire, their bodies twitching delightfully as they succumbed to their wounds. Yet, just as I was about to savour the chance to remove more reptiles for the galaxy – and once more insult their god, The Scorekeeper – I felt the Force shift, warning me of a greater danger.

The Dark Side flared to life, and I quickly realised the location it was coming from. The same one where I could sense Serra and Drallig; directly beyond the Trandoshans. At the same time, reports came in of the units in the hangar coming under attack by droidekas, far more than in the other timeline.

Biting back a curse at this happening at the same time, I relayed orders to my unit. Andeeld Krhul, Thun Dur, and two of the Lokella with us were to move to help the Queen's teams. Huzu Cadora, Ginia Aran, and a Rodian named Vreet Tha were to support me in removing the Trandoshans and snipers and then securing the area.

While I could've called them with me to engage Maul, that wasn't the plan. Bo, Osto and a handful of others knew my intentions though, and as I slipped from cover, the Force accelerating me toward the remaining Trandoshans, I sent them the signal.

As I reached the first walking handbag, far beyond him, I saw flashes of green and red. My blade slipped through the lizard, removing his head. I turned, ducking under the meaty arm of one of its companions.

These things wouldn't keep me from reaching Serra. While I might not be able to prevent my vision from coming to pass, and thus save Drallig, there was nothing in the galaxy that would stop me from saving Serra from Maul.

As anger rose within me, I fought to remain in control. I couldn't make the same mistake with Maul, that I'd made when I'd fought Vosa.

… …

… …

(Vhonte's POV)
Vhonte watched as the reports from snipers in the forest and sensor probes buried in the plains during the night came regarding the size of the Federation army. She knew the droid army was going to be large, but what was approaching dwarfed the initial calculations. Given the rising dust cloud as the tanks and transports inched ever closer, she knew they were in for a real fight.

That dust cloud had been creeping ever closer for about an hour after the Gungans had stationed themselves about three kilometres from the forest. The Gungans knew they were in for a fight against a superior force, and, in a display of courage she could respect, had marched out anyway. Yet knowing you're outnumbered and seeing the massive droid army approach were two different things.

Many sentients would panic, possibly withdraw from the field of battle, or even abandon their posts, yet the Gungans stood. Through the Battlenet reports coming in, she could tell many were nervous, understandably so, but they stood their ground. Vhonte had fought in hundreds of battles in her time, even a few planetary wars when the Tsad Droten had chosen to turn their backs and ignore the suffering of others. Yet, she'd never face an army the size of the one the Federation was deploying.

Twenty thousand Gungans – some barely old enough to complete a verd'goten – stood ready for battle against an army that had them dwarfed. Over a hundred tanks and their carried squads of droids were being tracked, and Vhonte had no doubt there were more still to arrive, while four times that number of transports moved behind them. Based on the size of the larger armoured transports, and the smaller skiffs where the number of battledroids was confirmed, Vhonte placed the Federation army somewhere near two hundred thousand droids.

With that many enemy combatants, and an army that was willing to stand and fight it, Vhonte had found herself reviewing the battleplan several times since the first reports of Federation forces had come in. The Gungan warriors deserved better than to fall to droids in a battle of, in the grand scheme, minor importance. While some would die, the more that survived, the happier Vhonte would be.

A signal had come from Cameron Shan, announcing the assault on Theed was underway, and updates over the Battlenet confirmed the Federation forces in the city were far lower than initial reports had suggested. Why the Federation had felt a need to send such an overwhelming force to wipe out the Gungans, Vhonte didn't know, but at least it meant Shan's plan was working.

"Phase One." The words were spoken in Basic, as many in the battle couldn't speak Mando'a, and carried over the Battlenet. The various Mando'ade and Lokella'ade that were hidden in the forest confirmed receipt of the order and readied their positions. Vhonte's attention, though, was on the Gungans. She saw the orders reach the ears of the generals commanding the Gungan forces.

It took a few seconds, but the large Gungan force slowly moved. At the centre, four fambaas activated their shields, covering around half the Gungan force as the height of the beasts allowed the shields to extend further. The edges of the long battleline however didn't engage their shields. As planned, the groups there, and the four other fambaas outfitted in the plains with shield generators, turned.

As one would expect, the large beasts took time to turn, and the Federation army sensed, as expected, a chance to attack. Their tanks rolled forward, taking lead positions, and the squads they carried with them hopped off. As soon as the tanks were free of external droids, they opened fire.

Powerful bolts of plasma slammed into the Gungan shields, sending shockwave ripples cascading over the surface. While those attacks had no effect, those that targeted the retreating flanks of the Gungan army did. Vhonte cursed as Gungans died, being either directly struck by the blasts or being tossed around as the bolts tore huge chunks out of the plains.

Thankfully, the four fambaas at the flanks, along with over ninety per cent of the Gungans with them had already slipped behind the edges of the active shields, limiting the deaths in the opening salvo. That was due to signal jammers the Mando'ade and Lokella'ade had attached to the fambaas. Those prevented the tanks from getting target locks on the large beasts, though it did nothing for targeting their frames.

The droids had seemingly not concentrated their fire against the exposed flanks, which was a critical mistake Vhonte would never have made. Nor had they deployed snipers to target any commander in the Gungan army they could locate. Though if they wished to make such mistakes, Vhonte was more than happy to allow it and, when the later phases of the battle took place, to show the droids how a battle should be fought.

Once the last of the flanks of the Gungan army were behind cover, and they understood they weren't going to succeed in penetrating the active shields, the tanks ceased firing. The transports then slipped forward, oddly passing the line of artillery. If they weren't committed to drawing in the droids, Vhonte would've ordered rocket barrages and snipers to target the now unprotected transports as they began disgorging their contents.

"Shab'ni."

The curse slipped from her lips as reports from the Battlenet viewed the droids inside the armoured transports emerging. Two racks slipped out, with each holding dozens of droids, and then they were slowly lowered so the other two racks to extend and all the droids were then activated. Watching the count come in was an odd experience for Vhonte. Outside of astromech and smaller droids that could be programmed in certain useful ways, she had no love for droids. Save perhaps the akaan beskar'ad of Naast be Me'suum that Cameron Shan had restored and rebuilt with help from Bo-Katan Kryze, though that was a droid of legend with feats worthy of respect.

Individually, the Federation's battledroids were nothing. Yet, seeing over two hundred thousand of them deployed in one large force was something to respect. With so many combatants, they required if not respect, then consideration of the sheer volume of fire they could bring to bear.

A silent prayer was offered to Kad Ha'rangir: The ancient Mando'ade god of destruction, war, and change. Vhonte didn't place much stock in those gods, but with the size of their enemy, she would take any help she could. This battle, along with the ones currently raging in Theed and the one that should soon commence in orbit, would mark a moment of change in the galaxy. Not just for the Naboo and Gungans, or even the Tsad Droten, but perhaps, just perhaps, for her people.

It had been centuries since they'd gathered to fight a battle as impressive as this outside their civil wars. To many she'd encountered in her travels, while they respected Mando'ade, they didn't truly understand the power her people could project if united in a common cause. Yes, those in the Naboo system were but a tiny fraction of the hundreds of millions of her people spread across the stars, but they would help change the course of history.

As the unexpected moment of reflection on what this battle might well mean faded – at least beyond the credits she was getting paid for it – Vhonte refocused on the task at hand. The plan expected a large droid force, even up to this size, though she hadn't expected it to be called on. The change to Battleplan Variant Seven was sent to the unit commanders spread throughout the forest. The Gungan side of things, at least until Phase Eight wouldn't change, so there was no need for worry that the Gungans would have to adapt on the fly.

So long as droid fighter cover remained absent, Vhonte had little concern that they wouldn't win the battle. If the Federation deployed even a dozen Vulture droids as cover, then things would get concerning as they could've fire-bombed the gap between the Gungans and the forest. There was no tactical logic to not achieving air superiority if you could and Vhonte doubted even the Neimoidians, who only seemed to care about credits, were that tactically deficient.

Since there was no sign of such cover, Vhonte suspected Asta Ordo's assault had not only gone as intended, but that she, Kal, and those with her still held the Lucrehulk they boarded. Vhonte would've preferred to fight at Kal's side, as while they disagreed on many things, she deeply respected the man who was like an uncle to her and one of the rare sentients to whom she owed a life debt. Learning he was present for this battle had been a surprise for Vhonte, but a welcome one as she'd thought he'd retired from frontline work to raise his children after the death of his wife.

The real key regarding air cover would come when, or if, Naboo starfighters launched from Theed. Ideally, a squadron would carpet bomb the rest of the droid army, cutting them off from escape before accelerating into orbit. If that didn't happen, then contingencies were in place, and once launched, those fighters would move to engage the Vulture droids. The Naboo pilots knew they would be horribly outgunned and outnumbered, yet none had chosen not to fight, and that was worthy of respect.

A signal in her HUD alerted her that the Gungan flanks were now in position. "Phase Two."

As the droids formed up in front of their tanks, the shields at the front of the Gungan army were deactivated. Before the energy had even been fully cancelled out, the four fambaas at the rear activated their shields.

A snarl slipped from Vhonte's lips as she saw the rear rank was too far back. Their shields, as they reached the ground, didn't cover the front line of fambaas, instead stopping fractionally short of the beasts' tails. The plan had called for them to cover the lead fambaas, as now, as the four beasts turned, they were exposed; along with a considerable number of Gungans near them.

The Federation's command droids spotted this and the Battlenet alerted her to the droids shifting formations. The tanks moved forward, slipping into the gaps in the Federation's lines, and resumed their attack. Vhonte cursed whichever di'kut screwed up as a dozen Gungans died under the renewed assault. One of the fambaas stumbled as an explosion rocked the ground near its feet, and Vhonte readied a change in the battle plan. Thankfully, the large beast didn't topple, and a few more steps took all but its tail under a shield.

The tanks continued their barrage even as the front rank of fambaas slipped by those with currently active shield generators. She smirked as she saw the Gungan general from the front-rank gesture animatedly at the general for the rear rank. She made a note of that to speak with General Ceel after the battle, perhaps even share a bottle of Ne'tra Gal with him over the failure of his supposed commander.

What deranged logic had made the Gungan leaders decide that Jar Jar Binks should be the senior general was beyond Vhonte's reasoning. And as Ceel moved past Binks, the latter cowering in his saddle as if wanting to be anywhere but on the battlefield, Vhonte wondered if anyone would complain if Binks met an unfortunate end due to blaster fire once the true battle began.

As Ceel moved his fambaas into position – just inside the shields of the Bink's unit – the Federation's tanks ceased their attack. Even when they focused their fire on one specific shield, they couldn't make it fall, though the Battlenet reported that the shield had lost around twenty per cent power by the time the attack ended.

Instead of sending the order for Phase Three, Vhonte waited. If they moved now, then the tanks would quickly open fire and inflict casualties on the Gungans. What she wanted, and got half a minute later, was the droids forming up in front of the tanks once more.

"Phase Three."

The fambaas with Binks deactivated their shields, and a second later Ceel's shield activated. The droids didn't try to shift for their tanks, choosing instead to advance their ground troops toward the Gungan lines. That was a relief for Vhonte as while the shields could stand against the cannons on the tanks, each of them was rumoured to have missiles in their disk-shaped base. Those would, if outfitted even remotely correctly, have the firepower to cause chaos in the Gungan ranks, possibly even piercing the shields. Whatever the reason for the Federation not trying that attack, Vhonte was happy to let them make another mistake.

Blaster fire from the droid ground forces came in, but the Gungans were able to fall back in formation, those closest to the droids using large shields to cover themselves and their squadmates. Several large shields were attached to the rear of carts, and those covered the ammunition for the Gungan's artillery – which had yet to return fire – and the fambaas.

While the droid's blaster fire was nullified, Vhonte was glad they'd tried. The delay between the lead droids – all of which were marked with yellow stripes as the Jetii had said, four of whom were perched outside the hatches of their tanks – issuing the orders and them being carried out, was factored into the Battlenet. Those droids, along with any that relayed the orders, were filtered to the nearest sniper team until each had multiple targets. Vhonte had the senior droid assigned to her. While overall command for the droids was with the Lucrehulks in orbit, targeting those relaying the commands on the ground would cause chaos in the droid ranks once Phase Eight commenced.

However, there were still several phases to move through before then. Until it was time to attack, Vhonte kept careful watch. There was a chance the droids would alter their tactics before the Gungans had slipped back into the forest, or that the Federation wouldn't take the bait and advance into the treeline. The plan would adapt as needed, and as the droids passed the first marker for Phase Eight, Vhonte allowed herself a small smile.

Regardless of what happened between now and Phase Eight, the Federation army had entered strike distance and wouldn't emerge from this battle without significant casualties.

… …

… …

(Cin Drallig's POV)
Drallig slid to a stop as he rounded the corner of one building in Theed. In the path he and Serra were to take, stood a figure. Whoever they were, they wore a black cloak, one reaching almost to the ground. At Drallig's side, Serra tensed, her main lightsaber flying into her hand. Drallig's hand hovered near his, as he watched the figure. The Force was shifting, but it was unclear to Drallig as to why, bar that the figure intercepting them was the reason.

Slowly, the figure lifted its head, revealing a red-skinned Zabrak. Dark, foreboding lines at sharp angles marked its skin, and Drallig felt his hand grip his lightsaber, sensing the rising threat of the Dark Side radiating forth from the Zabrak, corrupting, twisting the Force as it tried to break it into a beast of burden.

Two gloved hands came up, pulling back the hood, exposing the horns of the species, however, Drallig's focus was on the Zabrak's eyes. Bright yellow pupils ringed in red stared back at him, the sign of one corrupted by the Dark Side of the Force, of one who'd given in to their baser, more emotional needs.

Drallig sensed the Zabrak's disdain in the Force. As if he and Serra were not the prey this Dark Sider sought. However, Drallig had no intent of allowing this corrupt individual to escape. There was a reason the Zabrak was here, and Drallig understood that the Force had guided him and Serra to this place to confront him.

[Master?] Serra's voice came into his thoughts, meaning she understood the Zabrak was a danger.

[Be ready,] he replied. He took a step forward, letting his robes slide from his shoulders. As they hit the ground, he unclipped and ignited his lightsaber. A moment later he heard both Serra's blades snap to life, and for the first time since chasing her to Naboo, Drallig was glad she was wearing armour. Yes, it was mainly durasteel instead of beskar such as that worn by many Mandalorians and Knight Shan, but against the clear threat in front of them, he would take what he could.

The Zabrak's lips twitched as if amused at their challenge, and as its robes slid to the floor, Drallig felt the Force shift again; the Zabrak once more exerting its will upon the Force. Drallig slid into a Soresu stance, knowing he needed to get a grasp on his opponent's style. He would expect Juyo, as that was the most aggressive of the forms, but until that was confirmed, he wouldn't be certain.

The Zabrak ignited its lightsaber, the callous, vibrant red blade common to the Sith surging into vibrant ruby life. What caught Drallig's eye was that extended hilt; one large enough for two hands to hold at considerable distance from each other. Knowing what he did about various lightsaber hilt designs, he surmised that the Zabrak preferred wide powerful strikes or used a double-bladed lightsaber. Given both Knight Shan and Serra had recently trained against training droids deployed with such blades, he wondered if perhaps the Force had alerted them to the threat of the Zabrak. That, however, was a discussion for after the Dark Sider was defeated.

[Trust in the Force to guide your actions, and look for your openings,] he said to Serra as he moved forward, taking the lead as they approached the Zabrak.

The Dark Sider sneered, once more showing disdain for them, though it didn't ignore the challenge Drallig's movements presented. Serra slipped to Drallig's right, hoping to flank the Zabrak, and jerked forward. The move was a feint, and as the Zabrak glanced at her, she pulled back and Drallig moved.

With elegant ease, his feet shifted, and he struck at the Dark Sider. However, the Zabrak was skilled, and its blade came up, blocking Drallig's strike. In the second before they disengaged from the bind, the Zabrak sized Drallig up, and Drallig felt the Zabrak now considered him a worthy fight.

Wanting to maintain the Dark Sider's focus on him, as the blade broke apart, Drallig rotated his wrists and pushed forward. The Zabrak blocked the thrust even as Serra moved in. Drallig knew the attack was too obvious, but as the Zabrak pushed his blade back and moved to defend against Serra, Drallig pressed forward.

The Dark Sider blocked Serra's attack, almost dismissively pushing her away, and then turning its blade with speed and grace to catch Drallig's attack before it could land. The Zabrak's lips twitched, and Drallig sensed that it was disappointed as if their attacks so far had been simplistic, predictable.

While pushing at the Zabraks' blade, Drallig slid one hand from the hilt, planning to use the Force to unbalance his opponent. However, before he could summon the Force to his aid, a warning echoed. He pulled back, creating just enough distance that as the second end of the Zabrak's blade ignited it failed to catch anything.

The Zabrak advanced, its blade moving rapidly. Drallig blocked a flurry of blows, each seemingly more aggressive and powerful than the last. The Zabrak stared at him and Drallig felt his presence pulse in anger. The Force moved around them, and Drallig placed his trust in it, letting it flow through him and guide his blade, catching the Zabraks' rapid flurry of angered strikes as much as needed to deflect and redirect them away from himself.

Yet, even as the Force guided him, Drallig knew he was being forced back; not by a Dark Sider, but by an actual Sith.

Drallig, like the rest of the Order, had believed the Sith were gone, that the last two were defeated and killed not long after the New Sith Wars. It seemed that, perhaps, that had not been the case. The question would be if this Sith served the same Order of Two that the last Sith encountered had, or if he was, perhaps, a member of a return to the older Sith orders that held hundreds, if not thousands, of members – rivalling the Jedi for numbers at various times in history.

Why this Sith was here, Drallig couldn't say. However, if, by the will of the Force, he was able to subdue it, Drallig intended to question it extensively as to the location of the other Sith before removing the threat the Zabrak posed.

The Force flowed through Drallig, guiding him as needed, and he allowed it to use him as a conduit to enact its will. Yet, for every strike deflected, for every blow avoided or countered, Drallig felt a gathering in the Force. The Sith was younger, stronger, and fuelled by its rage, attacking him with impressive speed and agility. Every time their blades connected, Drallig felt shockwaves – both physical and within the Force – rush through him, and each attack brought another small shift from Drallig, another centimetre of ground surrendered to the Sith.

To anyone watching, this engagement would appear as nothing more than a blur. Time had slowed for the pair, as the Force empowered them during this furious duel. The Sith's blade trailed over the ground, sending a wave of superheated dirt toward Drallig. Yet, before that even made it halfway toward him, not only had Drallig shifted to entirely avoid the dust, but he'd also defended against three dozen attacks from the Sith.

His attention on resisting the Sith's onslaught, Drallig almost missed the faintest of shifts within the Force that came from Serra. Without taking his eyes from his opponent, Drallig knew where Serra was, and wanting to give her a chance, he altered his actions. While each blow from the Zabrak was defended, the slightest of shifts in when and where his blade connected with the Sith's had them both turning.

As he sensed her closing in, Drallig backstepped a powerful slash, slipped to one side, and brought his blade around to strike at the Zabrak's hilt. The Sith reacted as Drallig expected, bringing his upper blade up, and pushing away Drallig's attack.

Yet, the opening that should've been created for Serra never materialised, and as Drallig batted away a return attack from the Sith, he was forced back. That created enough room for the Sith to pivot and intercept Serra. Drallig's Padawan unleashed a flurry of blows with her two sabers, coming in at angles that forced the Sith to continuously move. Yet, throughout Serra's assault, Drallig never sensed the Zabrak being truly pressed by it; almost as if he knew she couldn't harm him and was simply toying with her to prove a point to Drallig.

Wanting to assist his Padawan, Drallig moved forward. Yet, before he could take more than a step, he stumbled. Something had collided with his leg, and as he recovered almost instantly, he understood that during its last defensive move against Serra, the Sith had dragged its blade through the tiled ground, sending sections of it flying toward Drallig.

So concerned for his Padawan, Drallig had missed the faint warning from the Force of the action, and it prevented him from reaching Serra as the Sith turned her attacks back against her. Drallig moved again, wanting to reach his Padawan, yet he felt the Force move again. Before he was sure what it meant, he was lifted from his feet and sent hurtling back.

Turning in the air, Drallig dragged his blade along the ground, using the friction of the deep gash he left to slow himself and prevent the Sith's Force attack from slamming him into a wall. Steadying himself, he willed the force to aid him, and rushed forward, back toward the fight.

The dust from his blade scorching the ground remained almost stationary as he moved, his limbs straining as he willed the Force to push his body to its limits. Yet, even as he neared the fight, he knew he was too slow.

Serra was blocking each attack from the Sith, her body moving faster than he'd ever seen it do before. He sensed her determination, her desire to protect; to not allow the Sith to escape. Yet, for all that focus – of which Drallig was immensely proud – it was clear she was being forced back with contemptuous ease by the Sith.

Drallig understood the Sith was far beyond Serra, perhaps even himself, and as he rushed forward, he was reminded of facing Master Windu when he first developed Vaapad, when he'd come close to losing control of the power flowing through his strikes. Yet, whereas Vaapad was firmly rooted in the light, the Sith was thriving on the fury in itself, and, as much as Drallig wished it wasn't so, inside Serra. The Sith was using that rage, that fury to subsume the will of the Force to its desires, bending the Force to its will as it drove Serra back.

The Sith, sensing his approach, decided it had toyed with Serra long enough. The Force moved with it as the speed and ferocity of its attacks increased. Drallig was able to watch every shift in the Sith's body, every angle the two ends of its lightsaber took, yet for Serra it was too much.

A blow landed on her forearm, yet the Sith's blade was forced away. Drallig sensed the surprise at the strike not removing the limb and offered a small thanks to the Mandalorians for Serra's beskar bracers. Yet, the bracers could do nothing to prevent, after the Sith had swatted aside her blades, the Zabrak driving a knee into Serra's gut.

Serra doubled over, the blow driving the wind from her lungs, and her grip on her lightsabers weakened. The Sith's blade flew out, sending sparks flying as it sliced through Serra's shoto, though by the will of the Force and Serra's quick reaction, she retained her hand.

Yet, before Serra could attempt anything, even to recover from the loss of air, or Drallig was close enough his blade could do anything to distract the Zabrak.

Sensing the Sith's intent, Drallig called on the Force for aid. As the double-bladed red lightsaber came hurtling up to take off Serra's head, Drallig thrust a hand forward, sending every ounce of willpower he could with a powerful Force blast.

The blast slammed into the pair, and while Serra was only knocked to the side, the Sith was sent hurtling away.

Drallig raced to her side, sliding to a stop as he reached her. Yet, before he could check her condition, he felt the Force move. Even as he braced, the ground around them exploded and he was sent soaring away, showered in dust from whatever remained of the tiles they'd just been standing upon.

As he tumbled in the air, Drallig called on the Force for aid once more. Letting it guide him, he landed on his feet, sliding back to disperse the residual momentum the blast had imparted.

A warning from the Force accompanied a reddening of the dust around him. Knowing the strike would be too powerful to directly intercept, Drallig brought his blade up at an angle and moved. The main attack of the Sith's lightsaber slammed into the ground, sending more dust into the air, even as Drallig's blade came around, blocking the other blade.

Drallig held that blade in place trying to gain the bind, then sensing the pressure against his blade shift, leapt back, avoiding a sweep from the other end of the Sith's double-bladed weapon.

Using the small gap his jump had generated, Drallig glanced at Serra. She was slumped against a wall, and while he was too far away to see her condition, he could still sense her within the Force. Any further thoughts of his Padawan were ripped from his attention as a wave of darkness rippled through the Force, coming from the direction where Serra and Drallig had come from; from where Knight Shan was located.

Drallig knew that provided he survived this battle, he would need to speak with Serra and Knight Shan. The bond between them was greater than he'd known, perhaps going so far as to violate the Jedi Code. Any further concern with the bond between the pair was pushed aside as he sensed, entirely unexpected, delight from the Sith.

Drallig blinked, shocked to understand that the Sith wasn't here to help the Federation or target Queen Amidala, but was here for Knight Shan. When had Shan encountered the Sith, or what had he done to draw their attention? Such questions would have to wait though, as Drallig saw the Sith refocus on him.

As Drallig moved to engage the Zabrak, he knew that Shan had a small chance to defeat this Sith. Force, Drallig wondered if he could stop the Sith, and accepted, as his blade once more clashed against the Sith's, that today might well be when he became one with the Force.

If that was his fate, then he would accept it. However, before it came, he would do everything he could to defeat the Sith and protect Serra.

The Force answered his call for aid, and Drallig pushed forward, his blade moving with renewed speed and determination. The Sith blinked as it was forced back onto the defensive, and Drallig allowed himself a small smile at catching the Zabrak off-guard.

Sensing the Sith's intent to overpower his attacks, Drallig shifted. As a powerful, enraged counter-strike missed him, Drallig reached out with the Force. A second later, as his blade slapped away another attack from the Sith, he felt Serra's blade slide into his hand.

Moving even as the blade ignited, he slipped the arm low, and as the blade blocked an attack from the other end of the Sith's lightsaber, Drallig caught a whiff of burnt flesh.

The Sith stilled, anger burning brightly within it. Wanting to fuel that rage, hoping it might cause the Sith to overcommit, Drallig smiled. He was unsure how the battle would go, but he had drawn first blood and had every intention of that not being the only wound he left on the Sith.

… …

… …

(Vhonte's POV)
"Phase Seven."

Vhonte waited and watched as half of the Gungan army still outside the forest turned and slipped under the cover of the trees and the shields coming from the fambaas already in the forest. This was the last Phase before the battle would truly begin, and while it had taken longer than she'd have liked for the Federation to take the bait and close before Phases Five and Six, they'd committed to the assault.

The only flaw in the plan had come from General Binks when he shabla Phase One and left General Ceel's half of the army exposed to the Federation attack. That had cost the lives of over a hundred Gungans, but looking back on it, Vhonte suspected the slight mistake had worked to their advantage, giving the droids a false sense that the Gungan army wasn't as organised as it appeared.

That Binks had seemingly forgotten the plan that she, Dun Marod, and General Ceel had gone over with him a dozen times this morning, had her continually questioning the logic of making that particular Gungan anything but a figurehead. Still, the Gungan Bosses had left him in place, and once the battle was over, she hoped they understood the folly of giving Binks any true power.

As the last fambaas slid into the forest, disappearing into the shadows within, Vhonte waited, watching what the Federation did. So far, they'd continued to approach cautiously. Around sixty per cent of their droids had advanced with about a third of their tanks on the Gungans, with them only slowing or stopping once during Phases Five and Six.

The rear forces were split into two groups. About two-thirds of that group had closed halfway to the rest of the army along with most of the remaining tanks. The rest remained behind, guarding the troop transports. That had been one of the few times Vhonte had to compliment the enemy as it was precisely what they should do. Of course, because of that, it had been factored into the plans for Phase Eight.

The fact there were still clear gaps between the three elements of the droid army was another thing that worked in Vhonte's favour. As did the fact the droids in the front element, while moving in formation, were keeping close to the tanks. It had allowed them to fire when Phases Four through Six had been enacted, though Vhonte had been surprised when there'd been no attempt to attack during Phase Seven.

After watching the gradual withdrawal of the Gungan army, they may well have been waiting on air support to bomb the forest. That, thankfully, had yet to materialise, but with all eight fambaas that had walked out with the army, plus another four that had stayed inside the forest, all having activated their shield generators, the forces arrayed within were protected from such attacks.

Now the droids were left with three options. The first was bombarding the shields in the hopes they might fail. While the shields had shown strain under early barrages from the droids' tanks, inside the forest, the generators were working in tandem to produce their protection. That offered increased power to the shields and all but ensured the droids wouldn't punch through any shield without focusing every piece of artillery they had on it.

The second option, which Vhonte had already deemed unlikely given the droids had continued to advance as the Gungans withdrew, was for the Federation to turn and leave the field of battle. If they did decide to withdraw, then they'd have done so already as reports of battle in Theed must've reached the controllers in the vessels in orbit.

The third option and the one Phase Eight was designed for, was for them to keep advancing toward the trees. While there was a lack of logic in pressing an attack toward a clear defensive position, the sheer numbers the droids had, along with their orders seemingly being to destroy the Gungan army, meant it was the probable next step the Federation would take. And the one Phase Eight, and the various delegations of firepower Dun Marod had suggested, was designed for.

A predatory smile came to her lips as her HUD reported the front rank of droids advancing. That was corroborated by reports through the Battlenet from other locations of the Federation Army moving forward. Behind the front lines, tanks lifted their barrels and, as Dun had expected, fired deeper into the forest.

While their bolts destroyed trees when struck, it revealed the domes of the shields the Gungans had in place, and the tanks soon relented their assault. Sections of destroyed trees fell through the shields, showing their weakness to slow-moving objects. While a handful of Gungan positions inside the forest were destroyed by large sections of trees raining down, none struck a fambaas or a shield generator, removing one concern of this lull in battle that Vhonte held.

The Battlenet reported the edges of the droid army moving out, to flank the shields. Just as expected. Vhonte's smile turned dangerous as the bulk of the droid forces resumed their march forward, trickling over the Tracyn Briik. A quick check with unit commanders confirmed all primary and secondary targets were marked, awaiting her order to commence the battle. Shifting slightly, Vhonte lined her rifle up with the droid that was issuing – or relaying at least – the orders for the army.

Slow, rhythmic breathing was all Vhonte heard as her scope remained zeroed on her opposite number among the droids. She watched, still disbelieving that, with the connected network that must exist between the droids, the need for verbal relaying of orders was needed. Mando'ade hadn't been fighting like that since before the time of Te Kandosii Mand'alor four thousand years ago, yet the Federation, in a frankly di'kut display of intelligence, had decided their droid army needed to have orders relayed verbally.

Through the Battlenet she had complete access to every connected warrior on the battlefield, along with those in Theed – who were currently engaged heavily throughout the city while Naz Vizsla escorted Amidala toward the palace – yet the droids didn't, failing to use an inbuilt advantage they had. That made it another flaw in the Federation's doctrine that Vhonte and others were exploiting.

In one corner of her HUD, a number slowly rose, indicating the percentage of the lead element that had crossed the Fire Line. Thirty per cent soon became thirty-five, and then forty per cent. At the same time, a counter beside that slowly dropped, indicating how close the vanguard of the droid forces was from entering the forest.

At fifty per cent of the element having crossed the Tracyn Briik, they were ten metres from the forest. Gungans and others stood ready, at least five metres inside the treeline, ready to strike on her command. In various points, high in trees and using other natural elevated locations, snipers looked down their scopes, their spotters marking out the next set of targets. Those with rockets stood ready to unleash their first volley, striking the tanks in the lead element while Dun would have his finger over the trigger to show why the marker was termed the Fire Line.

Fifty-two per cent crossed the Fire Line, and they were eight metres out.

Fifty-five per cent, and six metres.

Fifty-eight and three metres.

Sixty per cent and one metre.

"Phase Eight," Vhonte said into the Battlenet as she squeezed the trigger of her rifle.

The bolt flew from the forest, travelling ten kilometres to strike the droid commander squarely in the chest. As the frame slumped into the tank, the field between the lead and second elements of the Federation army exploded. A wedge of earth, encircling the lead element, was torn from the ground. Those droids and tanks caught on the line were eviscerated, sections of tanks flying outward, striking nearby allies as everything along the line was engulfed in flame.

A second and then third bolt from her rifle targeted other command droids, joined by fire from other snipers. Rockets slammed into the lead element's tanks, depriving the now cut-off group of most of their fire support. Rockets then slammed into the second element's tanks; arcs of blue and white cascading across the hulls of the tanks as their systems failed and they crashed into the ground.

Not given a chance to process what was happening, large boombas from the Gungans slammed into the ground, spitting waves of blue plasma that fried the systems of any technology caught in their explosive radius.

As chaos fell on the droid forces, Vhonte sent signals through the Battlenet. The first was for fire to concentrate on any remaining active tanks in the lead element. If those broke into the forest and slipped through the shields, they could wreak havoc on the Allied forces. The second signal was to two groups of twenty warriors codenamed Galaar element.

… …

(Dun Marod's POV)
Dun Marod allowed himself to smile as the speeder he was on shot out of the forest. Two more speeders emerged just behind, and as he received confirmation that Validus' speeders were also moving, he chuckled. He might not be able to feel the wind on his face as they raced out of cover, surging toward the Federation's lines, but for the first time since the civil war, Dun felt alive.

As much as he enjoyed training new generations of warriors, he missed the battlefield, and the chance, perhaps, to die a death worthy of a warrior. Now, while he'd have preferred his return to battle hadn't occurred with another civil war for his people – the fourth in his lifetime, and sixth in the last century – he'd been content to die then.

However, it seemed his fate wasn't to die at the hands of a fellow Mando'ade, for which Dun was relieved. His people should be fighting others, proving their worth against sentients across the galaxy and reminding everyone of the might of the Mandalorians; not fighting over the scraps left behind after over a millennium of fragmented rule.

Dun didn't expect to die today; there was no honour in falling to such droids. The only advantage the Federation Army had was superior numbers, but as any good warrior knew, such an advantage was only critical when the commander was sufficiently skilled. The battledroids were designed to enforce Federation dictates, not fight major battles over planets.

That fact had been proven as the droids continued to advance on the Gungans, not once deviating majorly from their programming, which showed their controllers weren't skilled in warfare; something that Vhonte and he had designed their battleplan to take advantage of.

The Fire Line had destroyed close to Dun's highest projections, and severed the Federation Army in half, with that front element being pounded from fire inside the forest. Other Mando'ade, along with the handful of Lokella'ade that understood heavy ordinance were targeting the second element, destroying or (preferably) disabling every tank there while turning the droids to slag.

The Gungan boombas were remarkably useful for this. While the smaller hand-held balls were only capable of taking out unshielded droids, those launched from their catapults would disable a tank if they struck cleanly. Haran, even a partial strike was shutting down dozens of systems in the repulsor-lifted platforms.

As they neared the rear transports, Dun opened fire. Those with him in the skimmer, and those in the others did likewise. Droids were taken out with ease, while tanks were targeted with every piece of ion weaponry available. It had taken some work, but with support from Vhonte Tervho, Cameron Shan and Osto Ordo, Dun had convinced other Mando'ade to share their ion weaponry with the Lokella'ade; with the promise of reimbursement for any piece of ordinance used. That was going to cost Cameron Shan significantly as the Fire Line had taken most of the heavy explosives brought to the planet, but, as the transports began to turn, hoping to retreat, and the ion fire shifted to them, the purpose of sharing around the weaponry became apparent.

Attempting to take most of the tanks and transports intact was a brave call, but the thinking had been of the reward doing so would bring. The Federation would have to pay to recover each vehicle, and if they didn't others in the galaxy surely would. While the credits each warrior was getting from Cameron Shan for this battle were worth the effort, none would turn down the chance at a larger score, not even Dun who had little personal use for a large credit haul. Save perhaps, upgrading the weaponry of his armour.

As the first transports lost power and dug into the green fields, Dun examined the Battlenet. The front droid element was rapidly falling with the Gungan artillery shifting focus to the second element. There, smaller, secondary explosions had ripped through the formations of tanks, depriving them of fire support from each other, making them easy targets for those targeting them.

As another droid fell due to Dun's blaster, he allowed himself a small smile. While the droids were unworthy of being considered a worthwhile enemy, seeing so many disparaging forces ally together under a unified command lifted some of the melancholy that had held Dun's heart for decades. He didn't know if this alliance would last past the liberation of Naboo, but seeing so many Mandalorians from across the stars rally under a single banner was something he had long thought impossible.

However, if the chance again came to fight in such an alliance, Dun would be the first in line. While the Lokella'ade and the Gungans weren't Mando'ade, they were warriors. Haran, even the Naboo were proving that beneath their belief in peace and discussion if they had to, they would fight to protect what they held dear.

While the skimmer he was on slipped between the droid lines, those onboard targeting every droid and transport as they could, Dun wondered if the offer to train the Lokella was still valid. They fought for a worthy cause and working with them might bring Dun the chance to die in a battle worthy of his skill.

… …

… …

(Cam's POV)
I barely suppressed a scowl of annoyance as I slipped under the powerful – but to me – slow attack of a vibroblade. The lizard that didn't know he was nothing more than a pair of walking boots attacking me was the last of the squad I'd run into. Yet even as I cut down his companions, more mercenaries had emerged, including the return of the snipers from earlier.

While the incoming fire wasn't able to wound me, there was still a kinetic element to the bolts. Something that was proven when I stumbled as a sniper's bolt caught my shoulder. I'd been occupied removing the head of a Weequay and knew the armour could tank the blow, however, I had forgotten about the effect getting hit would have. Once I'd recovered from stumbling with a slight adjustment, I'd launched the Weequay's head toward the sniper dumb enough to hit me.

Watching the grey-skinned female duck before the head exploded inside the room she was using for cover had brought a smile to my face even as I ended the life of another annoying lizard. My lightsaber flicked out, deflecting another bolt back to its source even as I thrust my beskad forward with a passing step, grinning at the look of realization in the lizard's eyes I stepped past, ripping my blade through to send his steaming guts splattering to the floor as he tried in vain to hold them in.

Turning even as the walking belt fell to its knees, my lightsaber removing a hand that tried desperately to grasp at me, I moved forward. The HUD let me know the locations of the snipers – the grey-skinned lady having shifted rooms while I'd been finishing off the Trandoshan – and I raised my beskad, extending two fingers.

Bolts flew toward me as I walked forward in the square, though they never made it to me, slamming into the Force Barrier I'd raised to cover myself. Already the warriors with me were targeting the snipers as the last of the nearby mercenaries fell. I took a step forward, readying myself to rush to where Drallig and Serra were engaging Maul.

Fear rushed through the Force, knocking the air from my lungs and I fell to a knee as my barrier faltered.

"Serra."

Bolts slammed into the ground around me as my focus slipped and the Force Barrier fell as I understood where the rush of pain had come from.

One bolt crashed into my helmet, jerking my thoughts back to my location. With the rage I kept buried inside rising, demanding I strike back at those attacking me and my loved ones, I looked to where the bolt had come from. Snarling under my helmet, I extended my arm and clenched my fist.

The section of the building the sniper had been in imploded as I crushed it with the Force; the sniper inside had no chance to escape as the walls around him pulverised his body.

I blinked as I released my hold on the building and watched the debris tumble down what remained of the three-story building. Serra had been hurt, though not critically, and in that instant when I'd felt her pain, I'd lashed out. I'd regained control quickly afterwards, but it was a concern at how easily I could still lose control.

I'd done the same as what had happened with Vosa, and when Fay fell against the Vong, even though I thought I'd gotten a handle on my rage. Yes, I hadn't released it into the Force as a Jedi was meant to, but doing that was difficult when I remembered everything that had happened to me vividly. It was why I'd yet to even enter the same room as Vosa.

I had thought I'd gained control over that rage, to harness it only when I wanted, yet in an instant, when someone I cared deeply for had been hurt, I'd lost my focus. Though I didn't regret what I'd done to the sniper.

Refocusing on the battle around me. Time moved slowly as the Force Enhanced me; letting me watch bolts crawl forward. Stepped forward, I moved away from another sniper's bolt. That sentient and the droid squad that was emerging into the square to engage us were no longer my concern.

Maul was on the battlefield.

A second droid squad appeared this time directly in the direction I was going. I was among them before they could process it, my lightsaber craving its way through half of them in the time it took one to mutter a concerned "uh-oh."

I rushed past the remaining droids without bothering to finish them off. They weren't my target. Maul w…

My thoughts were rattled as the ground around me exploded and I was sent tumbling.

My helmet slammed into a wall, though the systems inside prevented me from getting concussed even as I shook it to clear the cobwebs. The HUD revealed I'd run directly into a unit consisting of two tanks and a dozen droids. They were likely moving toward the squad I'd left behind in my race to reach Serra and Maul.

I pushed myself to my feet, only to stagger as pain slammed into my gut, doubling me over.

Understanding Serra was hurt, perhaps fatally, I felt my control slip, and as I recovered and looked toward where the tanks were, I extended an arm. Brilliant crimson lightning, twisted and fuelled by my rage at Serra's pain, surged from my fingertips. Any droid caught in the fury's path was fried, falling to the ground in a blackened mess as the lightning slammed into the first tank.

The vehicle shuddered, sparks erupting across its frame before smoke slipped from the seals, and it fell to the ground.

The other tank fired, forcing me to shift focus. My palm opened, and the shell fired at me exploded, engulfing the barrier I'd generated in pulsating flames. As the flames receded, the few remaining droids with the tank paused, and while they couldn't see it, I smirked.

Focusing my anger, reining in my rage, I surged forward.

Another round exited the barrel of the tank.

A faint flick with my free hand forced the explosive downward. The round slammed into the ground, detonating as I leapt, the Force boosting my height far above the explosive shockwave that devastated the few remaining droids.

Surging over the peak of the shockwave, I bore down on the tank. My blade sunk through the barrel and embedded itself in the hull. Growling, I used both hands and wrenched the hilt to one side, leaving a deep, super-heated wound in the tank's hull. The sounds of the droids inside reached the armour's microphones even as I leapt again.

Landing behind the tank, I reached back with one hand and tore the hatch from its hinges. A thrust of my arm then sent a Force Blast inside the tank, shattering the droids and controls.

As the machine shuddered and then crashed to the ground – its repulsor-lifts failing – I turned. The Force propelled me forward as the tank exploded.

Somewhere just ahead, Maul was fighting Drallig. Serra was injured, but alive, which was perhaps the only reason I retained control of my rage. As the seconds ticked down until I reached my target, I did what I could to focus my anger, to not allow it to dominate me.

Around me, around Theed, the Force was flaring wildly. Whatever I was rushing to was, I understood clearly, a pivotal moment in the direction the galaxy would take. I'd changed the timeline enough that, if I didn't defeat Maul, then the original future was lost. That everything I'd done to prevent that future from coming to pass would be for nothing.

… …

… …

(Asta Ordo's POV)
While she understood the need for patience, after over a week of being forced to deal with the Neimoidian crew of the Saak'ak, Asta was fast approaching the end of what patience she had. It wasn't necessarily that the Neimoidians were snivelling, cowardly osik that would do whatever they were told for fear of their lives being threatened, or that they refused to even consider resisting. More it was that she knew a battle was raging below, but that it wasn't time yet for her and the warriors with her to do their part.

They'd heard the reports of the droids moving to meet the assembled Gungan army – which had been a surprise as the locals had managed to assemble nearly twenty thousand warriors – but since then, information had slowed to a trickle. She could see the plan being used by those on the surface but hadn't commented beyond ordering Captain Dofine to not send orders to alter the droid's instructions.

Dofine was perhaps the only Neimoidian that Asta didn't hate spending time around. That was because, unlike his crew, he appeared to have a backbone. Or at least enough of one to glare at her or whoever was keeping watch on the bridge when orders were given. The rest of the crew simply cowered and complied, sapping much of Asta's enjoyment of her new command.

The only ones onboard who hadn't accepted the new chain of command had been the remaining mercenaries. Those brief insurrections were handled appropriately, and having the crew place the bodies into the onboard incinerators ensured they remained docile. Asta knew that the Naboo, the Jetii, and the Tsad Droten might have issues with the summary execution and burning of captured combatants, but Mandalorians didn't. Leaving alive those who could be a threat in an active warzone was jare'la.

Yet, news of her actions here would reach the Naboo, the Jetii, and possibly even the Tsad Droten. However, the only reactions she was curious to see were those of Shan and Keto. While Keto's opinion was less important than Shan's, not least as she'd submitted to her Jedi Master's orders to not wear her helm, she was the first Jetii to become a Mandalorian in centuries. Shan's reaction though would go some way to determining if his path remained with the Jetii or if he would fully embrace the Resol'nare.

A beeping from the droid control station drew her focus back to the present, and she offered a silent prayer to the ancient gods that they could finally do something.

"Reports coming in from the army," the Neimoidian at the station began, a threat of panic in their voice. "Gungans have detonated a large section of the plains. Ten per cent of the army lost. The army is split by the explosions. Command and control failing."

Dofine had turned as the report came in, fixing Asta with an intense glare that might've concerned Asta if she'd been an adiik. "I assume this is the work of your people?"

"Fire coming from the forest," the control officer continued, stopping Asta from responding quickly. "Gungan and standard blaster fire."

Asta shrugged once the control officer was seemingly finished. "I honestly couldn't tell you if I wanted," she finally responded to Dofine, giving the Neimoidian a wide, shit-eating grin. When the reports of the Gungans marching out onto the plain had filtered in, she'd spoken with Kal and Baston. Kal, who was holding the power core, had detailed the basic plan he would work with. Baston, who was overseeing the transferral of the Saak'ak's computer core to transportable drives, had chimed with other suggestions. So far, everything that had been reported was in line with what they had expected.

"Reports of tanks and droids being disabled. Speeders assaulting the transports."

Asta grinned at the latest report, knowing it may well have cost her several casks of ne'tra gal with Kal as the veteran warrior had suspected Vhonte would push to capture as much of the Federation's army as possible. Asta had expected them not to pursue it simply because of the increased risk, but given many of the warriors on the planet below were fighting for credits and not for House Ordo, House Kryze, or a personal connection to Cameron Shan, she wasn't surprised to lose the bet.

Not long after taking the vessel, Asta had spent time reviewing why the Federation had targeted Naboo. The Naboo themselves were, to Asta's disgust, naak lovers. Yet, unlike the di'kute in their domed cities who claimed to be Mando'ade but were little better than osik-beetles clinging to the rear of the Tsad Droten, the Naboo had a backbone. They, led by a queen barely older than one who'd completed their verd'goten, were fighting for their home. That was worthy of respect.

The information the Federation had on the Gungans was exceedingly limited, dismissing them as primitives barely worth the cost of tibanna to exterminate them. As the droid army struggled to engage a Gungan army a tenth its size, it seemed that the report was – at least for Asta – amusingly lacking.

Watching the droids be led around like an adiik by their parent was enjoyable. It was made better by the fact that Dofine could see what was happening, but she prevented him from relaying new commands to the droids. To make sure the officer at the control station wasn't going to try anything, Nia Vizsla had her blaster pointed at the back of the Neimoidian's head. Given the original officer had tried to do that not long after the Saak'ak was captured, which resulted in their skull being split by a beskad from behind, and that their blood still marked the console, it was hardly surprising the current officer was only doing what they had to.

"However, it does sound like more than the work of just the Gungans," she said to Dofine, enjoying sticking the blade into his anger at not being able to do anything about the disaster for the Federation unfolding below. Of course, once she'd learnt about the transports lifting off from the capital, Theed, and other settlements, and what – or more accurately who – was onboard, she was going to take any chance she could to goad the Neimoidians.

"What other dastardly actions have you lot got planned?"

Asta's smile grew, and she leaned forward. "Nothing the likes of what you were doing. I hadn't realised that the Federation was so short of credits they needed to loot a planet and sell the inhabitants into slavery." Dofine looked away, suggesting he was unwilling to defend his actions, though that might be Asta misreading the alien.

When the first new transports had come up from the surface, Asta had ensured they were diverted to the Saak'ak. The Naboo and Gungans were fighting for their freedom, and when they won, they deserved to return to their cities and not find them looted by the Federation. Yet, when those transports had arrived onboard full of citizens from the planet below, it had taken considerable effort for her not to exterminate every Neimoidian onboard. And to ensure her warriors didn't do likewise.

Moving the understandably confused and scared Naboo, including children under ten, to comfortable quarters, and ensuring they were fed and treated by the vessel's medical droids had stemmed some of that anger. Though Asta had promised the others that, once the planet was free, the crew of the Saak'ak would answer for their crimes.

Dofine held her gaze for a moment before turning back to the viewscreen. Asta watched his fingers twitch, the anger at being unable to do anything on what had formerly been his vessel easy to see. Sensing the moment would soon be at hand, she slipped her helmet on, relieved to be back in the sealed protection of the armour and away from the odd smell of the Neimoidians.

With the battles in Theed and on the plains underway, it wouldn't be long until their phase of the liberation of Naboo could begin. Somewhere in the system, close to the planet and running silent was a small, modified cargo hauler. The pilot, a freelance hunter - of both bounties and big game - was waiting for a signal from her or the Naboo pilots. Once received, he'd relay it to the fleet. Currently, they should be at the very edge of the system. The hyperspace coordinates were fed to them by the gunships that had helped sell that the Naboo Royal Cruiser had carried Queen Amidala and not her and her warriors.

If all had gone to plan, then Torrhen and Adonai would be with them. Throughout the last civil war, engineers from both Clans had been working to bring long-mothballed warships online. However, Anzur Varaud had surrendered, giving over control of most of the factories and foundries under his house's control before the largest of those warships could be readied. Meanwhile, the accursed Kyr'tsad had been crushed.

Now, Asta knew that members and sympathisers of Kyr'tsad remained. However, with their bases slagged, their resources taken, and any ships they held destroyed or stripped for parts, no trace of their operations remained within Mandalorian space. If any wished to still follow their twisted ideals, they had been declared aruetiise by Torrhen, Adonai and Anzur Varaud.

Yet, even if the group were gone, Asta remained concerned they might return. While Adonai trusted Pre Vizsla, and Torrhen was accepting that Pre had not followed in his family's past, Asta couldn't bring herself to let go of her worries about the head of Clan Vizsla. Yes, he had proven himself in battle several times over, even saving her life during a skirmish on Hrthging, but his brother had founded Kyr'tsad, and it was the symbol of their house – the Darksaber – that was used as the rallying sigil of Kyr'tsad. Until that blade was found, and then crushed in the forges, she could never truly accept the group was gone, nor that Pre wasn't in some way involved with them.

"Captain! We've got reports of fighters launching from Theed!" The panic in the officer's tone sickened Asta, but knowing that her call to arms was almost here, she sent an alert through the Battlenet. Confirmation came in from Kal, Baston and the other team commanders scattered throughout the ship.

Dofine glanced at her, wondering what she knew of the intent of these fighters. "Flight vectors?" He asked the sensor officer. As Dofine spoke, Asta sent a command to Baston. The signal to the fleet was away and now it was just a matter of time until they arrived and ended their façade.

"Four banking toward the battle on the plains. The remaining sixteen are rising. Computer predicts an eighty-five per cent chance they are moving to engage us."

At this Dofine turned to her, making her chuckle. She could tell how much he wanted to launch the alert Vulture droids and order the trio of Lucrehulks to move, but he understood that, if he wished to continue breathing, such a command had to come from her.

The Federation's databanks had held specifications of the Naboo fighters, and while they were designed for form over function, from what Asta had learnt from those files, the Naboo fighters were still capable. While not as heavily armed as she would like, or as shielded, they were fast and nimble. Yet against the sheer number of Vulture droids even one Lucrehulk could launch, twenty fighters didn't stand a chance. And that was before considering the shields and firepower that each Lucrehulk had as supposedly unarmed cargo haulers.

"Well?" She said with a smile that Dofine couldn't see. "Aren't you going to launch defence fighters?"

Dofine held her gaze, wondering what exactly she was up to. Regardless of whether he determined anything or not, he soon turned to the sensor officer. "Hox, bring us closer to the planet and order the Vuutun Palaa and the Luuhan to move back to maximum control range. Nirtam, divert active squadrons to defend the fleet and launch alert fighters from all vessels to assist. Dremon, plotting firing solutions on the Gungan forces. Itab, if a need arises, assume control of planetary droid forces if the other vessels report connection difficulties from moving to higher orbits."

"I would suggest only assuming control of droids in the other cities," Asta offered. Dofine looked at her, wondering about her reasoning for helping. "With the fighting going on across the planet, it would make tactical sense to take control of the less critical ones, allowing the other vessels to focus on Theed and the battle with the Gungans." She moved forward, placing a hand on the back of Dofine's chair. "Unless, of course, you wish to focus your attention on protecting the Viceroy, in which case, assume control of the droids in Theed."

Truthfully, it was better if the Saak'ak maintained control of droids across the planet for what was to come. However, Dofine was intelligent enough to see through her logic there and would do the opposite, thus she gave him the more tactically prudent suggestion. How he responded was up to him.

The Neimoidian held her gaze, trying to determine her motives, which was another small mark in his favour. It wouldn't save him from the Reckoning coming for helping in the invasion of Naboo, the looting of its treasures and helping with selling the people into slavery, but it was something to count in his favour.

"You heard her," Dofine spat out as he continued to glare at her.

As the crew took on her advice, Asta laughed. While she couldn't feel the massive vessel move, a report from Kal stating more energy was being drawn from the power cores confirmed it. She let him know this was intended and to be ready to execute the next phase of the plan.

With little to do until the fleet arrived, Asta used the Battlenet to access datafeed from the lead squadron of Vulture droids under the control of the Saak'ak. Like most Mando'ade, she disliked droids, finding them an unworthy substitute for true warriors. The only droids safe from that determination were the basilisks of legend – though perhaps not for much longer – and the akaan beskar'ad of Naast be Me'suum that Cameron Shan had recently brought back online with help from Bo-Katan Kryze. That droid was one feared and respected by all Mando'ade, though each time she considered Cameron and Bo-Katan, she wondered when the pair might seal their relationship and unite their clans.

That was a matter for another time though, and as she watched the datafeed from the Vulture droids, she found some grudging respect for their designer. They were fast, agile, well-armed and shielded and moved in swarms that would overwhelm most fighters any species in the galaxy might deploy. Yet, as she watched, even massively outnumbered, the Naboo fighters were not only holding their own but inflicting damage on the Vultures at a three-to-one ratio.

While that was impressive, the Naboo were outnumbered close to twenty-to-one, and that was before the support wave of vultures reached them. Though she could admire their determination to fight and die for their home, their freedom. It proved the choice of Houses Ordo and Kryze to answer Clan Shan's call to arms was the correct one.

The Neimoidians were enjoying watching the Naboo die in what they regarded as a pitiful attempt to attack the Lucrehulks. Asta, however, watched stoically, her armour recording the face of every Naboo pilot who died. While she didn't know if the Naboo would return to their path of peace once they were free, on this day, they showed that, even if they had failed to prevent their planet from being invaded, they would fight to free it. That inside them beat the hearts of warriors. When the day was over, and the battle decided, their names would be remembered by all.

As she watched another Naboo fall in defence of their home, Asta considered their young leader. Queen Amidala had pleaded her case to the Tsad Droten, yet they had ignored her. Bending, instead, to the demands of the very group responsible for invading her world. While that had forced Chancellor Valorum from power, it had also lit a spark in Amidala.

Returning to fight for her people had inspired others to do likewise. Yes, most of the Mando'ade who had answered the call did so for credits. Amidala's speech to the assembled fleet before they had departed for the planet showed the fire within her, and Kal had remarked that while a politician, she had the heart of a warrior. Something that her people were showing they, too, possessed.

"Acquire firing solutions on the battle on the plains."

"Belay that," Asta snapped, her hand gripping the hilt of her beskad on the chance the weapons officer tried to enact it. She relaxed slightly as she saw Hox jam the muzzle of his rifle into the back of the Neimoidian Weapon's officer's skull. A squeak of terror escaped the Neimoidian and Asta grunted in annoyance at such weakness. "Just because I've let you deal with a false threat doesn't mean I'm going to let you do anything more."

Dofine blinked. "False threat?" she leaned forward, removing her beskad from its mounting at her side. "What have you done?" He asked as the blade caught his eye.

"Captain! Vessels dropping out of hyperspace near the planet's moon!"

Dofine's attention snapped to the viewscreen. "Display!"

Asta walked behind his chair, dragging her blade along the edge, letting the scrapping of metal-on-metal echo around the bridge. While it affected the Neimoidians, her warriors were all inside their armour, the sound muted and seen as little more than a hint of the carnage to come. As the screen shifted from images of the minor fighter engagement to display the arriving fleet, a smile that would've stopped the hearts of several of the Neimoidians came to Asta's face.

At the same time, every Neimoidian on the bridge – and throughout the ship – who wasn't either a senior officer – and thus carried ransom value – or important, died. Their bodies scorched as her warriors executed them and took true control of the Saak'ak.

"What is the meaning of this?" Dofine screeched as he leapt from his chair. "Ho…" his words died as Asta moved forward, the hilt of her beskad slamming into his skull. At the same time, the other senior officers were stunned or rendered unconscious similar to their captain.

She watched his body slump, the arm cracking as it caught and twisted awkwardly. The HUD confirmed it was broken but otherwise, the prisoner was alive. "Finally," she muttered to herself. Moving forward, she pushed Dofine away and eased herself into the command chair. It wasn't a wonderful fit, being designed for Neimoidians, but at least the ruse was over and true command of the mighty vessel was hers.

"Status?" she asked through the local Battlenet.

"Control of the vessel's droids confirmed," Nia Vizsla reported as she sat at the droid control station. "Awaiting your signal."

"Helm ready."

"Weapons primed, awaiting firing solutions."

The reports from Hox Brahl and Mun Xath confirmed the bridge was theirs. Reports team commanders confirmed the rest of the ship was secured, with all organic crew dead or incapacitated. "Open a channel to the Ne'tra Tal'ade," she said, the large command vessel at the centre of the combined fleet, a relic of a bygone era but still a terror of the battlefield, dwarfing those around it.

The display shifted, half showing the approaching fleet while the other showed her the command deck of the Black Blood Warrior. "Riduur, Adonai," she said to the two figures shown on the Ne'tra Tal'ade's bridge, her voice carried by the external speakers of her armour.

"Riduur. I assume the vessel is secure?" Torrhen asked with a slight smile. Neither he nor Adonai currently wore their helmets. From the way they stood, however, she could tell each had them under their arm.

"It is, along with any crew of value and those the Federation had taken from the planet."

Adonai growled. "What?"

"It seems that to recoup costs, the Federation was not only looting Naboo but selling the people into slavery." Both men bristled at the statement, their anger at the actions of the Trade Federation easy to see. "While we couldn't stop those sold before our arrival, nearly two thousand Naboo and Gungans are onboard."

"Do they know your vessel will soon go into battle?"

"Yes husband, they do," Asta replied, rolling her eyes at Torrhen; not that he could see the gesture. While Torrhen was a great warrior and an even worthier mate, he had a gentle heart and tried to protect those in danger when he could. "Many have chosen to help us man this vessel, and are now following the commands of my warriors."

"While we're pleased to hear that, perhaps we might keep discussions about their fate, and that of any prisoners you have, until after the battle," Adonai suggested. "What forces do you command?"

"This Lucrehulk was designed as a command vessel. While she has limited control of the droids below, over four hundred Vulture droids are at my fingertips. Along with firepower that likely breaks the Tsad Droten laws."

Adonai laughed. "That will be something I'm sure Alor Cameron and Queen Amidala will enjoy throwing in the face of the Senate. Assisted, I suspect by the new Chancellor: Sheev Palpatine of Naboo." Asta's brow rose. When the Senator for Naboo hadn't returned with Amidala, she had considered him a coward. However, it seemed he had used the chaos to become the new leader of the Tsad Droten. Not the actions of a warrior, but one of a shrewd politician. Asta would be wary of the man if she ever met him.

"The Saak'ak is ready for battle," she said, shifting the topic back to a relevant matter.

"Then let the battle commence." The signal from the Ne'tra Tal'ade ceased, returning the display to that of the approaching allied fleet.

"All stations, execute," Asta said through the Battlenet.

With full control of the Saak'ak her HUD reported the ship slowly turning, bringing her arsenal to bear on the other Lucrehulk. The droids under her command suddenly began turning on those around them. She knew that on the planet below, that might not matter and wouldn't save the droids from destruction, but in space, watching Vulture droids suddenly shift from targeting Naboo fighters to other droids, was a glorious sight.

However, a moment later, it was replaced by another.

The main cannons of the Ne'tra Tal'ade opened fire, slamming their power into the shields of the Vuutun Palaa. As the captains of the other Lucrehulks called out for orders from Dofine, the Mando'ade dreadnought pushed forward. Around it, the fleet added their firepower, swatting aside wings of vulture droids.

Asta allowed herself an amused smile as her HUD reported the Saak'ak's batteries opening fire.

For the first time since the Dral'Han, the galaxy would be reminded of the might of the Mandalorians, and the power of a dreadnought built by them.

… …

… …

(Serra's POV)
With a groan, Serra lifted a hand to her head. It was hard to focus and there was a ringing in her ears. Yet, all that failed to matter as her vision cleared and she saw lightsabers clashing not far from her. Green whirled around, engaging a far longer blade of red and she blinked, her mind refocusing as she realised her Master was engaging the Sith.

Wiping her forehead and eyes, she stood slowly, ignoring the blood on her sleeve as she watched the Sith. She'd known he was Sith before she'd arrived on Naboo, known that if she didn't do something, Cam would die to the Zabrak's blade. The visions the Force had granted her had been clear in that. Yet, she'd not expected her Master to chase after her; or at least, not arrive here before she and others could help Cam defeat the Sith.

She knew her feelings toward him, and others like Bo, were stretching the Jedi code, but Serra knew that Cam was important. There was a darkness growing in the galaxy, a fact proven by her Master currently engaging what may well be the first Sith seen in a millennium. Serra wasn't sure if Cam was the one who'd bring light to the galaxy, but she knew he was important to prevent darkness from swallowing every flicker of light.

Now, Serra didn't place any focus on the dealings of the Senate, or indeed the wider Republic, but she knew enough to see that there were big problems. Potentially ones so massive that repairing them before the darkness engulfed the galaxy might be impossible. If that was the case, then Serra knew that order and peace would need to be restored. While she felt she had a role to play in that, she knew Cam had a greater role.

Her visions of the future, of which she'd spoken to no one as she didn't know who to trust with them, showed her at his side. Perhaps not as close as others, and if that was the case she could accept it, for the greater good. However, Cam and another – a Human with blond hair if her visions were accurate – were critical to saving everything.

Serra understood that visions couldn't be entirely trusted, but she felt that within what she was being allowed to glimpse were paths the Force wanted the galaxy to take. That Cam had to survive Naboo. Which was why, as her Master forced the Sith back with a move she'd never seen before, she was glad he was here.

Without Master Drallig, she would already be dead, and Cam would probably also die at the Sith's blade. However, it was also clear that the Sith was challenging her Master, the Order's Battlemaster. While she wasn't sure if or how she could help, she wouldn't stand by and do nothing.

Using the wall behind her to steady herself, she stood and reached out a hand to summon her remaining blade. The shoto blade had been destroyed before she'd been knocked back, and without it, she felt as if a piece of her had been lost. She could still sense the crystal, so once the Sith was defeated, she would recover that and rebuild the hilt, but not having it in her hand, not feeling the Force flow through her and the blade as they moved as one, left her empty. Until then, she'd have to adapt and use her remaining blade, which had been closer to her Master than her when she'd recovered.

Once upright, and as her Master blocked a flurry of blows from the Sith, Serra called the Force for aid, allowing it to heal and numb her wounds. The speed at which Master Drallig and the Sith were duelling was impressive, flickering in and out of her ability to track

She felt she could make a difference, but she had to pick her moment to re-engage, otherwise, it would only lead to her and her Master falling, leaving Cam alone to face the Sith.

If Master Drallig could sense her thoughts now or was able to focus on them, she suspected he would be pleased. When he'd first taken her as his Padawan – one of Serra's proudest days – he'd spoken of her greatest failing; that of rushing in without thinking, without analysing a situation. She knew she still did that, particularly where her friends were concerned, but she felt she'd improved greatly at tempering that failing in herself. Master Drallig had spotted her improvement as well, commenting on it regularly after their spars. Now, she still lost to him, as was to be expected of any Padawan or young Knight, but she felt she would be able to push him within the next few years. As Master Drallig said, her heart was in the right place, but she needed to temper that desire, that emotional failing, to rush in with wisdom. To place herself under the will of the Force and allow it to guide her as needed.

Taking that moment to centre herself, she understood fully that the fight she was about to rejoin was beyond her. Perhaps it might even cost her life, but it was the right thing to do. That the Force wanted her here, at her Master's side, to engage the Sith. As Master Drallig moved back, avoiding a strike from one side of the Sith's double-bladed lightsaber, she waited and watched, seeking the moment the Force wished her to return to the fray.

Cam was approaching, and she could sense the rage in him. Part of her was delighted that the rage he displayed, which echoed out in the Force, was because he'd sensed her in danger. However, the way he seemed to not release that anger, that fury; instead drawing on it concerned her. Years ago, he had taught her that emotions could help a Force user, but she'd been uncertain of those lessons for a while. Yes, emotions like love and joy could empower a Jedi, but the risk of sensing one you cared about could easily lead to passion, anger, and rage. As she sensed in Cam.

Perhaps it was that danger, that difference about him, that had drawn her to him. That had allowed them to become friends and more. Yet, she couldn't help but fear what it could lead to if he failed to control his emotions. She would do what she could to guide him, to help him learn, but she understood and accepted that perhaps he never would fully gain control over his emotions. And that, whatever the future brought, they were tied together in the Force.

Sensing movement in the Force, she let the second of reflection pass and moved forward. Soon Cam would arrive, and with her and her Master, he would defeat the Sith. All she had to do was survive until he arrived, and then ensure he emerged victorious from the battle.

With the Force on her side, she moved forward, sensing her moment. The Zabrak had its back turned, focused on the rapid, flowing strikes her Master was unleashing. Her lightsaber ignited as she drew the Force into her, and called upon it for aid.

As time seemed to slow, as she was able to see individual flakes of dust seeming to hover in the air, the blades of the pair she was rushing toward moved in a blur. Master Drallig was attacking with controlled aggression, his blade seemingly being in three places at once. Yet the Sith was matching his attacks, almost dismissively so.

She almost stumbled as the Force shifted around them, as the Sith bent it to its will, and turned her Master's attacks back on him. While she closed in the pair, and Master Drallig gave his all to block the Sith's renewed furious attacks, Serra sensed something in the Force. Something dangerous, powerful, and familiar. Somewhere there, or perhaps deep within herself, a whisper told, almost demanded, that she take control of the Force. If she wished to save those she cared for, she had to use her power to defeat the Sith.

Leaping into the air, her blade rising high, she ignored the call of the Dark Side. It wouldn't, it couldn't grant her what it promised. Her leap reached its arc, and as the blades of the two other Force users clashed ferociously, she fell: her blade aiming for the Sith's skull.

However, as she neared, the Sith sensed her approach and turned. One of its blades blocked her strike, and it grinned at her. As her feet touched the ground, she understood that the Sith was unimpressed with her attack and that he was stronger than her.

Drawing on lessons with Master Ti, she slid back, letting the Sith's strength guide her in a way she wished. Like with Cam, she understood she'd never match the Zabrak in strength – and perhaps raw power – but instead had to rely on her other attributes. To flow and move with grace and speed, to slide around a larger, stronger, more dangerous opponent.

In the milliseconds that had passed since she landed, she moved. Her body shifted to one side, using the Sith's aggression to turn her even as her blade slid down the Sith's: aiming for his hilt. The Zabrak turned its wrist, avoiding her attack and flowing into one of its own; yet she was ready. With the Force flowing through her, guiding her, she leaned back.

Her vision turned red for a fraction of a second as the Sith's blade swooped overhead. Flickers of plasma in the blade were clear to her as it passed by, but a few stray ends of her hair burnt was all the damage the attack inflicted. Even as the Sith's blade passed over her, her blade was moving, coming up and around and the Sith was forced to lift a leg to avoid losing it. She understood her attack had missed by a wider margin, yet the fact the Force was with her renewed her conviction.

Before the Sith could attack her in turn, Master Drallig re-engaged, drawing the Zabrak's attention. Her Master had sensed her attack, and while he knew it wouldn't touch flesh, he used it, and the slight distraction she created, to his advantage.

The Sith had to block a flourish of strikes from her Master, though as their blades moved and Serra readied herself to rejoin the battle, the Zabrak turned the tables. Quicker than Serra could follow, he turned a defensive parry into a thrust, forcing her Master to surrender momentum. The Sith's twin blades whirled around, seeming to make the very air bleed, and her Master was forced to parry, deflect, or avoid every move the Sith made.

That was the moment Serra was ready again, and with the Force guiding her blade, attacked. The Sith sensed her approach and pulled a hand from the hilt of its blade. Master Drallig, sensing the shift in the force, leapt back, his blade moving while airborne to protect him from a savage thrust of the Sith's lightsaber. The ground where her Master had been standing exploded, ripped apart by the Sith crushing the tiles with the Force.

The Sith's blade came around rapidly, but with the Force as an ally, Serra was ready. When the blades clashed, the energy within each battling for dominance, Serra was shifting, turning. Her blade slid off the Sith's, and she went low, batting away an attack from the other end of the Sith's lightsaber, and then thrust forward.

To avoid being stabbed, the Zabrak was forced back. Its blade came down, slapping hers away contemptuously. However, she'd felt this coming. Rolling her wrists, her blade turned around the Sith's and flicked forward. The attack failed to land, but she was already moving, sliding back to avoid the other end of the Sith's lightsaber.

Her blade came around covering her from attack, and as it was jarred back by the ferocity of the Sith's move, one hand slid from her hilt and crashed into the Zabrak's shin. Any joy she felt from landing a blow against the Sith was short-lived as the Force seemed to buckle in on itself. Before she could brace, she was sent hurtling away, a tidal wave of Force energy slamming into her.

Rolling to control her tumble, she steadied herself just in time to have her vision turn red.

Her blade moved rapidly as she gave herself over to the Force, letting it guide her where she needed to go. Her body shifted, adapting to the will of the Force, sliding to one side to avoid an attack from the Sith even as her blade moved around and deflected another.

Behind the Zabrak, she sensed her Master moving, rushing to her aid, but her focus remained on the Sith, herself, and the Force. If she didn't, then her Master wouldn't rejoin the fray before her life was extinguished.

Shockwaves rippled through her bones each time her blade met the Sith's. The attacks came in faster than she could process, yet with the Force as an ally she was able to evade or deflect the strikes. Yet, she knew she was being driven back, losing ground and energy with each move, each clash shaking her very core. And under it all, still present and ever offering, was that small nagging voice, begging her to reach out and take the power she needed, and in her desperation, she couldn't deny the whispers. She was slowing, struggling to meet his attacks, to simply survive. Even with the Force guiding her, it wasn't enough. She needed more time, more skill, and more power.

As that realisation came to be, the Sith's blade slipped past her defence. Plasma crashed against metal, and sparks flew. She pulled her arm back, the controls on her vambrace ruined by the Zabraks' blade. If not for the beskar of the gauntlets, she'd have lost her hand.

The Sith grunted in annoyance at being denied her limb and attacked with renewed fury. Every strike she blocked felt as if it was cracking her bones, every evasion was so close what remained of her robes were gone, the durasteel of her armour melting from the lightsaber as it grazed across the surface.

Another attack broke through, crashing against her foot. Again, the beskar she had saved her limb, as it did a third and fourth time. Serra was growing desperate, adapting by necessity the beskar she wore into her defence. She knew it couldn't last, that eventually, the Sith would strike her somewhere not protected by beskar, but he was now moving so fast she simply couldn't move fast enough to keep up with even half his attacks.

Pain lanced through her side, and she stumbled back, avoiding a swipe of the Zabrak's lightsaber that would've taken her arm. She hissed, understanding why it hurt. Either the super-heated durasteel or the plasma of his blade had burnt her stomach. Her blade came around, seeking to block the Sith's next assault, but she was slow.

The strike against her blade staggered her, a hand slipping from her hilt to stabilize herself. Another strike against her blade, and it was jarred from her hand, the blade diffusing moments after the hilt slipped from her gasp.

The Force screamed a warning, and trusting it she leaned back. The heat of the Sith's blade flashed past her neck, seeping through the underweave, and making it clear how close she'd come to losing her head. As she kept moving, desperately avoiding strikes she saw one of her braided ponytails fly away, the Sith's blade having caught it in the last attack. Even as she processed that, something jammed into her gut.

She stumbled back, falling to a knee. Glancing up she saw the Sith looming large over her, a satisfied look in his eyes as his blade swirled around. Accepting her fate, her head dropped. "I'm sorry." The words slipped from her lips, hoping her Master and Cam understood she'd tried. That she'd only come here to help.

The red blade swooped down, overpowering her vision, only to be snuffed out by a vibrant green.

Looking up, warmth filled her heart as she saw her Master's blade blocking the Sith's. Determination in the set of his face and eyes. Her Master thrust out a hand, knocking the Sith back. He glanced at her, relief clear in his eyes, before rushing to re-engage the Sith.

She pulled herself to her feet as the pair clashed. Their blades moved rapidly, flying around and turning the air around them into spheres of green and red, shifting to white where the blades clashed together. Serra's eyes widened as she felt her Master drawing heavily, moving at speeds on par with any member of the High Council. The Sith, however, was matching her Master strike for strike.

Attacks of Djem So were countered and then returned with movements that she'd never seen, and it pained her to admit the Sith was good, if not brilliant. He standing his ground as the Jedi Order's Battlemaster used every nugget of knowledge he had gained over decades serving the Force and the Order.

Yet through it all, she sensed the Force shifting, twisting, twirling. The outcome of this battle was already decided, and as she realised the victor, she found herself racing forward. Her lightsaber flew into her hand, the blade igniting as the missing part of herself returned to her grasp.

Barely a metre from the pair, the Force lurched violently, and she stumbled, slipping to a knee.

Her eyes widened as the pair stopped, the red light of the Sith's blade piercing out from her Master's back. She watched in horror as Master Drallig's blade fell from his grasp, the hilt falling so slowly as time seemed to stop.

Looking deep into her master's eyes the Sith seemed to be taking satisfaction in his victory and in the next second the blade was ripped free of her Master's chest and, with a brutal back swipe, slashed his body in half. As Master Drallig's body slumped to the ground, his head turned to her. For a moment where time seemed to stop, his eyes found hers and with his last thought, he reached out to her.

Her mind did likewise, not wanting to lose the person closer to her than any other; someone she considered a father. Yet, before she could reach his thoughts, the light faded from his eyes, and she felt him become one with the Force.

The Zabrak stalked toward her, its blade scraping the ground, sending dust flying around menacingly. Serra looked at him, seeing the coldness, the contempt in the Sith's eyes. Not only did he not consider her a challenge, but he was also already looking beyond her. Toward his true target. Toward Cam.

Serra's gaze returned to the lifeless body of her Master, of his lightsaber that lay unpowered next to his dead hand. He had taken her in and trained her for over five years. And this Sith, this monster, had ended his life simply because she had come to this planet, and Master Drallig had followed.

Finding the voice inside her, the one offering her power, she stood. Her hands opened and the twin blades flew to them. Her blade and that of her Master.

The Sith paused, its eyes widening slightly as she took control of the voice, of what it offered.

The Zabrak had taken her father. He would not take the only person left that mattered to her.

With the rage of her loss, and the threat of what was at stake, swirling in her, the Force reacted to her. It did as she wanted.

The power flowed through her as she rushed toward the Sith.

He braced, readying himself for her assault.

The anger, sorrow, fear, fury, everything whirling around inside her became focused on the Sith, and with it corralled she screamed a challenge at him.

And the Force screamed with her.

… …

… …
A/N: If you have them, enjoy the holidays, and say goodbye to Battlemaster Cin Drallig.
He was a good Jedi.
… …
This story is crossposted on Fanfiction.net, Archive of our Own, and Royal Road.
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May the Force be with you. Always.

USSExplorer · Jan 22, 2024

A/N:
As always, thanks to those helping me write and plan out this story and checking it for continuality and logic errors.

This chapter was released at least 3 weeks ago to my Patreons (with them seeing a draft version around 2 months ago) and on the story's Discord server (in GDoc form) about a week ago.
Links for both are at the end of the chapter.
Hopefully, all the little mistakes have been found and removed.

As before, this chapter has multiple POVs. However, most of the focus is where I'm sure people want it to be.

Phantom Menace 5
... ...

(Maul's POV)

He pulled himself to his feet, the Force bending to his demands, his rage powered by the shock of this Jedi's actions. Throughout the entirety of the battle with her Master, Maul hadn't been concerned by her, regarding her as nothing more than a slight obstacle. Yet, not only had she managed to get the drop on him, but she'd drawn on the Dark Side, twisted it to her desire, as well.

For all it was worth, that alone earned her Maul's consideration. She had potential, though corrupted by the Jedi's flawed teachings, even if she would never live to realise it. Still, like the Master, the Padawan wasn't his reason for being here. Nor was the planetary conflict, one that Maul's Master had arranged, his focus any longer.

No, he was here for Shan.

Lord Sidious spoke often of the young Jedi, how he had seen that Shan was a threat to the Sith and the Grand Plan, and that was why Maul was here. Yet, whenever his Master spoke of Shan, Maul sensed something else, just at the very edges of Sidious' thoughts. Hints that Sidious considered Shan interesting, useful even, not just to the Grand Plan, but as a potential replacement for Maul. For that, more than anything, Shan would die by his hands this day.

Maul's place was at Sidious' side, learning from his master as he positioned the pieces for the Sith to achieve their ultimate revenge against the Jedi. No being, certainly no Jedi, was capable of preventing that. Nor denying Maul further tutelage under Sidious until the time came, and like Sidious and the Dark Lords before them, Maul would kill and replace Sidious; taking control of the galaxy Sidious would create when the Jedi fell.

However, before that, and before Shan fell, Maul had an unexpected nuisance to eliminate. Delightful rage radiated from the female as she came at him. His blade moved, easily swatting away her first attack, and as the second attack came in, he blocked it and twisted his blade to bind hers. As their lightsabers pressed against each other, he stared at her, examining her.

This child was merely playing with the Dark Side, drawing upon it in a time of need. She didn't understand its depths, its power, its glory like he did. As their blades broke apart, Maul wondered if she might have potential as his Apprentice, but he quickly dismissed that. She was too steeped in the ill-informed dogma of the Jedi to be of use. Nor was Maul ready to replace his Master. For all that this child twisted the Dark Side to her, Maul bathed in it, savoured every shred of pain, anger, desolation, and destruction it wrought; and how he broke it to his needs. To do as he commanded.

Sliding back, he watched the Jedi's blade flash toward him. Nowhere near close enough to cut him, even if the Jedi had sensed the move coming and lunged forward, yet close enough that it would enrage her. His blade then came around, pushing her blade away faster, forcing her off-balance. The other end of his lightsaber came up, aiming to strike her head from her shoulders, but the girl sensed it coming and ducked away, using his push of her blade to hasten her retreat.

She'd barely managed to reset her footing before she attacked again, green clashing against red as he defended almost dismissively. In the brief moment where their blades pushed against each other, she snarled, her rage breaking through the calm visage one would expect of a Jedi.

A grin split his face, she may have been unable to even scratch him, but she and her master were a fine warm-up.

The Force bent to his will, flowing through and strengthening his body, making this strike strong enough that she stumbled. The other end of his lightsaber flicked up, intent on slashing her chest open. He was pleased to see that, as she moved back, she was able to bring her blade around to deflect his attack.

Once she's recovered her base, she glared at him with eyes full of malice, which caused his grin to widen. His eyes flicked to the side, to where part of her Master's body, and his lightsaber, lay. This was the Battlemaster of the Jedi, but to Maul, the Jedi he'd killed on Coruscant several months earlier was the greater threat, the more skilled fighter. Both had fallen to his blade, the gulf in skill evident.

The Padawan surged forward, her blade sweeping in. Ripping the knowledge of where she would go from the force, Maul evaded the first attack and then brought his blade up, blocking a quick second strike. Her attack had been easy to sense coming, but even if she was to die soon, he wanted to savour this before his fight with Shan.

His arm was strong and unyielding but even so he could feel the force of her strikes, an untrained surge of the Dark Side strengthening her body beyond what she had been able to muster before.

Pushing her blade away, Maul wondered what had caused her to draw on the Dark Side instead of fighting it like so many other Jedi, the padawan of the Twi'lek certainly hadn't drawn on it no matter her desperation. It was simple to sense that she'd barely hesitated and that drew Maul's curiosity. With time before Shan arrived, he strode forward making sure to press her just enough that she could still block.

Through the hazed blur generated by the plasma of their weapons fighting for dominance, he looked at her, and through the Force, slipped into her thoughts. Her mind was a mess, the death of her Master destroying much of her mental discipline, but he felt the control she was displaying over the Dark Side, and reached toward it.

Images of her Master throughout her life leaked into his thoughts, making him sneer at how pathetically the Jedi trained their warriors. How they coddled them. To build a warrior, one must break them; train them with pain and suffering. Things the Jedi failed to understand.

Their blades strived against each other, and he sensed a false belief growing in her that she could avenge her Master. Smiling at that further angered her, opening her mind wider to his probe. Pushing deeper, Maul blinked. The other end of his lightsaber flicked out like a sand viper, forcing the Jedi to move to deflect it.

The upper part of his blade was shifting around even as she deflected the lower half of his weapon, yet the killing blow failed to land. While he had pushed into her thoughts, he'd missed the slight shift of the Force and allowed her to summon another blade to hand; that of her fallen Master. Yet even so, her rearming herself with two blades failed to change anything, the Padawan attacked without restraint, Maul centring himself in the maelstrom allowed her to keep attacking, taking the fleeting moments in time between her attacks to analyse what he'd ripped from her mind.

This Jedi, this child, was important to Shan. It had been he who taught her to harness her emotions. Those methods, while inefficient and flawed as they focused on drawing on all emotions, had taken root in this child. That, and her connection to Shan, had Maul re-evaluating his target, and the girl trying to kill him.

Nothing changed in that the girl would die. Even if she was nothing more than a Padawan, Maul took pride in every Jedi he killed; in how every death brought the Grand Plan closer to fruition and she had earned a worthy death. Yet this girl shared a deep connection to his target, one that ran deep into what this Padawan was. An attachment that showed the hypocrisy of the Jedi for all it was. That attachment would do nothing more than delay her death, allowing him to use this girl against his true target.

Smiling in renewed anticipation, Maul pressed forward. Shan was close, deliciously so. His rage flaring when Maul had hurt this girl made sense now, and it granted Maul an opportunity to see how far Shan would go when that rage threatened to consume him.

From the reports and recordings Lord Sidious had given him, Maul had little doubt he could defeat Shan. Yes, the Jedi had unusual abilities, but Maul had already scoured Sith training holocrons for methods to counter such abilities, and even began, outside of his Master's knowledge, experimenting with them himself. While the droids Maul trained with couldn't entirely duplicate Shan's abilities, they granted Maul enough insight that he had several dozen counters ready should Shan foolishly try to use them. So much so that, before realising the rage in Shan, and his connection to this girl, Maul had thought he would defeat Shan even more easily than he had the Battlemaster.

Even with his ability to draw on his rage, Maul knew Shan was still falling. However, His Master had taught him, regularly and painfully, that it was easier to defeat anyone when they were off balance or distracted. This girl, who was barely able to hold her own against his mere training strikes, would serve to grant Maul that edge against Shan, as much as he would prefer to give her a quick and honourable death.

Maul flicked his hilt, feigning attack against one side. The girl, struggling to contain her rage, fell for it. One blade came around to defend against the false strike, and Maul's arms shifted. His blade danced around hers, the other end of his blade sliding inside her guard; thrusting toward where he'd wounded her earlier.

Maul could feel his respect grow as she reacted. Not only did she shift to avoid the strike, but her second blade came around, forcing Maul to abandon the idea of pushing forward for an assured strike. Doing that would've left him exposed to her second blade, and while he could ignore the pain of a glancing lightsaber blow, he wished to be in as good a condition as possible against Shan just in case he proved more difficult than expected.

Yet even as she blocked one half of his weapon he twisted around her side to take out the other blade from the line of contact while the other end flicked forward to graze her. Pain and anger flowed into the Force as she winced and as she pulled back, she felt a second source of rage join hers.

As Maul expected, Shan had sensed and reacted to Maul's attack landing. Wanting to further his target's rage, Maul's hand slipped from his hilt as he stepped in and caught her wrist as she twisted around to lash out at him. The Force bent to his demand, strengthening his grip as his fingers found the small gap between the armour on her hand and forearm.

A muted grunt of pain slipped from behind clenched teeth. Maul heard the bones cracking as the lightsaber gripped in the Padawan's hand, that of her former Master's, fell. As her other blade came around he turned off one blade on his saber as the other twisted around to catch it and twist it away before he reactivated his other blade to skim across her leg.

This time, the girl's scream was unrestrained, and Maul drank in her pain, and the flaring fury that came from Shan. If not for Maul's grip, the girl would've fallen to her knees. Without pause, he pivoted and used the Force to throw her hard across the courtyard.

Tiles and dirt were tossed up as she slammed and then bounced against the ground, her lightsaber falling away and flickering off as she struggled to control her body, and handled the sparks of pain as various wounds pounded against hard surfaces.

Maul advanced toward her, relishing the moment when realisation dawned in her eyes upon seeing him once more. Though she understood she had been defeated, that her fate lay in the imminent encounter with his blade, Maul acknowledged a certain gravity in her fear. It wasn't just about losing; it was a fear rooted in her perceived failure to protect Shan.

As her good hand extended, guided by the Force to retrieve her blade, Maul decisively brought his boot down, applying pressure to crush her hand beneath his heel. A cry of pain echoed through the courtyard as bones shattered under the force of his attack.

After grinding his foot to ensure the hand was fully out of commission, Maul stepped back. He stood poised, fully aware that he could end her life at that moment. However, he stopped for a second, giving her a subtle nod of respect, acknowledging her struggle. Sensing Shan's proximity, Maul chose to prolong the inevitable, allowing the Jedi to witness the consequences of his inability to safeguard someone dear to him. Concurrently, Maul felt the currents of the Force shifting around the girl, detecting her drawing on the Dark Side once again.

Recognizing the potential challenge she might pose upon Shan's arrival, Maul's blade came around to bring her life to a swift end. Yet, as the crimson light of his blade approached, illuminating her face, she screamed anew—the power of the Dark Side amplifying her voice.

Maul had realised at the last second he wouldn't be able to stop her, and had shifted his body, bracing for the attack as he drew the force into a barrier in front of his body. His lightsaber seared a trough in the ground, slowing his movement, and when the girl slumped, her body exhausted and her rage failing, Maul had only been driven several metres.

He advanced with purpose, seething with anger over his recent failure to anticipate her Force Scream. The first instance could be forgiven, as it wasn't in any file he possessed on the girl or Shan. However, the second occurrence was both insulting and humiliating. Aware that his Master would undoubtedly punish him for this lapse, Maul prepared his blade. Any notion of prolonging her demise to torment Shan was pushed aside by the urgency to rectify his mistake.

As he strode forward, his blade rising with lethal intent. The respect from their previous exchange lingered. His weapon poised high, ready to deliver a swift strike, he locked eyes with her. Despite the inevitability of her impending death, she met his gaze with unwavering defiance. She had accepted her fate but refused to meet it with fear. Maul's respect for her was not unearned and he resolved to make sure the strike was quick and sure.

… …
(Cam's POV)

I flinched slightly as I felt Drallig die. While that was concerning, and proof of how dangerous Maul was, I couldn't dwell upon it. Not when it was accompanied by a surge of anguish, disbelief and then fury. Then that fury lashed out, and I knew Serra had drawn on the Dark Side again. I had an idea of how she'd lashed out, in desperation over Drallig dying, but again, that wasn't important. Her attack, whatever it had been, would only anger Maul.

I could sense them both just around the corner of the building in front of me and knew Maul would strike back, ending Serra for daring to attack him with the Dark Side. Yet, as I took another step toward the last corner separating me from my targets, I felt the Force shift; or at least Serra's emotions within it.

Six steps from the corner, I felt Serra draw on and focus her anger, using it to power her actions. I remembered our lessons from years on harnessing such things, but I understood now that I'd been in error when I'd suggested that. The Dark Side was far more than just the Force used when suffering from negative emotions. Adas's holocron – which I'd only used when alone and far from the Coruscant and other Jedi – had driven that lesson home.

The Dark Side would offer her a boost, one she would, in her rage, draw upon. However, without understanding how the Dark Side worked to worm its way into someone, how it sought control over them while offering power and energy, one was at risk of losing themselves to their emotions and desires and becoming a pawn of the Dark Side. With the sorrow and wrath radiating from Serra, I knew she was in danger of just that happening; if she survived Maul long enough for me to reach her.

Five steps from the corner, there was another shift in the Force. The Dark Side was focused on a new presence. One of immense power and capability. That had to be Maul bending it to his will; proving he understood – as I'd expected – the nature of the Dark Side. While I knew I didn't, I was at least more aware of the danger it posed, and how now, even drawing on her fury, Serra was nothing more than a bug on the windshield to Maul.

Anger built inside me at the thought of how outmatched Serra was, yet as my foot crashed to the ground, bringing me ever closer to the corner, I pushed the anger down. I wasn't going to lose control against Maul. If I did for too long, he'd kill me with ease. Hell, even if I remained in control, he might still defeat me, even with all the tools I'd brought to this fight.

Maul had killed Drallig today, and Qui-Gon and countless others in the other timeline, and to defeat him, I needed to be smart and remain in control.

Vosa had toyed with me, wanting to tempt me to the Dark Side, to serve her. The Vong had been cautious against me, testing me in battle to learn what they could. In both cases, they're goal hadn't been a quick and decisive kill, and it was only through dumb luck – and perhaps some amount of skill – that I'd survived my encounters with both.

Maul was a different beast. Unlike Vosa, he wasn't just a Dark Side Adept but a full-fledged Sith. One bred to hunt and kill Jedi; one far more skilled and experienced than me.

Four steps from the corner, I felt the Force shift again, as if Maul was curious about, or contemplating something. Serra was alive still, her rage burning brightly as it focused her entirely on Maul, and it felt like she was holding her own. I knew that couldn't be true, which meant either the Dark Side was deceiving her, or she was blinded by her rage.

Maul would've had files on Serra because of me. While he might not have expected to encounter her here, if he was even half as smart as I expected, or Sidious as thorough in his training, then Maul had studied and trained for not just myself, but everyone close to me. Including Serra. Yet in the seconds that had passed since Drallig's death, Maul hadn't killed her. Almost as if he was toying with her, killing time until I arrived.

Fear grew inside me as another step toward the corner was taken. Maul was keeping her alive simply to have me watch her die. The dust launched from my foot crashing against the ground seemed stationary as my mind raced. The Force allowing me to process information and move on par with a computer, if not the processing speed of droids like R2 or HK. Normally, that allowed me to analyse everything going on, to find avenues to take. Yet here and now, it only served to grant me more time to fear for Serra; of arriving simply to watch Maul kill her.

I shifted my path toward the building, intent on rushing through it. While Teleport was not viable, as it left me momentarily disorientated when I emerged, Phase had no such limitations. I cursed as I pulled the Force to me for not thinking of the power earlier when Serra had first engaged Maul, as I could've simply rushed through the buildings to where she and Drallig were engaging Maul. Far too often, in situations where my anger or adrenaline got the better of me, I fell back on what I knew, what I trusted from my former life, and failed to use the Force to the fullest of my abilities.

Three steps from the corner, pain slammed into me, making me almost lose my grip on my anger, and forcing me to stumble slightly away from the building, back toward my original path. Serra was hurt, badly. The urge to obliterate Maul, to rend him limb from limb, surged through me. That faint voice, the whispered offer of help from the Dark Side echoed in my head, asking me to accept it, to revel in my desires. Yet, as Serra's pain continued to echo in the Force, I pushed aside that offer. Even as Maul's delight and amusement became clear; I resisted the urge to draw on my rage.

Resignation from Serra flowed into the Force as I took another step closer. She understood, through the haze of her pain, that she'd lost. She was ready to join her Master in the Force. I, however, wasn't ready to allow that.

I opened my mind, wanting to offer her hope, only to slip. A new, powerful well of anger rose within Serra, and with my mind open to her, I was bathed in it. Her anger boiled, her fury rose, and I sensed what was coming.

As I reached a single step from the corner, I stopped. The air in front of me erupted, my HUD reporting an energy-powered shockwave erupting from where I knew Serra had been. Without the armour, my ears would've likely bled as the HUD showed chunks of the wall all but vapourised by the concussive force of the wave.

Debris bounced off my armour, the only issue being the kinetic force, but with the wall taking the brunt of Serra's Scream, I was unharmed. Rounding the corner, I saw Serra on the ground, slumped over with her head hung low. Striding toward her with all the grace of a nexu, a deep gouge in the ground between them, was Maul. Flickers of rage burnt in his yellow eyes and his blade was readying itself to strike down my wounded and unarmed lover.

Even as I moved a step closer, I knew I was too far away to block Maul's blade; and any Force attack would strike them both. Left with little choice, as another step closer was taken, my saber slipped from my hand, the Force sending it racing ahead of me.

The blade spiralled through the air, cutting a swathe of black and white as it spun forward, even as it felt as if time slowed to a crawl. Mauls' blade was beginning its descent, aiming to remove Serra's head. Her eyes turned my way, either sensing my arrival or spotting my blade from the corner of her eyes. Through the Force I sensed resignation; acceptance that this was her time to become one with the Force. I, however, wasn't willing to accept that and demanded the Force accelerate my blade so it might reach her in time.

My foot crashed to the ground, dragging me ever closer as I ripped my beskad from its magnetic sheathe. Recognition flashed in Maul's eyes, and his blade altered its angle. The blades clashed together, mine sent clattering away. The hilt could've, in theory, survived a strike as I'd added sections of phrik to the casing. There were gaps in the coverage though, and I was relieved the design hadn't been tested.

As my lightsaber spun away, I instinctively reached out, pulling it back into my grasp. Maul pivoted to squarely face me, the back of his saber staff hurtling toward Serra's abdomen. Locking eyes with me, he seemed undeterred by my appearance.

Despite being a few metres away and recognizing the absence of alternatives, I knew I had no other choice. Summoning the Force to me, the hand wielding my beskad thrust forward, unleashing a concentrated Force Blast aimed directly at them. I understood the consequence – Serra would bear the brunt of the impact, defenceless in the face of the impending force. Yet, in that moment, it seemed a more merciful fate than the alternative – a lightsaber through the gut.

I could only watch as the ground in front of them exploded as the Force Blast impacted, feeling faint surprise in the Force from Maul an instant before it happened. Debris was sent hurtling everywhere, blinding my sight, but the HUD and the Force tracked both as they were struck by the Force Blast's shockwave.

Serra was unable to defend herself, and slammed into the ground about five metres away, sending more dust and debris into the air. Her hands hung uselessly as she flew, the HUD confirming both were broken, and there was a burn to her left side. Not deep enough that it was fatal, but enough that it would've slowed her in battle. And now, as she tumbled away, grunts of pain and anguish came for her each time any part of her body collided with something, and her shattered hands were preventing her from doing anything to slow or prevent the pain of each collision. Yet, for all her pain, my focus shifted to Maul.

Unlike Serra, he'd braced for the attack, and while it had driven him back, he'd landed in an easy relaxed stance. Already I could sense the Force shifting around him, and I turned, bracing myself for an attack.

We raced toward each other, the debris filling the air was no impediment to us knowing where the other was. Red light diffused in the cloud, and for any without armour or the Force, it would be near impossible to track where the weapon was.

My lightsaber clashed against the, for–now, upper section of his blade. He glared at me, rage mixed with expectation and desire. While I wanted this duel to end quickly, not just so I could help Serra but because I feared it dragging on, I knew it wouldn't. Maul was too skilled, too dangerous to fall quickly.

His arms moved, changing the angle of his lightsaber. My lightsaber moved as well, deflecting an attack from the other end of his blade. Yet, we both knew that was simply a feint and the upper section of the blade returned to the attack from my other side. However, I was ready and my beskad flicked out, stymying the attack.

A faint flicker of confusion from Maul was soon drowned out by a dark rage. He launched into a flurry of attacks, the air in front of my armour being dyed blood red. Even as my blades and I moved, blocking, deflecting, and evading the strikes, I was forced back several steps.

I knew what moves he was using, the limits of a double-bladed lightsaber, something I'd studied intently whenever I could, from Jedi Masters, the Great Holocron and any other source I could access, yet they were coming in faster than anything I'd seen unless Dooku fully drew on his power in a spar.

As the assault continued, and I kept being forced to step back, it became clear he wasn't going full out. Nor, even after killing Drallig and defeating Serra, was he close to tired. Yet, I was holding my own, at least for now.

Maul suddenly disengaged, taking a few steps back. Casual disinterest appeared on his face even as the Force shifted around him. I sensed him probing my mind, looking for insight into my thoughts; into how I'd fight. I did the same in return, though I knew neither of us would succeed in the brief mental battle for insight.

As we studied each other it granted me time to consider the flowing, aggressive nature of his attacks. As I'd expected, he was a Juyo practitioner, but I was slightly surprised by the forms that made up his base. Ataru and Djem So were standard but I had not thought to look for Soresu when facing the Zabrak.

Yet, even with all that knowledge instantly accessible via Eidetic Memory, I was unsure if I knew even half of how Maul would fight.

Knowing I had to maintain some form of advantage, I pushed forward, the vectors for my attacks already plotted out and prepared. He slid back, letting the thrust of my lightsaber miss, and then flicked the blade away with his weapon. The other end came around, blocking a low slice of the beskad. My lightsaber came in again, higher this time, followed by another flicking attack of the beskad. Those he again deflected and avoided, as he did with my next dozen attacks. As he did so, I sensed disappointment, as if my approach was beneath him.

Which it was.

Like him, my opening assault hadn't been at full speed, nor anything beyond textbook perfect. Which was something the files on me that Sidious would've given him would've stated.

He then slipped back, a small use of the Force re-establishing the distance between us. I moved forward, not wanting to give up the attack. As our blades clashed again, sparks of red and black dancing together as the plasma crackled from contact, a hand slipped from his hilt.

I could only watch as he flicked his wrist. Terror raced through me as the HUD reported a nearby building, the one Serra was slumped against the base of, cracking due to some unknown – to the HUD – force. I moved my blade, breaking the bind, planning to strike against that with my beskad, but Maul had expected this.

In the fraction of a second, after I disengaged, he attacked. His blade flicked forward, bound for my head. I had to move my lightsaber up to block, pushing his blade away. He went with the move, using my action to guide him into his next move.

My beskad went low, blocking the attack from the other end of his weapon even as he turned; my lightsaber still pushing the other end of his blade away from my head. He pivoted, exposing his back but his lightsaber twirled around his body to cover any opening that caused, forcing me to slide back to avoid a strike.

That prevented me from either attacking him or doing anything to help Serra and when I'd reset my stance, he was already facing me, directly between me and Serra. His hand was still free from the hilt, my HUD reporting further damage to the building above Serra.

One of my hands reached out, wanting to grasp Serra and pull her from danger, yet I'd barely had time to gather my thoughts on the Force, to wrap it around her body, before I was forced to abandon the move. Maul's lightsaber had struck out, and I had to defend against it.

As our blades clashed, the HUD reported the building break. Risking it, I flicked out my arm, sending a Force Blast toward Serra. The building collapsed, removing her from my sensors, and I couldn't divert attention to search for her through the Force as Maul continued his attack.

Our blades moved, a symphony of red, white, black, and shining silver swirling in the dust, and I felt my panic slowly rising: Fear of having failed to save Serra grasping my heart.

Maul must've sensed this, as when next our blades clashed, and he stepped back he said. "Another dead Jedi," he said, the voice only just carrying to the armour's audio sensors over the sounds of the nearby building crashing to the ground.

Those words, wrapped in disgust, lit the fuse. A grunt slipped from my lips as the fury inside rose, threatening to drown me. I pushed Maul back, and before attacking him, before my anger overwhelmed me, I sent a signal through the Battlenet. Osto would, I hope, respond, and move to help, yet my focus was entirely on Maul; on making him pay for hurting, and possibly killing, Serra.

Rage powered my strikes, drawing a grin from Maul as his blade swirled around, creating a barrier that my attacks failed to pierce. My attacks were aggressive, but he was a stone in the river, an eye of hate and anger that my attacks could not pierce.

Through those gaps, Maul attacked, and I was left with no recourse but to defend. Even as my anger fuelled my speed and strength, I was forced back. My blades moved around, deflecting his attacks, defending me and I was continually on the move avoiding the strikes, thrusts, and sweeps that slipped by my defences.

My anger eased slightly as I sensed Serra was alive, though the HUD couldn't confirm that. Still, I pulled back, tightening my defences, leaving my counters as late as I dared. I knew this fight still had a long way to go.

Maul must've sensed my fury subside as the ferocity of his attacks increased, driving me back further. Each blow I could only block rattled my arm. Even now, daring to hold back as much as I could, Maul wasn't pressing his advantage. At least not to the degree that I'd have expected.

Another gap in my defences wasn't punished. Instead, he pulled back, and as he reached out to finish ripping the building down my hand flashed forward, a blast ripping forth to send Maul hurtling back.

My fury rose once more at his attempt. My sight narrowed until only Maul existed, and with rage surging through my veins, I rushed forward; a desire for vengeance pumping in my heart.

… …

… …
(Asta's POV)

She watched silently from the captain's chair of the Saak'ak as the allied fleet laid into the Federation's forces.

The Naboo fighters had resulted in the Federation fleet shifting, the Saak'ak moving to defend against the threat while the Vuutun Palaa and Luuhan moved to higher orbits. Control of around half the droids in Theed, and about a tenth of those battling on the plains to the south had shifted to the Saak'ak so the other vessels could avoid even a hint of attack from the handful of fighters Naboo had launched.

Yet, that was when the Ne'tra Tal'ade had arrived at the head of the combined Mando'ade and Lokella'ade fleet. While old, the dreadnought was a relic from before the Dral'Han that had escaped the fate of her sister ships. The Black Blood Warrior was better armed than many starships of the current era, and certainly a Federation Lucrehulk.

However, three-to-one odds, even backed by the combined fleet, would've left the Ne'tra Tal'ade exposed, which was why the plan to take the Saak'ak had been hatched. Under Asta's command, it had been executed beautifully, and with the only true warship the Federation had deployed under her control, the battle had turned before the captain of the other Federation vessels understood what was happening.

The Saak'ak's Vulture droids had turned on their companions – as had any droid on the planet below – causing chaos among the main defensive approaches of the Federation. In the initial chaos, the Naboo fighters had targeted every Vulture droid they could, and Asta was amused to admit that she'd lost twice as many fighters to them than the Federation droids.

Once they understood the remaining droids weren't targeting them, they'd slid into formation with her Vulture droids, and moved to engage the Lucrehulks. As she informed them that the Saak'ak was under her control, the massive ship's cannons unleashed their fury on their supposed companions.

Caught between the Saak'ak and Ne'tra Tal'ade, the droid control ships had been trapped in a pincer. Unlike the Saak'ak and the allied fleet, the Vuutun Palaa and the Luuhan hadn't been able to focus their power on the weapons and shields facing the enemy, and because of this, their shields were rapidly failing.

What Vulture droids the control ships had launched that hadn't been obliterated when the true loyalties of the Saak'ak had been revealed, were being mowed down by combined fighter and corvette fire, leaving their capital ships to attempt to duke it out with the allied fleet.

While the Saak'ak was pulling her weight, Asta was keeping her back, avoiding the close-in fighting that the Ne'tra Tal'ade and other vessels were designed for. While some might think this was to preserve her pride, truthfully she was doing so to protect the Naboo cultural heritage onboard.

As any warrior, Asta understood that war was hardship and loss. Something she'd experienced in the recent civil war when her uncle and cousins had died. The Lokella'ade understood this too, with most of their members being former slaves. The Lokella'ade might even prefer death over the threat of being enslaved once again.

However, much of the rest of the galaxy, including the Naboo, failed to grasp an important lesson; that war served a purpose in keeping people safe and strong. There were no innocents in war; everyone, be they young, old, or infirm regardless of species or creed was a warrior. Even if they failed to understand that when war began.

The Naboo and Gungans onboard the Saak'ak understood this now, and they were serving under the command of her warriors, doing what they could to defend and free their home. That - and that alone - was what drove her to be cautious with her new ship. If they were prepared to fight and die for their people, then she would do what she could to limit their exposure to battle. At least so far as to not deny her warriors the glory of combat.

The captains of the other Lucrehulk had complained to Dofine when she'd ordered him to ensure all transports from Naboo be brought to the Saak'ak. The Luuhan's captain whined so loudly and pathetically that it had been hard to not take command then and there and remind the giant slug of his true place in the universe. She had resisted the urge though, and as the HUD fed her reports from the Saak'ak's systems, she smiled predatorily.

The Vuutun Palaa had just lost her shields, the ones facing the Saak'ak. That exposed the engines, and Hux was already focusing fire there. The complete destruction of the two other Lucrehulks would be acceptable, but she, Torrhen, and Adonai had felt when this plan was developed that it should be possible to take one or both the other Lucrehulks. With the deception being pulled off brilliantly, that was how she was commanding her warship.

The Ne'tra Tal'ade shifted its fire, focusing entirely on the Luuhan. That vessel was slowly losing power to its deflectors and what remained of its fighter screen being swatted aside as the rest of the allied fleet harried the massive, lumbering starship.

A new report came in that the Vuutun Palaa had lost power, violently so as her engines had exploded, crippling the formerly mighty vessel. With command through the HUD, the Saak'ak shifted its fire. The remaining Vulture droids were then recalled. While she had little use of droids, they could be examined for weaknesses on the chance the Federation attempted to strike back against the Mando'ade over this battle.

That was unlikely, as Asta knew, based on the data taken from the Saak'ak's computer core that the Federation would be tied up in Tsad Droten litigation for years, if not decades, to come. However, she wasn't discounting the chance they might attack her people. And after the Vulture droids had been examined, their parts could be sold for profit, or given new programming to serve others.

That, however, was a matter for tomorrow. For today, all that remained was convincing the Luuhan's captain to surrender. And with that, victory would be theirs.

… …

… …
(Padmé's POV)

"Clear."

The command came from Rook Kast, one of four Mandalorians assigned as her escort for the assault on the royal palace. The two Jedi with her, Master Jinn and Padawan Kenobi stepped out first, and after having a small look around, Master Jinn turned back to her.

"It is indeed clear, Your Majesty."

Padmé smiled at the older man, finding his presence remarkably calming, and moved into the wide, spacious corridor that marked the main hall of the palace. At her side came Captain Panaka, Simvyl, and HK-47.

"Observation: It will not stay clear for long, meatbag."

Padmé had to stifle a chuckle as Sabé – dressed in full regalia in case there was a need for a decoy – two other members of the Royal Guard, four Gungan warriors, and the second pair of Mandalorians emerged from the tunnel. While the droid was incredibly blunt with everyone, she found it comforting to have HK beside her.

"I would hope not." Kast's reply sounded hopeful that they'd be intercepted, and from what Padme knew of Mandalorians, that wasn't unexpected. Yes, her only real point of contact with the culture was Bo-Katan, but having spoken to the various leaders of those who had answered Cam's summons, Padmé understood that they enjoyed battle. Far more than she or her people would consider just and right. Or at least before the invasion.

Because of this, and the injustices inflicted on her people – by both the Trade Federation's invasion and the Republic by their inactions – she was beginning to understand why Cam felt peace had to be protected with firepower. In orbit above, on the grass plains to the south, and in the streets of Theed and other cities, her people were fighting – and likely dying – alongside their newfound allies to free themselves from the Federation's tyranny. While her part in gathering and rallying these combined forces was small, that spirit of defiance, of protecting themselves was the main reason Padmé was risking it all with this assault. Capturing Viceroy Gunray would force the Federation to end their occupation, and then the Republic, perhaps under the new leadership of Sheev Palpatine, would ensure that what happened on Naboo never happened again to any world within the Republic.

A gesture from the lead Mandalorian, a man named Gar Saxon, silenced her thoughts on what would come after liberation, and their unit advanced slowly down the corridor. Saxon and Kast took the lead with the rest following.

She'd only spoken to Saxon once before the assault had begun, mainly to understand his thinking on her plan. He considered it a bold move, brash even, and approved. Padmé had asked him, Kast, and the other Mandalorians why they'd come. None had revealed their reasons then and there, though with a smile on her face, Kast had promised to tell her about her reasons after the battle.

Blaster fire echoed in the corridor as the lead Mandalorians rounded the first corner. The firefight was short, with Padmé unsure if the Federation droids had managed any returned fire, but the lead pair never stopped moving. When she reached the corner and glanced around it, Master Jinn and Captain Panaka doing their best to shield her, she saw eight droids lying on the ground, smoke rising from bolts that had slammed into their frames.

Having them along was a relief, but even if Cam wasn't happy about it, he'd allowed her to have the majority of her force composed of local fighters. He'd accepted her logic that the Naboo and Gungans needed to see their world saved by locals. While the support and sacrifice of the Mandalorians and Lokella were greatly appreciated, and Padmé knew without it they'd have had no hope, symbolism was important.

The fact Cam understood and agreed with her, had her once more wishing he wasn't a Jedi. Or that their laws against relationships weren't as restrictive. While her title as Queen wasn't hereditary, and Cam wasn't technically from their world – even if records existed to suggest he was due to a mission he'd undertaken with Senator Palpatine several years earlier – her thoughts often turned to the idea of making him her Royal Consort.

A gentle nudge from Panaka pulled her thoughts from possible, but unlikely futures, returning them once again to the present. Chiding herself for getting lost in her thoughts again, she continued moving forward, blaster at the ready and pushed any thoughts about the future from her mind.

They advanced slowly, and carefully, and as they reached the wide main chamber that ended with the regal stairs leading up to the throne room – where Gunray had his command centre – she wondered if they might reach him without any challenge. If the chaos erupting in Theed had forced Gunray to commit all his droids to the defence of the city.

That idea was driven from her thoughts as droids swarmed onto the stairs. Saxon and Kast opened fire as the first droids came into sight, but for every droid the Mandalorians took down, two more emerged ahead and above them. As Padmé was guided to cover behind a large marble column by Panaka, more droids emerged from side passageways near the base of the stairs. Several droids had metal shields, offering them protection from the blaster fire coming at them.

The Naboo and Gungans returned fire, even as some of each group fell. Padmé winced at their sacrifice, committing their names to memory for remembrance once the battle was over. The Jedi stood forward, their blades swirling around so quickly they seemed to inhabit multiple locations at once. Any incoming fire at them was sent back toward the droids.

As she lined up her shot, and then watched the bolt slam into the head of one droid, Saxon, Kast, and HK advanced. Bolts slammed into them, yet none appeared concerned about the strikes. Their blasters were unerringly accurate, and a rocket launched from Saxon's back smashed into the droid lines, shattering the defences brought out.

Yet, for all the damage they were doing to the Federation forces, Padmé could see replacements rush into the fray. She pulled back behind the column, a chunk flying off as a droid bolt crashed into it. The rear Mandalorians were keeping watch, as were Sabé and those with her. While the path behind them was clear, Padmé knew it wouldn't stay that way for long.

"We don't have time for this Captain," she said to Panaka even as Padawan Kenobi was pushed back, needing to take cover as the droids seemed to focus on him and Master Jinn.

For a moment, as he leaned out to fire off another bolt, it seemed as if Panaka hadn't heard her. She considered speaking again, only for him to look at her and then scan the corridor. a second later, he aimed at a window on the far side of the corridor. Those there – a mixture of Naboo and Gungans, and Padawan Kenobi – ducked as the window shattered; blown apart by fire from Panaka's blaster.

"Go!" Panaka called out. She rushed out, her pistol firing indiscriminately toward the Federation droids. Padawan Kenobi stepped out, providing cover with his lightsaber, which allowed her to reach the new column, the one beside the blasted window, safely.

"Thank you," she offered to the Jedi as Panaka raced across the corridor.

"All part of the service," Kenobi replied with a smile.

"Commentary: I do hope you aren't attempting to mate in the middle of a battle, meatbag. Even for a Jedi, that would be most disappointing."

Padmé covered her mouth, biting back a bout of laughter as Kenobi spluttered, caught out by HK's comment.

"Ascension guns," Panaka ordered, forcing Padmé to ignore the confused Jedi and miss his reply. If he gave one.

Padmé slipped her pistol back into its holster and then took a pistol from one of the Naboo guards. He pulled a secondary blaster from a holster as she readied the new weapon, switching the settings from blaster to the cable launcher mounted under the barrel.

She stepped out onto the ledge carefully, Panaka helping her. Her eyes drifted downward, the cliffs that the palace and Theed sat on the edge of meaning any fall from here would see her drop several kilometres before slamming onto the basin below.

Turning, she aimed the blaster upward, aiming at the top floor of this section of the palace. The cable shot up, and after it embedded into the wall several stories above her, the blaster reported the cable was secure. Yet before she, Panaka and others could ascend, there was movement at the window. Looking inward, she saw Kast and Master Jinn approaching, HK-47 just behind them; his blaster firing so constantly it appeared as if it was one continuous beam exiting the barrel and not a rapid succession of super-heated plasma bolts.

"Hope you weren't thinking of leaving us behind?" Kast commented as she moved onto the ledge, two of the Naboo guards having to shuffle away to avoid her hitting them. There was a hint of amusement in her tone, but with her armour on, and head sealed inside the helmet, Padmé was unable to read her face for a hint as to why the Mandalorian was finding this funny.

"Do you have ascension cables?" Panaka asked even as Master Jinn pulled something from his belt. Behind him, Padawan Kenobi, Simvyl, Sabé, and the others continued to engage the Federation droids. While she wasn't happy about leaving them behind, Padmé understood that they needed to remain as a diversion, and with Sabé dressed as Queen Amidala, the Federation would hopefully focus on them allowing her, Panaka, and his team to reach Gunray easily.

"Yes, but I've got something better to use."

Kast stepped off the ledge and flames burst from the rear of the Mandalorian's armour, and a few amused chuckles emanated from Kast, Padmé remembered the briefing with Saxon. Kast and another of the foursome had jetpacks while Saxon and the last member of their team had sacrificed those for extra rockets.

"After you, Your Majesty," Kast remarked as she hovered in front of Padmé, a teasing tone in her voice.

Padmé smiled at the Mandalorian, glad she would be coming along. As would Master Jinn as he fired a cable from a small device he now held. If Padmé's cable broke, she'd have a Jedi and Mandalorian on hand to save her. Turning back to the palace, she saw HK-47 stepping onto the ledge; one of the Naboo guards almost falling as the droid pushed past them.

"Query: Did you meatbags think that by taking this route you would somehow stop me from completing my assignment?" Padmé's smile, odd as it felt in the middle of combat right before they attempted something this haphazard, grew. Before she could ask if the droid had cables, HK extended a hand, and two cables launched from out of its fingertips.

"No. I was simply curious as to how you planned to complete your mission," she replied. That HK-47 was coming with them wasn't a surprise. Cam had assigned the droid to protect her at all costs; something, having enjoyed reading Knights of the Old Republic: The Dark Times, she understood that HK-47 took his assignments very seriously.

"Statement: Then you have your answer, important meatbag." Padmé chuckled, amused at the designation she'd earned from the droid. "Query: Are we going to move, or do you wish to remain here and, as meatbags seemed to want to do, enjoy the view?"

Padmé bit her lip, struggling to not laugh loudly. She feared that she might slip if she did and while she knew HK-47 wasn't being intentionally funny, it had a sense of timing that was both amusing and oddly reassuring. Almost as if, when added to the term HK used for her, Cam was here watching over her.

… …

… …
(Cam's POV)

My blades, one composed of plasma and the other shining beskar, flew around me, crashing against the red blades of my opponent. The cold, almost stony look on his face, after what he'd done to Serra, only added fuel to my fury. She was alive, but barely, and until this motherfucker was dead, I couldn't check on her.

A snarl ripped from my mouth as another attack was pushed aside contemptuously. A faint flicker of a smirk, taunting my failure to kill him, sending my anger soaring. His blade slipped around my attack, dragging against my armour. The HUD reported the strikes, but I ignored it. I knew it could take the hits, knew the beskar wouldn't break under the assault of his lightsaber. Yet every strike the HUD reported only made it harder to maintain my control, to not let my anger consume me.

My lightsaber descended with the impact of a meteor, and Maul's saber flicked out, deflecting it to the side. He swiftly retreated, leaving behind a luminous scar etched into the stone.

Another snarl slipped from my lips at this, and it grew louder as the HUD reported Maul's blade trailing over the back of my armour. I turned, small sections of what remained of my cloak whipping around in the air, my beskad crashing against his blade. Through the gap in the weapons, he continued to smirk; taunting me at another failure to kill him.

The Force offered itself to me, willing me to accept its power, take its power and strike Maul down.

My lightsaber plunged forward, aiming for Maul's heart. Yet, even with half his blade in a bind, he was able to move enough that the lower section of his weapon deflected my thrust. As the tip passed his side, he spun away, and I was unable to take advantage as my blades were engaged by his.

I pushed them away, taking a step toward him, even as the HUD reported another strike against the armour. This one was a long slash across my chest. Sparks flew up toward my helmet, suggesting his blade was at least marring the surface of the armour. My focus narrowed, only caring about Maul, about making him suffer.

Around us, I could hear the Force whispering to me. Telling me that Maul had to die for what he'd done, that it wanted and craved that as much as I did. The Force flowed through me, doing as I demanded and making me faster, and stronger.

My beskad flicked out, only to be clipped away by the very tip of Maul's blade. He took another step back, his blades swirling around, teasing, tormenting me in a constant reminder that I couldn't land a blow against him.

Black encased in white plasma crashed against red as my lightsaber was blocked, and my beskad came in low; seeking to rip open his side. Maul shifted, his lightsaber flashing out as he moved just enough to ensure my attack failed, and then pushed the blade away as it sailed past him.

I stumbled forward, not wanting to lose my grip on the weapon. The HUD sent another warning as the other end of Maul's lightsaber dragged itself against the armour under my forearm. Before I could process that properly, or regain my footing, the Force shifted.

My rage failed me as the air around me shifted. There was a split-second where the HUD warned of danger before I was taken from my feet. Alerts flared in the HUD as my body jerked to one side and was then dragged along the ground. My movement stopped when my helmet slammed hard into something.

The inbuilt mechanisms of the armour protected me from most of the force that I'd struck the wall with, but I still had to jerk my head awkwardly to pull the helmet from the wall. Turning, I summoned the Force to me and blasted it at Maul. He leapt high, sailing over the attack, yet in the time he was airborne I blinked.

As if a switch had flipped I breathed out letting my anger fade. I had been letting Maul keep me on edge since Serra had been buried. "Stupid." The word slipped from my lips as I readied myself, Maul landing closer to me after my attack failed, but still far enough away that I couldn't attack him instantly.

I turned, presenting my side, the beskad hanging low, which had Maul pause. Almost as if he was waiting to see what I did as the Force continued to move around us. During this moment of rest, I reached out into the Force, confirming with relief that while badly hurt, Serra was alive. The Battlenet reported that Osto was close to her, perhaps a minute away. Yet, in the time since I'd engaged Maul, which hadn't been more than a minute stretched into an eternity, we'd moved a fair distance away from where Serra was buried, and where Drallig's body lay.

Maul stepped forward, shifting into a Niman stance. While he seemed to prefer Juyo, Niman was adaptable enough that it could easily lead into any of the other forms if the user had sufficient skill with the form; something I had no doubt Sidious would've ensured Maul endured in his training. There was little, just the odd smirk or gesture, in his body language to hint at his feelings, though I didn't consider searching for anything through the Force for insight as would've meant exposing my thoughts to the rage radiating from him. Not that I expected to break through his mental defences, mind you.

Those, like everything else in his training, had likely come through pain and, putting it gently, aggressive instruction from Sidious. I had no idea if Plagueis was aware of Maul, or if he'd had any hand in the Zabrak's training, but he wouldn't have been any kinder than Sidious.

Even if I wanted to breach his mental defences, I had neither the skill nor inclination to do so. With the Interface I could've, in theory, learnt the fundamentals to insane degrees, but from the way Fay and Dooku had described the mind arts of the Force, I felt it simply wasn't possible for me to truly understand them. Not with how the Interface seemed to handle the Force. And that was saying nothing about how probing the minds of others, and manipulating them there wasn't how I preferred to handle issues. My focus had almost always been on Force Powers that benefited me directly.

With the Force shifting around us in anticipation, we each took a step forward. The HUD and Force – via the Interface – alerted me to how Maul was going to attack, and offered predictions on where the next attack when this one failed would come from. While the Interface offered less accurate data than the force it did help to narrow the possibilities, and I offered a small prayer of thanks to the Mandalorian armourers. Without their work, I'd have been dead long before I'd fought off the bubbling fury and regained full control of myself.

My lightsaber flicked out, a smooth Makashi parry allowing me to deflect his first attack with ease, and then it slid down, blocking a second attack from the other end of his lightsaber. With my side to him and my blade held forward, to be sure of a hit, or of drawing me out of position, he had to commit to his attacks. At some point, an attack would slip by my blade, but the beskad and my armour were ready to help when that happened.

Each time my blade caught one of his, my arm shook, the armour doing little to counter the Force-enhanced strength he was displaying. I had no idea if he was feeling the effects of our blades clashing or if my boosted strength was jarring him as much, nor did I expect to see or sense if it was. However, with that power and every other one I used for physical enhancements in combat at their maximum, I hoped he was as rattled when our blades clashed as I was.

His blade blurred forward, a false strike that I didn't fall for. However, instead of sliding in for a true attack, he circled to my side. I turned, keeping the profile I presented to him small, yet he didn't attack. Instead, he took a small, sidling step back, daring me to advance.

Behind him, one section of the Solleu River was coming into sight, and beyond that the Royal Palace. He'd led me here on purpose, which I understood, but the why I couldn't be sure of. There was no warning from the Force, no hint of any impending danger. Well, save for the chaos erupting in the city and, most prominently, Maul himself. Yet I was cautious to follow.

He was guiding me somewhere, and beyond the idea that his vessel, which was on my list of things to secure once he was defeated, might be stored inside a hangar below the palace, or on the other side of the city, I couldn't figure out what his motive was. Still, unless I wanted to let him go, to not pursue him and risk him seeking out Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Padmé, I had no choice but to follow.

Whatever it took, Maul would not be leaving Naboo to return to Sidious' side. Not while I drew breath.

… …

… …
(Vhonte's POV)

Her rifle was already moving, her HUD guiding her to the next target before the droid she'd targeted had fallen. As she lined up that shot, Vhonte wondered how much longer this battle, if one could call it that, would last.

Ever since Phase Eight had been initiated, everything had been remarkably one-sided. So much so that Vhonte had wondered when the universe would choose to drop the other boot. Yet, it hadn't, and instead a section of the Federation's army – around five per cent according to the Battlenet – had, perhaps five minutes after the battle had truly begun, turned on the rest of the droids.

Even though she remembered that had been the initial battleplan before any of them had jumped into the system, she hadn't expected it to activate as intended, nor that it would affect droids at this battle. Still, it did, and beyond sowing even more confusion into the Federation ranks, it confirmed that the Lucrehulk in orbit had been held; meaning a large bonus for every warrior who joined this war. Something Vhonte would never complain about.

Nor would she complain at the almost non-existent casualty rates among the non-Mando'ade. Vhonte wasn't pleased that the Lokella'ade styled their armour on beskar'gam, but they did say that mimicry was the sincerest form of flattery, and what warrior wouldn't want to copy the look and training of the Mando'ade? Additionally, the early members of the collection of freed slaves had been trained by them. Thus, even when the most recent civil war had broken out and those trainers returned to fight in it, the Lokella'ade had kept the training regiments and taught them to their new members.

The only odd thing about the armour wasn't that it was styled on beskar'gam, but that it was composed of phrik, a similar if inferior metal. How and where a group – especially one that was tens of thousands strong – had found enough of the rare alloy to craft armour for all their warriors was something Vhonte intended to learn after this battle, and the other ones being fought for control of the planet, were over.

However, based on the current situation here, the local battle would be over within ten minutes. About ninety per cent of the Federation army was destroyed or disabled, with the former applying to the droids while the latter applied to their equipment. Virtually every transport they brought to the battle had been disabled, along with the majority of their tanks. Or at least those that survived the initial explosion that marked the beginning of Phase Eight.

All the recoverable equipment would be gathered, and if the Federation wasn't willing to purchase back their lost weaponry, they would be sold to others throughout the galaxy. Even if that meant stripping them for parts. That alone would generate another large bonus for everyone who'd answered the call to arms from Cameron Shan.

Almost as if by design, as his name went through her thoughts, a signal came through the Battlenet. Vhonte's brow rose in surprise as it stated he'd engaged a Sith. They were meant to be long gone, destroyed by the Republic before the Dral'Han. After firing off a blast from her rifle at the next targeted droid, she paused.

This battle was over, and she was curious to see if Shan was telling the truth. However, when she accessed the Battlenet, she found his camera feed restricted. Thankfully, as one of the senior commanders in the allied forces, she had override codes.

Her breath quickened as she saw blurred red images from Shan's armour. Hers worked to slow down the images, letting her see that Shan's opponent was a red-skinned Zabrak, using a red lightsaber: as the Sith were known to do. That alone didn't confirm that the Zabrak was a Sith, but given the speed at which the battle was proceeding between it and Shan, it was clear to Vhonte that it was skilled in the Force. At least to the point of challenging Shan.

Not knowing how long the feed would remain on the Battlenet, Vhonte commanded her HUD to record the feed. While she had no interest in the battles between the Sith and Jedi, at least so far as they didn't involve her people and the chance of open war, this was a fight that she knew others would wish to see, and one she'd wish to review if the time ever came where a bounty required her to track down and eliminate a Force user.

… …

… …
(Cam's POV)

I slid a foot back and angled my body. Maul's blade missing my armour by millimetres; though it was close enough the HUD warned of potential damage to the exposed section of underweave that the blade had swooped past.

While my armour offered better coverage than the armour worn by most Mandalorians, it still had sections – mainly around my joints – where it relied on the underweave for protection. While I'd have preferred to have everything covered, I'd not yet worked out how to cover joints like my elbows and knees fully without compromising my Force-based mobility. The Mandalorian armourers had some ideas, but they'd not been able to implement them before Palpatine had called me to announce the blockade of Naboo.

That had come earlier than I'd expected, barely two months after Padmé became Queen Amidala, and so I'd been forced to head into battle aware of the weak points in the armour. And it seemed Maul was understanding this as his recent attacks had been aimed heavily toward those locations.

Now, that might not be the case, and he simply understood that with the general armour coverage, his best option was to target limbs with his blade. It was, after all, part of the standard approach to defeating a lightsaber-wielding opponent and both of us were going for such attacks, be they targeting arms, legs, or even decapitating each other. So far, neither of us had landed a blow to achieve that, but Maul was having far better success in breaching my defences than I was at breaching his.

Maul's blade slashed to my side, and then as I moved to avoid it, he twisted. The back end of his lightsaber came around and forced me to deflect it away from my thigh. When his spin had ended, and the front blade of his weapon was already coming around for another attack, I'd altered my stance; presenting an even more limited profile. It exposed a single knee and the arm wielding my lightsaber but meant he had to continue to push forward to get his blade to reach any part of my body.

His blade flicked out, drawing me into defending the thrust. As I pushed away that tip of the blade, the other end came around. Aware it was coming, I lifted my left leg, ensuring the low sweep struck my armour. However, while I knew the attack was coming, the HUD and my mind understanding the possible vectors he could take based on his weapon, it came at me faster than I could fully adapt to. Ideally, I'd have preferred to simply avoid the attack, sliding back or to the side. However, I lacked the time to do so given how fast Maul was moving. The HUD, even with all its power, was struggling to track every movement Maul made. Thankfully, between it and the Force, I was holding my own - at least for now.

He reversed the direction of his lightsaber and brought the blade back in low. My foot came down, attempting to trap the blade under my boot even as my beskad flicked out to engage the other section of his weapons. Sadly for me, he was ready for that, and my beskad missed. Only a quick shift of my arm had the red plasma slash harmlessly across the armour on the underside of my vambrace, and not over the controls of the weaponry there.

My lightsaber swept low, knocking his lower blade to one side, which forced the upper blade away from my vambrace before it slid far enough to reach the underweave near my elbow. My lightsaber clipped the ground and I tossed super-heated clumps of dirt at Maul.

He avoided them easily, melting some with his blade while the rest sailed harmlessly past, however, that allowed me time to re-open a gap between us. It had barely been two minutes since I'd fought off my anger and regained complete control of my actions. In that time though, it had become clear that if things continued the way they were going, I'd soon join Master Drallig.

Only a few minutes, perhaps no more than five had passed from when I'd learnt Drallig and Serra had engaged Maul before I reached them. Yet in that time, Maul had killed Drallig and brutalised Serra. That, along with how this fight was going, made it abundantly clear – if it hadn't been before I'd even reached Naboo – that I was never going to beat Maul in a straight-up lightsaber duel.

I placed my beskad against the small of my back, the magnetic clip securing it there.

Maul paused, seeming curious about my action. Unlike my lightsaber, the beskad simply didn't have the reach to come close to landing a blow against him, which was why it'd only been using it mostly as a parrying device. Though many of the strikes it blocked would've only clipped my armour and not reached a critical section with exposed underweave. But still, it had been useful so removing it must have caused some concern.

When nothing replaced the beskad in my grip, his lips twitched, and for a moment a snarl seemed like it would form. It didn't, but as he came forward again, planning to exploit what he saw as a critical mistake, I readied my free hand. It was time to stop fighting like a Jedi.

… …

… …
(Bo-Katan's POV)
She raced through the streets, Naz, and the rest of her squad just behind, sliding around and over the debris that littered the city. Droids lay broken around her, along with the bodies of Naboo that had fallen fighting to free their home. Those weren't of any real concern, and as Fenrir leapt down from a balcony, the arm of a droid in his mouth, Bo-Katan rounded the corner to the area marked by Cam through the Battlenet.

"Osik."

The word slipped from her lips as she took in the destruction that greeted her. Buildings were shattered, some having crumbled to nothing more than rubble. The ground, once covered in decorative tiles, was a disaster with few if any tiles remaining in place. Deep gorges radiated out from certain points as if caught in focused explosions, the remains of what was a fountain now just a clump of soggy mud.

She took a step into the square, her HUD marking out the remains of Serra's Jetii Master, the two parts having been blown away by one of the explosions. She moved into the square as Fenrir raced toward the collapsed building, her HUD marking out two lightsabers and the remains of a third. While a spike of fear reached through her as the armour identified one of the lightsabers, and the remains, as belonging to Serra, she was relieved that the other wasn't Cam's.

After scooping up the blades, securing them to her belt and placing the remains of the other weapon in a pouch around her belt, she turned to Fenrir. A second later she was racing over to him as he dug frantically at the debris. The transponder from Serra's armour was broadcasting from under the debris, and while she was still alive, her pulse was erratic and her vitals falling.

Joining Fenrir in shifting the rubble, her HUD confirmed the building had been at least three stories tall, and judging from the debris patterns, had fallen in two sections. It couldn't understand how as there was no explosive residue, but Bo-Katan did. The Force had been used here, which meant that the being Cam was fighting had intentionally brought the place down on Serra.

That made her anger flare, and she hoped Cam killed the shabuir who did this to Serra. That he made them suffer for daring to hurt their friend and lover. That anger only grew as they cleared enough of the debris that Serra's armour was able to reconnect properly to the Battlenet.

Bo-Katan blinked at the range of injuries it reported. She'd known about the shattered hands and cuts that had come before the signal had been lost – the debris seemingly having damaged the primary Battlenet transmitter – but the full list was much more concerning.

Ruptured vocal cords, internal bleeding, broken or cracked bones throughout the body, a durasteel pipe piercing her lower left leg, and numerous other, by comparison, minor injuries appeared on Bo-Katan's HUD.

It was a miracle that, even with the armour having provided an infusion of bacta, Serra was still alive.

The HUD alerted her that the rest of her squad had arrived, and she summoned them over even as she continued working with Fenrir to clear enough debris so they could remove Serra. As a field medic, Naz had the supplies they could use to stabilize Serra, but they had to reach her. While she was alive, the vitals were fading.

When the rest of her team started helping, Bo-Katan glanced toward the palace. Somewhere in that direction, on a small island near the palace, Cam was fighting the Sith. After offering a small prayer to whoever or whatever was listening that Cam would make them pay dearly for what they did to Serra, she returned her focus to the debris and freed one of her lovers.

… …

… …
(Cam's POV)
I stepped forward, keeping only a single hand on my lightsaber. Maul moved as well, bringing his blade around to meet mine.

A flick of my wrist pushed his first attack away, and then a roll of my shoulder had it slip down, catching the second half of his weapon. My arm rolled, bringing his blade with mine in a circle, hoping to push it far enough away that the other end wouldn't be able to strike out.

Maul was aware of this, and as the section of his blade against mine started moving away from where I wanted to go, I shifted my shoulder. The other end of his lightsaber flicked around, skidding off the beskar there. A little jerk pushed the blade high, away from my helmet, my lightsaber then flicked low, blocking a probing strike toward my thigh. I then lunged forward, forcing Maul to abort any attack with the high-end of his weapon.

He moved back, his blade sweeping around defensively as he turned, protecting his back in the short span where his eyes couldn't see me. As he ended the move, his blade already shifting with his arms, ready for another attack, I was primed.

Before the red blade could come at me once again, the vambrace on my free hand activated. Maul grunted, slipping back as he was assaulted by intense sonic waves generated by the vambrace. While I could've gone for a directed weapon, I'd used something similar to what I'd experienced in the Mandalmotors tower; when I'd unwittingly saved Darth Plagueis from Death Watch.

Around me, plants bent back, and dirt was ripped from the topsoil, the strength of the waves being generated great enough to affect them. Yet, with the armour protecting me, I was immune to the attack, and as Maul struggled to recover, I surged forward.

His blade came up, blocking a thrust of my lightsaber, and a growl slipped from his lips as he started adapting to the unexpected attack. His eyes, burning a bright, malignant yellow, tried to burn holes through my helmet even as my blade moved. The initial attack was never going to work, but the slight delay in Maul's reaction to it was what I wanted to gauge. With that knowledge, and knowing he'd soon adapt and overcome the sonic attack, I attacked again.

This time my blade went low towards his gut, forcing him to block and slide back on the chance my blade slipped past his defence. My weapon then came around horizontally, forcing him to shift his stance. When our blades clashed, I pushed upward, lifting his weapon with mine. My leg came around, the boot aiming for his knee.

Maul was skilled in unarmed combat though, and lifted his leg, ensuring my attack crashed into his shin instead of the knee. While the snarl that flickered on his lips suggested the blow hurt, it was better than a hard strike to the side of the knee.

His leg then pushed upward, forcing me off-balance. Turning with the shifting momentum, I brought my blade down, blocking an attack aimed at my leg even as it swept away. As my heel dug into the dirt, helping me stabilise, my blade was already moving, a passing step bringing me into a lunge.

The black blade slipped forward, and just before his lightsaber came up to deflect the strike, I disengaged the sonic disruptor. The unexpected change caught him out, and my blade crashed against his closer to the hilt, close to his hands.

Before I could slip my blade toward his hands, he moved. The double-bladed weapon came overhead, forcing my lightsaber up to defend a strike aimed at my skull. I then had to slide back, avoiding the lower end of his weapon as it skimmed in low. My lightsaber moved, blocking an attack aimed toward my neck, and then my leg lifted, letting another low attack crash against my armour, protecting the underweave near my knee.

The upper section of his lightsaber came in again, though because of how it was sliding against my beskar, I was able to lean away, letting the attack miss. My blade then flicked out, pushing that section of his blade away, aborting an attack by the other end.

With a double-bladed lightsaber, Maul was forced to follow a limited number of attack vectors, each determined by the location of the other end. However, while I knew all this, and was able to predict them, Maul wasn't someone I could study beyond his fights in TPM. His pace, strength, and ferocity, while anticipated, were greater than I'd expected, and even when I gained an advantage – as when the sonic disruptor was used – it only lasted a short time. Not nearly enough to gain a strike against him, never mind one that might turn the tide in my favour.

As I shifted again, using the beskar to defend against another blow that would've been fatal, I was glad of the armour, and when I won this battle, would be offering the armourers my thanks for their craftsmanship.

That said, I knew I couldn't keep relying on the armour to protect me. Maul's strikes were slowly zeroing in on the weak points, and after blocking a flurry of strikes, my lightsaber moving so fast the air darkened between us, I readied my next party trick.

I feigned attacking one way, my blade moving out just enough to force him to shift his stance to defend. That meant neither end of his weapon was in a position to strike as I extended my free arm. Maul tensed, readying for another blast from the sonic disruptor. However, instead of the intense aural waves, a cable shot out.

At this distance, Maul had little time to avoid the attack, and while he tried, the cable stuck his side when I jerked my arm across my body. The cable clipping his side wouldn't hurt, at least not to the point that Maul would be concerned by it. Nor of the cable bending with my action and trying to wrap around him. However, a twitch of my eyes had the HUD activate an electrical discharge.

Electricity surged down the cable, slamming into his body, and making him react. While I knew the charge wouldn't stop him – even if it was designed to take down a rancor – as Sidious had likely trained him to tank Force Lightning, it did disrupt his movement, and that was what I needed.

I moved forward, my blade coming around for an attack. Even with tens of thousands of volts coursing through his body, Maul moved to block me; sparks from the electricity flickering around his hands, bouncing against the plasma of his blades.

Our blades clashed, mine drifting away not letting him push me away. A roll of my wrists took my lightsaber low, forcing his blade downward. As they pressed against each other I winced, struggling to keep his blade trapped while the energy danced over his body. A grunt slipped from my lips as he found renewed strength and was able to force me back.

As I reset, ready to attack again, his blade spun around, severing the cable, the last vestiges of the energy dancing over his skin dying away as the cable flopped to the ground. A gesture had the HUD release the cable, ensuring Maul couldn't use the trailing section to tangle me and then Maul was upon me.

My arm barely survived the ferocity of his attack, and I was driven back as I struggled to retain the grip on my lightsaber. Another blow came in, and while I was ready for the power behind it, I still felt my feet slip back slightly. I knew he'd be angry after the cable trick, that it wouldn't do anything but piss him off, but I hoped it might unbalance him, granting me a small opening to exploit. Yet the rage he was broadcasting into the Force almost overwhelmed my senses. My connection to the Force felt off and wrong. As if he was somehow interrupting it.

My blade swirled around, generating an almost complete black-and-white shield between us, my stance keeping as much of my frame hidden from his direct sight. Yet still, his attacks slipped through. I was forced to use my armour to deflect, and block any attack bound for a weak point.

Maul's attacks rained down, my lightsaber and armour doing what they could to survive and protect me from the onslaught. Every few attacks, with only split seconds having passed for anyone who might be watching, I was forced back. The HUD continually flared, alerting me to incoming threats; the computer driving it pushed to and beyond its limits trying to predict Maul's next assault.

The ground under my feet was growing soft, dirt replacing tiles as we neared the banks of the river, the sounds of the water cascading over the falls mixing with those generated by our lightsabers as they danced and clashed to generate an oddly hypnotic, if deranged, symphony.

Maul was pressing me further even as my room to manoeuvre decreased. The rushing of water drew the HUD's attention just as much as the numerous blows on my armour. Each blow, be it glancing or full-on, was still hitting the beskar plates, but Maul was drawing a bead on the underweave; each strike getting just that little bit closer to costing me a limb, and by extension the fight.

Knowing that I couldn't continue to shift back or tank the strikes coming in, my free hand shifted back, tensing. Maul, seeing this, pulled back slightly. A flicker of annoyance flashed over his face when I unclipped my beskad, bringing that back into the fight.

As he started moving again, his blade swooping through the air, I knelt slightly, shrinking my profile even further, the beskad floating out slightly from my body. That allowed me to aim my lightsaber away slightly, covering some of my back.

Maul's irritation flooded into the Force, though whether it was aimed at me for not dying yet, or him tensing in anticipation which allowed me to draw the beskad, I couldn't be certain. Regardless, the fact I could sense it suggested he was slowly growing frustrated at not having managed to kill me yet.

I was a far easier opponent than Drallig, but by the counter in the HUD, I'd so far lasted nearly twice as long. Yes, much of that was down to the armour, but that he'd not yet killed me and departed this world as his supposed allies fell had to be nagging him; hopefully driving him to commit an error I could exploit.

Swirling, sweeping, slashes of black and red danced against each other, yet for all my hope that shrinking the area I'd have to cover with my lightsaber might grant me better protection, the areas where the red pierced through my darkened shield of energy were growing larger. Now, Maul's strikes weren't hitting my armour with as much regularity, and my beskad wasn't as active as it'd been earlier, but I knew this defensive approach wasn't fully working. Attacks were still slipping through my defences, aimed toward the weak points in the armour again.

Taking a chance, I pressed forward. Maul's blade crashed against my chest, the beskar easily taking the strike. My beskad came out, blocking the next attack from the other end of his lightsaber before I pushed my lightsaber arm forward. The blade was high, not intended to attack Maul, nor was I close enough to land a punch, but from the end of the vambrace there a thick, virulent gas emerged.

Reacting instantly, Maul pulled back even as I pulled my arm down. My lightsaber clipped a section of his robes, cutting the fabric free, but the blade failed to connect with him. The gas I'd used, that Maul had pulled back from, was a highly dangerous poison; one designed to take down Wookies and other larger and stronger sentients in minutes. Yet, even if he inhaled the gas, I knew Maul wouldn't succumb to its effects. The Force would keep his lungs clear, and defeat the poison before it could do any damage. However, for that to work, he had to concentrate on it, meaning his reactions should be a fraction slower.

With the gas still flowing from my vambrace, I moved forward, not giving Maul time to think about a cover. My blade thrust toward him, and while he deflected it, he didn't go for the obvious counter, nor step closer. Instead, he continued to backpedal. Yes, the movement was only slightly, just enough to keep out of range of the gas, but that was enough to allow me to launch into a flurry of quick, probing thrusts, slashes, and feints, keeping him on the defensive.

With the armour protecting me from the poison, and the HUD and the Force easily able to track Maul through the thick cloud spewing from my arm, I kept pushing. The gas would only last for maybe five seconds, of which one was already past, and while I hoped it would be enough for me to score a strike against him, perhaps even debilitate him, I wasn't getting my hopes up. Though even if it failed, I had other tools in the vambrace to use, and as his blade again deflected mine, I reactivated the sonic disruptor.

Sensing this was perhaps my chance to end the fight, I pushed harder, my beskad joining the fray when and where it could. While I was no longer driven by anger at Serra's fate, I knew the only way Maul was leaving Naboo was over my dead body.

… …

… …
(Padmé's POV)
Padmé slipped through the shattered window into the highest level of this section of the palace. Kast and Aran had already entered, securing the area. Just ahead of Padmé HK-47 stood, his blaster scanning the area, seeking threats to her, and as she moved away from the window, the glass crunching under her feet, Master Jinn and Captain Panaka entered.

Panaka walked past her, an arm coming out to stop her from advancing further. She disliked that, even if she understood his reasoning. The sour expression he sent the droid was one she didn't approve of though. Just like him, HK-47 was here to protect her, and he needed to see that HK-47 wasn't the same as the Federation's droids. Something displayed by the unerring precision of his blaster fire in the battle that was probably still raging on the ground floor.

Master Jinn also stepped past her, the older man giving her a reassuring smile, one she returned. While she had disagreed with him over going to Tatooine, it had worked out well as that was where Cam had met them, and he'd then escorted them back to Coruscant and Senator Palpatine. Or perhaps, if things were going as well there as here, she would be calling him Chancellor when they next met.

The columns here, like those below, were carved from marble taken from a large quarry on one of Naboo's southern continents that had been brought here when the palace had first been designed. The corridor they were in was massive, the roof high enough that Padmé felt her royal cruiser – if it was still flight-worthy – could fly down if it rotated vertically and wide enough that two Federation tanks could conceivably move down it side by side. Though for either test to take place, the statue of King Narmlé that stood at one end, in the opposite direction from which they'd be going, would have to be moved. That the statue was still there was a surprise, as the reports of the Federation stealing Naboo's cultural heritage had almost broken her heart. Only a promise from Cam and the Lokella to locate any of the artefacts and civilians shipped off-world had saved her from crying over their fates.

"Hold."

The command from Kast was accompanied by an arm stretched back toward them. Padmé saw Captain Panaka bristle, his annoyance at having to listen to the off-worlders easy for her to pick up on. The man was proud, and she knew it hurt him to have to rely on off-worlders to free their people. She hoped that once Naboo was free, the Captain would begin to soften that stance, as she had plans for the future that would see many Mandalorians and Lokella remaining on the world, perhaps even as more than trainers for an enlarged security force.

Panaka was the one who'd insisted on her having trained handmaidens when she became Queen, handpicking Sabé as the royal decoy due to their similarities. However, outside of the Jedi assigned by Chancellor Valorum, and Cam through his connection to her and Senator Palpatine, he disliked most others. While that made him a great Captain of her guard, it meant in this war, he struggled to accept the presence of others.

Kast brought her arm back to her rifle once Panaka and the other guards stopped, remaining behind cover. She and Aran then advanced. HK-47 moved as well, though he stayed back from the Mandalorians, moving in a way that partially blocked her sight of what was happening down the corridor.

The trio advanced slowly, the Mandalorians moving beside the columns, ready to use them as cover if attacked, while Hk-47 stayed in the open. Padmé had seen how resistant to blaster fire its frame was, but she still found herself concerned for the droid. Fearing that if it was damaged Cam might somehow blame her. Yes, she knew it was irrational, and that the droid would sacrifice itself to defend her, but she didn't want it destroyed. It was, beyond belonging to Cam, something Padmé found oddly reassuring to have around.

The Mandalorians moved slowly, so much so that Padmé began to feel restless; fearing Gunray might escape if they took too long to reach him. Or the Federation discovered that Sabé was a decoy. If that Neimoidian escaped them here, then it would be hard to force a surrender from the Federation forces. Even with the battles in space and on the plains going well – she had a small device given to her by Cam that allowed her to see reports from the Battlenet the Mandalorians used – without Gunray captive, then everything would be for nothing. The Federation's leader had to be made to pay; he had to stand trial for his actions against her people.

As they neared the first intersection of the corridor, the Mandalorians slowed. A moment later blaster fire erupted at them from opposite sides. The pair fell back, taking cover behind the nearest column. Their rifles returned fire as they moved, a small rocket launching from Aran's wrist generating an explosion down one corridor.

Just as they were reaching cover, droids flooded into the passageway from ahead of them led by a squad of droidekas.

"Contact!" Captain Panaka called out, turning. She did likewise to see several dozen battledroids appear near King Narmlé's statue. Panaka and his guards engaged those droids, Master Jinn stepping between the droids and her, his lightsaber swooping around, generating a powerful blue barrier to protect her. Even with his lightsaber moving so fast it appeared in several locations at once, Padmé saw Master Jinn deflecting the bolts back, with as many droids falling from the blaster fire he was redirecting as fell to her guards.

She lined up her pistol, smiling as the bolt struck a droid between its eyes.

"Observation: I've been looking forward to this."

Padmé spun, wondering what HK-47 was on about, only for her eyes to widen. The Mandalorians were holding their ground, using the columns as cover while peppering the droids flooding into the area with blaster fire. Dozens lay ruined on the ground already, most with small whiffs of smoke rising from where they'd been shot. While they were heavily outnumbered, they were more than holding their own.

However, HK-47 hadn't taken cover. Instead, with his comment made loud enough that it reached Padmé's ears over the evolving firefight, he began to walk forward. Directly toward a group of around twelve droidekas. The cannons in their arms fired on him, trying to down him, yet each blast, while possibly rattling his frame, did nothing to deter his slow, steady advance. HK-47 wasn't targeting the droidekas though; instead, he was aiming meticulously at the battledroids behind, his bolts slipping through the small gaps between, or going right over, the shields generated by the droidekas.

Once only a handful remained, HK-47, while still advancing, shifted. His rifle slung over his back as one arm extended forward. As the rifle was secured against his back, a shield was generated by the forearm facing the Federation forces. While not covering his entire form, it offered considerable protection, reminding Padmé of the shields the Gungans were using, though HK-47's shield was obviously much more advanced.

HK-47 brought his now free arm back over. As it passed his thigh, a section of his armour opened up and deposited something into his hand. As the arm moved next to the shield, Padmé saw that it had been grenades that were now bouncing slowly along the ground. Her eyes were drawn back to HK-47's arm as the underside of the forearm opened and a quad of rockets raced out.

The rockets split, a pair going to each side of the droideka line. As they exploded, the droidekas and sections of the palace were sent flying. Padmé turned, shielding her eyes as a wave of dust rushed toward her. While covering, another round of explosions erupted from the direction of the droidekas.

With the dust cloud passing, she turned back to see HK advancing; shield now down. From one arm came slower, but probably higher-powered bolts while the other spewed flames. The debris settled further, and Padmé saw the droidekas had all been knocked over. Several were nothing more than sparking pieces of debris, the one-two punch of the rockets and grenades rendering them useless. The rest were being assaulted by HK-47's weapons. And those of the Mandalorians, who seemed to understand what the droid was doing and helped to remove the droideka threat.

Padmé gulped as the short, intense battle ended. The entirety of the Federation forces that had engaged Hk-47 and the Mandalorians were smoking craters of broken electronics while that trio were entirely unharmed. She'd known that having them would be useful, but she now understood why Cam had been so insistent that they accompany her.

Yes, the Jedi were useful, but they fought defensively. The Mandalorians, HK-47, and the others Cam had brought to her planet were fighting to win. She hadn't known about the hidden features of HK-47 – there was no mention of such things in the novel she'd read – but thinking on it, and considering that Bo-Katan had likely helped with the rebuild, it made sense Cam had outfitted the droid as he had, a war droid rather than an assassin.

Without him and the Mandalorians, it was likely she'd have been forced to surrender; not wanting her security forces to be needlessly slaughtered. Unless Sabé had managed to somehow free them, it would mean that they'd have lost the planet, even if the battles on the plains and in orbit had gone their way.

"I'm concerned about the danger it represents."

Padmé turned, seeing Captain Panaka at her side, a deep scowl on his face as he looked toward HK-47.

"Hk-47 is loyal to Knight Shan; a close friend of both me and Senator Palpatine," she added the Senator's name as she knew Panaka trusted him, "I trust him with my life, and the fate of our planet."

Captain Panaka looked at her, the scowl lessening slightly. "Yes, Your Highness," he replied with a nod of acceptance.

Padmé turned back to the droids and off-world warriors and stepped forward. They'd been here long enough dealing with the Federation's assault. They couldn't delay any more as it might let Gunray escape.

The Mandalorians made no move to acknowledge her approaching, but she knew they were aware. The armour granted them complete vision of their surroundings, and while she was curious how that worked, and what it felt to wear one of their helmets, she'd not asked about it before the battle, fearing it might be culturally taboo to ask that. HK-47 also failed to acknowledge her as she moved, but the way he stepped to one side, offering the greatest possible cover if more Federation droids emerged made it clear he was aware of her presence.

That made her smile and turned her thoughts once again to Cam. When her planet was free, she'd have to figure out how exactly she'd reward him for all his help, as Queen she could not let such a thing go unacknowledged. It would have to be something the Jedi Council wouldn't have concerns about, but she felt Senator – or possibly Chancellor – Palpatine might have some idea. While his actions on Coruscant hadn't brought her the help she'd expected when she'd chosen to leave Naboo, it had brought Cam onto the scene, and with him came an allied force that put to shame any possible help – regardless of how long it would be in creating and gathering it – the Senate could provide.

… …

… …
(Cam's POV)
Red filled my vision as I jerked my head, barely avoiding a sweeping attack from Maul's lightsaber. As the blade passed, my lightsaber spun around, catching the other end of his weapon as it came in toward my knee. The blade flicked high, just managing to deflect the next attack of his sequence, though the fourth was too fast for my blade and I was forced to use my shin to block the strike; leaning into the attack so it was pushed downward.

The beskad jerked out, catching the other side of his weapon, and for a brief moment, I had both sides trapped. My lightsaber thrust forward, forcing him to pull back to avoid the tip of the blade as it rushed toward his chest.

I reset my stance, readying myself for the next section of his onslaught, which ever since I'd run out of gas, had increased in ferocity and velocity to a degree that I was lucky to block even half his attacks with my blades. I knew where his attacks were coming from, and could compute the angles faster than the HUD, yet I simply wasn't able to shift fast enough to engage every attack. To say nothing of those that were simply feints designed to draw me into a false move.

My armour was now being used as a much more active defence, and I was still struggling. The only upside to all this was that our fight had reached an isolated location. We'd eventually slipped onto a small island between the royal place and the hangar. Now, the location hadn't been isolated when we'd arrived so a few dozen battledroids had been present, though after they made the mistake of attacking us both, we'd summarily dispatched them – not working together, but just pausing our duel – before our battle resumed without further interruption. What remained of those droids had long since been dispensed with; used as projectiles in our battle.

Through the HUD, the Battlenet was sending me notifications of the battles raging across the planet, and I swore I'd seen flashes of light in the palace; however, I couldn't focus on them. any attempt to shift attention from Maul would cost me my life. All I could do was hope that everyone I cared about was still alive and the battles turning their way. I did hope that Osto Ordo was still inbound for my location. He, like a handful of others, knew of my belief that a Sith would be present on Naboo – though I'd not supplied them with a name – and had orders to, when I alerted him, come to help with the battle. I hoped I'd be victorious, but if I fell, Maul wasn't leaving the planet and Osto had orders to do whatever it took to end the threat Maul presented if he found me dead.

My lightsaber clashed with his, the time all those thoughts had passed through my mind seeming like less than a quarter-second to anyone not trained to draw on the Force. To Maul and myself, as our blades moved around so fast the air had to be a merging of red, white and black light, it felt like a dozen seconds had passed, with twice that many attacks from him coming at me.

As the newest flurry began, I leaned back, letting the first probing attack miss, and then reactivated the sonic generator. This was the sixth time I'd activated it, and while Maul was adapting to it, I kept the usage seemingly random to keep him off-balance as best I could. This time, my blade flicked forward, surging toward his hilt.

The smallest of moments occurred where it looked like I might strike the hilt, and damage his weapon, however, Maul recovered in time that he was able to pull his weapon back. At the same time, one hand moved back faster than the other, pushing the upper section of his weapon down toward me.

I shifted, my blade angling to deflect that away before it could strike my shoulder. My blade then swooped down, blocking a shot aimed at my waist. As his blade pulled back, neither of us allowing our weapons to get into a bind, the upper section of the blade suddenly lurched forward. I moved to the side, avoiding the attack, but he brought the blade down and thrust forward; more so than he'd done before.

The move placed him slightly off-balance, but with me moving to one side, neither of my blades was in a position to block, and the tip of his lightsaber caught and then dragged down my forearm: slashing through the controls of the vambrace.

Given the only unused tool there was a taser, one that would need me to directly grip Maul, the only real loss was the sonic disruptor. Still, losing what had been, until now, my most effective way of keeping Maull off-balance was an issue. One compounded as the tip of the blade slid close to my wrist before withdrawing.

My arm turned, shifting the armour around so the underweave there wasn't exposed to the plasma. The tip of his blade slid down my arm, and thanks to my moving, struck the section of gauntlet covering the back of my hand. Before it could reach my fingers – and the small gaps the armour caused because I was gripping my beskad – I pushed out with my hand and then slapped at the blade with my beskad. The move was a touch reckless, as I put power into the attack on his blade, but it forced it away. The other end of his weapon came in, but because I'd chosen the direction his upper blade moved, I knew where the lower section would be and my lightsaber was there to deflect the attack.

My beskad was already moving, ready to block the upper section of his weapon as the lower pulled back, blocked by my lightsaber. When the beskad clipped the upper blade, my lightsaber went low, thrusting toward his thigh. Maul shimmied back, the tip of my blade melting a hole into the ground. A flick of my wrist sent the super-heated dirt at him, forcing him to use the lower section of his weapon to defend himself.

The beskad surged forward, aiming toward his hilt and hands. Maul saw it coming and turned, but because he'd had to deal with the super-heated dirt, my blade slipped past the upper blade as it came down. The plasma of his weapon smashed into my shoulder. A grunt slipped from my lips as the blow drove my arm low, forcing the beskad down, and ensuring it missed the hilt; instead clipping against the other end of his lightsaber, no more than a few centimetres from his fingers.

I could sense Maul's fury at how close I'd come to if not costing him a hand, then at least damaging his lightsaber. I pulled back, expecting a new flurry of offence from him, though as I did so, I shifted sides, bringing the beskad forward into the main position and the lightsaber secondary. To counter the short reach of the beskad, I turned slightly, narrowing my profile to give him less of a target, my saber rising up beside my head to point at him.

As Maul stepped forward, his blade flicking low in what I took to be a faint, I felt myself smile. While I'd been on the defensive for almost all this duel, letting him dictate the direction and flow of the battle, I'd been enjoying it. To finally go all-out with someone, both trying to kill the other and holding nothing back was a rush I'd not felt in years.

Now, against the Vong there'd been times when I'd pushed myself, almost getting lost in the battle, but while they'd been dangerous, they weren't Force-sensitive. I couldn't sense their thoughts, their feelings mixing with mine as we battled. Something had been missing that I'd never realised until this very moment as my beskad came out, deflecting a strike from above before sliding back to avoid a sweep by the other end of Maul's lightsaber, that came with fighting another Force user. Of giving everything we had against each other in a dance of death.

The beskad flicked forward, nowhere near enough to concern Maul, but the move caught him out and I brought my back foot around in a passing step, thrusting my lightsaber past the beskad. That forced him into a defensive move, one side of his long weapon coming around to push away my thrusting blade.

While he was able to push my lightsaber down, I smirked in triumph as the blade scraped against his thigh, the HUD confirming that I'd burnt his flesh. A brief moment of pain radiated into the Force before Maul's face twitched, his enjoyment of the battle growing enough that I could feel it.

My lightsaber came back, swiftly blocking an attack aimed at my leg by his blade, before my beskad pushed out, deflecting an attack aimed at my side. The lightsaber was barely able to get around to block a strike against my other side before my beskad missed deflecting another attack. That dragged over my thigh, the beskar there taking the blow. The same happened with his next attack; his blade slid around my lightsaber and dragged over my shoulder. Only a quick shift of my body prevented the next attack from slicing through the underweave at my elbow.

My blades swirled around me, my body moving to ensure any strike that slipped by clipped the armour, and I found myself slowly taking steps back, surrendering ground once again to his renewed and furious assault. But for all that, a small well of hope grew within me. I'd caught Maul, meaning there was a real chance I might be able to defeat him.

For every attack, be it a sweep, thrust, slice, or something else, that my blades blocked, three more slipped by. The HUD was struggling to record a spot where the armour hadn't been struck. While I could accept that, as his blade clattered into my helmet for only the second time in the battle, I knew I had to blunt his assault.

After my beskad deflected a strike away, I pushed the hand forward, summoning the Force to me. Maul was already moving, leaping away, as the small Blast raced from my hand, but that granted me a moment of peace from his onslaught. I slid back, generating more room even as it finished moving away from the Force attack, settling into the more standard stance I used with dual blades. My lightsaber forward, the tip horizontal, my frame slightly to one side. The beskad sat lower, covering my front.

Maul rushed forward as soon as he landed, his anger blocking any chance of sensing anything beyond him in the Force. I braced, readying myself for the next furious blitz. My lightsaber flicked forward, tempting him into making a move, hoping that it might generate a small opening for me. Though after the battle so far, I doubted that would be the case. Maul's form was excellent; on par with anything I'd seen from senior Jedi Masters, even in some moments, greater than when I'd sparred against Yoda years ago.

His weapon thrust high. I leaned back, and the other end came in low. My armour blocked it when I leaned into the attack, letting it smash against my forearm. The upper section moved from the side, my lightsaber just getting to it before it reached my elbow. One end flicked low, below my beskad, forcing me to step back to avoid a strike near my knee. The other end swooped in, aimed for my neck. My lightsaber came up, pushing that attack high; the edge of his blade glancing off the dome of my helmet.

That generated a small respite, for perhaps a thousandth of a second, as the other end of his weapon was unable to flick around enough to be a threat. A quick shift of his shoulders had the double-bladed weapon change directions and the higher blade raced back toward my head, ending the momentary respite.

Angling my helmet down, I let the blow glance off it even as my lightsaber thrust forward. That forced him to defend, his blade aborting an attack with the lower section as he shifted; letting my blade miss him. I flicked it to the side, toward his body only for his blade to come up and push it back. A twist of his wrist had his blade roll around mine, forcing me to pull back to avoid a strike against my fingers, and the exposed underweave. That left me open for a low, sweeping strike aimed at my leg.

The attack, like perhaps a thousand before it, clattered off my armour, though as always the beskar held; doing exactly what I needed it to. Without it, I'd have died mere metres from and seconds after Serra had been buried and Maul would have escaped, returning to Sidious' side. However, for all the armour was doing, it was clear this couldn't continue, and with one vambrace destroyed, and time to summon anything from my belt or Inventory non-existent, I had to use my remaining options.

As my thoughts slipped toward considering what I could do, what I might consider to gain an advantage, I felt an odd sensation sweep over me. Suddenly, my blade was moving faster, truer, and with a grace I didn't know I possessed, it blocked a flurry of attacks from Maul with much less effort.

My lightsaber slipped low, catching his blade, and then a rolling of my wrist forced his blade upward, ensuring the other end couldn't come around as he intended. Once I had his blade up, I leaned forward, my blade searing toward his hands. Maul was forced back, a brief widening of his eyes suggesting that like me, he was unsure where that attack had come from.

The faintest of snarls came to Maul's face as he came at me again, though my blade was already moving, getting into place to deflect the attack before it fully formed. Almost as soon as our blades touched, sparks of plasma dancing into the air, my arm was moving, shifting the blade down to block the other end of his weapon. Again, it danced away from the contact, doing just enough to blunt his attack, and then raced around, catching his upper blade before the attack could generate significant power. The next attack, aimed toward my knee, was blocked by my beskad; before my lightsaber then glanced away a strike aimed at my side.

As my blades continued to move, I realised what I was experiencing was, perhaps, how I was meant to connect to the Force; how it was meant to flow with and through a user to help them; to protect and empower them. However, I didn't have time to examine the various notifications from the Interface to see if that was the case. Or if it was something else in play.

Maul's speed increased again, perhaps to as fast as he could manage though I couldn't be sure, and while my blades were still able to intercept his attacks, it was taking a fraction of a moment longer to do so. Slowly, but surely, Maul was overpowering whatever I was doing, and driving his blade closer to my armour once again. Yet, for all the ferocity he was displaying, I was matching it. Or almost so. Enough that while it was working, I had time, oddly, while the air between us became nothing but a mixing of red, white, and black, to consider what my next move would be.

Ideas formed in my head, and then were dismissed in the minute fraction of time that passed between each defensive move I made. Most were dismissed, being unworkable, but a few had potential.

I was driven from my thoughts, and the sense of completeness, as Maul's blade flicked against the armour on my shoulder. A moment later, my blade turning to block a feint that I'd fallen for, Maul's blade slipped toward my hand.

Sparks flew as I pulled my fingers back. My lightsaber winked out, the black and white plasma generated by it gone as Maul's blade clipped the hilt, destroying the weapon.

The ruined hilt fell from my hand as my beskad came around, forced into taking over the entirety of my defence. My now free hand blocked a quick follow-up slash by Maul. By flattening my hand, I sealed the small gaps in the armour that exposed the underweave creating a small shield that I used to push his blade away and pulled my hand away before the blade could clip my wrist.

As the beskad deflected an attack from the other end of his lightsaber, my free hand reached behind me, summoning the shoto to my grip. Yet as it slipped from its bindings, I sensed Maul's blade swooping in, aimed at the elbow of that arm; and the exposed underweave. Understanding the shoto would never reach me in time, I activated it with the Force, and then, as the blade ignited, guided it under my arm – even as I shifted that, ensuring my elbow wasn't in range of Maul's lightsaber – sent it hurtling toward the Zabrak.

Maul aborted his attack, needing to intercept and swat away the small, flying lightsaber. However, as he did that, it left a small window; one that, as the Force shifted around us, I took.

My hand raced forward, free of any blade, slipping past the front blade of Maul's weapon. Darts inside the vambrace, something of a last resort weapon, readied on my command.

Maul, sensing my move, twisted, his body shifting – in comparison to how he'd moved for our entire fight, awkwardly – to bring one end of his lightsaber around to strike my arm. His chest pulled back, trying to delay my fist from striking him. Yet I knew he wouldn't pull back enough, that the blade wouldn't reach me before the darts were fired. The blade would strike my upper arm, clear of any wea….

[NOOOOO!]

The powerful, high-pitched scream through the Force reverberated through my body. For a fraction of a fraction of a second, I paused; hesitating due to Anakin's pained, tortured wail that had been carried to me by the Force.

With my fist mere centimetres from Maul's chest, the darts launched.

As the four small objects impacted his chest, red light filled my sight.

My mind blanked, pain rushing through me, as I stumbled back. Maul did likewise.

My eyes went to my elbow, watching in slow motion as my forearm fell away, severed from my body. Maul's eyes went to his chest, one hand coming from his hilt to swat away the implanted projectiles.

Pain gave way to fury, and then to rage that in my moment of victory, the Force had cheated me of a clean strike. That it felt the need to test Anakin, to hurt him, just as I struck Maul, and potentially gained the advantage in our duel.

Yet before I could focus on that rage, Maul came at me. My beskad rushed up, slapping away his attacks as best I could. A whirlwind of blows crashed against beskar – be it my blade or armour – as I used everything I could to defend myself. The beskad was short, forcing me to rely on the armour more than ever, but I knew if I could avoid another painful strike, then the tide would turn.

Even with one arm all but out of commission – the Force and bacta from the armour working to numb and heal the burnt flesh – I felt time was on my side. The darts had injected senflax; a compound that acted like a sedative, keeping the person conscious while numbing all pain and sensation. It paralyzes primary muscles without affecting vital organs, ensuring the heart, lungs, and other essentials remain unaffected. However, it also clouds the mind, hindering focus and free will. The patient becomes helpless, only able to provide simple answers to direct questions, which should leave Maul unable to draw on the Force, and so long as he didn't overcome the effects too rapidly, allow me to end this battle soon.

After nearly a hundred attacks from Maul, I sensed that he hadn't managed to cleanse himself. His movements, insanely fast as they were, were slowing; the toxin slowly having an effect.

The next flurry from him confirmed this as I was able to use nothing more than the beskad to defend myself. By the next burst of attacks, I countered and even risked attacking with the Beskad, forcing him to defend for the first time since losing my forearm.

Maul seethed, fury pulsing into the Force, yet we both knew the battle was turning, perhaps for the last time. Maul was forced back, my beskad driving him onto the defensive; his blade slowing as he struggled to demand his body do as he wanted.

The Force shifted around us, Maul's rage grew brighter in it, and I found myself pushed back; the beskad was now only used for defence. Several of Maul's blows slipped past my blade, though none landed anywhere near the underweave. However, after nearly three dozen attacks, Maul stumbled back, his breath ragged.

I stepped forward, wanting to keep pushing him, making him keep going. The more he worked, the faster the toxin would shut down his organs, and end the fight. His blade came around, swooping and sweeping, blocking the various flicks, thrusts, and lunges from my beskad. None landed, but each defensive move was slower than the last, and his shoulders were starting to slump.

Again, Maul slipped back, trying to generate space, to recover from the assault on his body. Again, I stepped after him, not letting him rest. Yet just as my blade slipped forward, drawing a defensive blow from his lightsaber, the Force shifted around us. A massive, furious wave of rage grew inside Maul.

I didn't have time to prepare before I was driven back, bouncing end over end away from him. Seething hisses of pain slipped from my lips each time my wounded arm dragged against whatever I bounced off, a startled yelp escaping as it caught for a moment on something. The beskad slipped from my grip on about the twentieth collision, and a grunt emerged as my back slammed into a wall, ending my tumble.

I shook my head, clearing the stars in my vision, and slowly stood; my remaining hand helping me use the wall I'd crashed into for support. Once upright, I summoned my beskad to my hand, the blade sending mud and water flying as the blade had embedded just beyond the river's edge.

Turning, I expected Maul to be coming at me, yet I paused when I saw him fifty metres away, slumped against a wall. His lightsaber was still with him, still active, but only one hand had a grip on the hilt. I walked toward him slowly, the HUD and Interface reporting the various wounds I had and, in the armour's case, what it had done automatically to counter the damage. Outside of my arm, nothing else was damaged, the armour having tanked the damage and the internal mechanics having countered the kinetic effects enough that I wasn't suffering from anything more than a minor concussion.

I did note though that my armour had been broadcasting my fight to the leaders of the alliance, meaning a handful including Osto likely recorded my battle with Maul. Finding myself not minding that, but not wanting what happened next to be public record, I closed the link and then deployed secure commands, meaning no signals were transmitted from my armour.

After a few steps, and seeing Maul unmoving as I approached though his fury clearly painted the Force, I opened the notices from the Interface. They confirmed my injuries, which were only the lost forearm and a minor concussion. However, I also understood that the moment of clarity had come from the interface shutting off its filter for a few seconds. Realising that seemed to alert my body and the next step I took stung, my body finally letting me know how tired and in need of rest it was.

About ten metres from Maul, the HUD and the Force alerted me to approaching allies, and I saw Osto Ordo and three others arrive on the island, their jetpacks picked up by the audio sensors not long after the HUD's report came in.

"Hold," I ordered as the group landed near Maul, weapons raised and primed to end the Zabrak. "He's mine."

The group stepped back; weapons still trained on Maul as I approached. The grip on my beskad tightened as I neared. He had lost, and now his fate was mine to determine.

… …

… …
A/N: And finally, after 5 and a half years, and a near million words, Cam makes it through the Introduction to his adventures.
... ...
This story is crossposted on Fanfiction.net, Archive of our Own, and Royal Road.
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May the Force be with you. Always.

USSExplorer · Feb 23, 2024

A/N:
As always, thanks to those helping me write and plan out this story and checking it for continuality and logic errors.

This chapter was released at least 3 weeks ago to my Patreons (with them seeing a draft version around 2 months ago) and on the story's Discord server (in GDoc form) about a week ago.
Links for both are at the end of the chapter.
Hopefully, all the little mistakes have been found and removed.
Yes, this chapter is far longer than normal, but that's so everything can be handled in one go.

The Phantom Menace 6
... ...

I sat on one of a half-dozen medical beds inside a private ward of the royal palace of Naboo. The man examining my lower arm, or more accurately, where my elbow had once connected to it, ran a scanner over the burnt, sealed flesh. He wasn't, as Padmé first insisted, one of the Naboo doctors, but a fellow Mando'ade. I'd told the Queen that her people needed more help, and I knew the wound was already sealed and not infected; one odd upside of a wound coming from a lightsaber and not a vibroblade, which was why I had a Mando'ade medic giving me the once-over.

While I was glad to have survived Maul, and relieved that, in the end, the various tools I'd prepared for fighting him had worked, the fact I'd lost my forearm had to be some sort of sick joke by the Force or TPTB. I wasn't Anakin or Luke and wasn't set up as the Chosen One, yet I'd suffered the same injury as they had. The only difference was that I'd lost my left forearm whereas they'd both lost their right.

Still, from what I'd felt from Anakin, something had happened to him at the same time, so perhaps it was my connection to the true Chosen One that had resulted in me losing my forearm.

"The bacta has done its job," the medic, Mij Gilamar said, drawing me from thoughts about why I had to suffer this injury, "and there's no hint of infection. There is some damage done to the nerve endings, however, the wound was cauterised instantly by the lightsaber, saving you from any complications. Though that fact is also why the limb would be extremely difficult to restore." I nodded, understanding that issue, as while the wound was clean, Maul's lightsaber had burnt away around an inch of flesh, so if I had the hand reattached, my left arm would be fractionally shorter than my right.

"Small mercies," I muttered with a dark chuckle.

"Yes," Gilmar replied. "I can forward you a list of Mandalorian companies that specialise in replacement limbs so you can decide on what sort of replacement you wish to get."

"I didn't realise there were options." I was playing dumb as I knew Adonai's replacement leg had several after-market modifications, including – according to Bo – a built-in launcher with three rockets similar to those she used in her vambrace. What I wanted to learn about was what my options were regarding modifications for my replacement limb, and how easy it would be to hide those changes from detection by others.

"There's a large range, going from a thousand credits up to, I'm told, close to a million. The materials used in the cover and internal circuitry, along with hidden compartments of weapons. Something I'm told Alor Adonai has in his leg, though that's not something I can speak to. That said, from the other Mando'ade that I know with replacements, a hidden blaster is the most basic advantage taken from the mechanical limb." I nodded as he continued. "Though I suspect that those alterations won't be popular with either the Republic or the Jedi Order."

I chuckled and held up my left arm, displaying the missing limb. "If I'd have fought as a Jedi I'd have lost far more than just a forearm," I said with a dark chuckle.

"Fair enough," Gilamar replied with a smile. "Nor, I suspect, would you have reached out for warriors to march under your banner." While he was being friendly, there was something in his tone that had me pause.

"I wasn't trying to make a statement with the move." That was true, as while I was grateful so many had answered my call – be it because of loyalty to me, Adonai or Torrhen, or the promise of credits – I'd noticed that since Naboo was freed even Mando'ade who had held issues with my status as a Jedi seemed more tolerant of me. Not to the point that I didn't think it was still an issue, but to the extent many, if not most of the gathered Mando'ade saw me fully as one of their own. It hadn't reached a point where I'd caught suggestions I should become a leader of our people, but the hints – such as in Gilamar's tone – meant I knew I'd have to speak with Adonai, Torrhen, and others about how my actions might be misconstrued.

"I understand that, but to others, it could be seen as a statement of intent," Gilamar countered with a friendly smile. "Your status as an Alor, even one from a very minor clan, and your alliances with Houses Kryze and Ordo aside, for any Mando'ade to send out a call to arms, and have so many warriors respond, and unite under their banner, is something that others will take note of. Especially, at least to some, that you also found worthy allies to fight beside us in the Lokella." He chuckled softly. "To those already predisposed toward you, due to your heritage or verd'goten, these actions will resonate. To those who weren't, it will place your name upon their lips; either as a threat to their intentions or as someone they might have use for."

"I have no interest in trying to lead our people."

Gilamar leaned back, raising his palms defensively. "I never said you did, nor, as a Jedi, would I expect you to have it. However, to others, especially those with desires to lead our people – for better or worse – the mere chance you might is something they'll have to consider." He smiled as he stood. "Remember, that you are the first to defeat a Darjetii since before the Dral'Han; and that you did so as Mando'ade and not Jedi also affirms your stance as aligned with our people over the Jedi and Republic." He placed a hand on my right shoulder. "To many, even those with no wish to have the Clans unite, that, when combined with the number that fought under your banner, means something. Especially after another devastating war."

"Again, I don't plan to or want to lead our people. The fact I'm a Jedi as well means I simply can't." That said, I understood his thinking. It would be better, perhaps, if the Mandalorians united under the banner of someone else. Yes, I'd have to follow that person as Mando'ade myself, but having that sort of might as an ally may well be more useful than having it directly under my control. I expected it would also remove most of the issues with commanding a nation that, if the numbers I'd heard were right, numbered in the hundreds of millions, if not billions spread across the galaxy.

"That is something you will, perhaps, one day have to reconcile, as I did. Perhaps, even choose between the laws of the Republic and the Resol'nare. Know though that, as long as the Mando'ade and the Republic don't find themselves at war, I would be happy to consider you a friend."

"Vor entye Mij," I said, accepting the offer and extending my good arm.

He laughed gently as he grasped my forearm. "Ba'gedet'ye Cameron. Though it is I, and others, who should thank you." After that, we broke the clasp. "Now, I think I'll head to see if the local medics need any help. While there were few injuries among our people," he glanced behind me, to the bacta tank that supported Serra, "or the Lokella, the Naboo suffered greatly. As did the Gungans. I and the other medically trained Mando'ade have offered our services to help with the wounded, though Queen Amidala was insistent that you be checked first."

"Since you've finished then, I won't keep you." He gave me a final nod and smiled before leaving the ward. That left me alone in the place. Well, besides Serra, but she was in no condition to speak with me, and Fenrir who was resting at the base of the tank containing Serra, chewing on the remains of a battledroid that he'd had ever since the battle had ended. Fenrir had been there ever since Serra had been brought in and placed in the tank as if guarding her.

Fenrir had few marks on his skin, some from blasters and others from lacerations that didn't appear to have gone deep, but otherwise looked fine. A doctor had tried to scan him, but they'd scampered away when Fenrir had growled loudly at the unwanted attention.

When Gilamar had arrived, Bo and Naz had been with him, the pair pleased to see I was safe – bar the missing limb – and Bo had spent time checking on Serra as she floated in the tank. Bo had seemed off when she turned back from the tank, and Observe revealed she felt as if Serra's injuries – and the death of Master Drallig – were in some way her fault. I'd talk with her later about that, and hopefully clear the air, but before I could do so the pair had, at my insistence, left.

While the battle was won, Theed was in ruins and Padmé needed everyone she could get to search the rubble for survivors and bodies. Plus, if Bo remained here, having to keep seeing my lost arm and Serra's condition, I feared she might become depressed. Helping search for survivors would distract her for a while. At least until I could talk with her about what I feared had happened to Anakin. Still, with them and now Gilamar gone, I was left in my own thoughts, which centred around my friend and lover in the bacta tank.

The constant, steady beeping from the tank for her vitals filled the now silent room as the bacta worked to heal her myriad of physical wounds. Those she would recover from soon enough, but the mental wound of losing her Master – and the closest thing she had to a father – because of choices she made, was one that would take a year, or longer, to heal.

Not only did losing Drallig have major repercussions for Serra, but it would massively affect the Jedi Order. The High Council would want answers as to why he was even here, something Serra would have to face censure for, along with comments from other Padawans, and I would also be questioned for allowing my emotions to influence my choice to let her come along.

However, for all that, the biggest issue Serra was going to have with what happened here would be regarding my choice for Maul's fate. Yet, with what I knew was brewing now with Sidious as Chancellor – though I'd yet to have it confirmed – I needed insight into any plans Maul was privy to.

That could wait though, as I first had to figure out where to store him, and how, and then work to recover from our first battle, hopefully to surpass him so that when we fought again it was clear I was the better fighter. Otherwise, I doubt he'd ever consider speaking with me, never mind the more insane ideas I had for using him to help bring about the end of the Banite Sith.

However, thoughts about the future and what it would bring for me, Serra, and Maul were things I could consider over the next few days. As was heading to see Anakin and learn what had caused him to shout into the Force with such strength and pain. For now, with time alone to think, I turned my mind to the Interface, or more accurately, the messages that had come once the battle for Naboo was confirmed to be over. I'd already read them, but I still pulled them back up, wanting to go over them once again and consider my choices now that I'd finally reached Level 30.

Quest Completed!
The Phantom Menace [ƍ] [֍]
Objectives:
:a: Free Naboo from Trade Federation control before any treaty recognizing the occupation can be signed. [Yes]
:b: Ensure that Padme Naberrie survives the invasion. [Yes]
:c: Defeat Maul. [Yes - Captured]
:d: Ensure that Obi-Wan survives the invasion. [Yes]
:e: Ensure that Bo-Katan Kryze survives the invasion. [Yes]
:f: Ensure that Naz Vizsla survives the invasion. [Yes]
:g: Ensure that Serra Keto survives the invasion. [Yes]
:h: Ensure that at least one of Asta Ordo and Osto Ordo survive the invasion. [Yes - Both]
:i: Ensure that Validus and Ferox survive the invasion. [Yes]
:j: Ensure that more than 75% of those who fight in the battles survive the invasion. [Yes – 87%]
:k: Ensure that Cin Drallig survives the invasion. [No]
Rewards/Penalties:
:a: A massive increase in Reputation with any sentient living on Naboo.
Variable Reputation gains with any who oppose the Trade Federation.
Variable changes in Reputation with members of the Jedi Order, Galactic Senate, and the general populace of the Republic.
8000XP (+1600XP)
:b: 2 tests of friendship with Padme Naberrie are passed.
A massive increase in Reputation with Padme Naberrie.
A large increase in Reputation with Padme's family and closest friends.
2500XP (+500XP)
:c: Overall increases in reputation with Darth Sidious and Darth Plagueis.
A decrease in Reputation with Darth Maul.
5000XP (+1000XP)
:d: A Test of Friendship passed with Obi-Wan Kenobi.
A large increase in Reputation with Obi-Wan Kenobi.
A decent increase in Reputation with Qui-Gon Jinn.
1000XP (+200XP)
:e: A Test of Friendship passed with Bo-Katan Kryze.
A decent increase in Reputation with Bo-Katan Kryze.
A small increase in Reputation with Clan Kryze.
A small increase in Reputation with Naz Vizsla and Serra Keto.
800XP (+160XP)
:f: A Test of Friendship passed with Naz Vizsla.
A decent increase in Reputation with Naz Vizsla.
A small increase in Reputation with Clan Vizsla.
A small increase in Reputation with Bo-Katan Kryze and Serra Keto.
800XP (+160XP)
:g: A Test of Friendship passed with Serra Keto.
A decent increase in Reputation with Serra Keto.
A decent increase in Reputation with Cin Drallig.
Variable small increases in Reputation with members of the Jedi Order.
A small decrease in Reputation with members of the Jedi High Council.
A small increase in Reputation with Bo-Katan Kryze and Naz Vizsla.
800XP (+160XP)
:h: Tests of Friendship passed with Asta Ordo and Osto Ordo.
A decent increase in Reputation with Torrhen Ordo and Alys Ordo.
A small increase in Reputation with Clan Ordo.
800XP (+160XP)
:i: Tests of Friendship passed with Validus and Ferox.
A decent increase in Reputation with members of the Lokella.
A small increase in Reputation with Anakin Skywalker and Shmi Skywalker.
800XP (+160XP)
:j: Large increases in Reputation with everyone who fought in the battles to free Naboo.
1250XP (+250XP)
:k:
Decent decrease in Reputation with Serra Keto.
Variable decreases in Reputation with members of the Jedi Order.
A small decrease in Reputation with members of the Jedi High Council.
...

Quest Completed!
Changing Fate [Qui-Gon Jinn]
Objective:
:a: Prevent Qui-Gon's death at the hands of Darth Maul. [Yes]
Bonus: :b: Introduce Anakin Skywalker to Qui-Gon Jinn before the battles for Naboo. [No]
Rewards/Penalties:
:a: A decent increase in Reputation with Qui-Gon Jinn.
A small increase in Reputation with Obi-Wan Kenobi.
2000XP
:b: An almost zero chance that Anakin will be taken by Qui-Gon Jinn or Obi-Wan Kenobi as their Padawan.
…

LEVEL UP!
Level: 29 -> 30
FP: +650
PPP: +1
PP: +2
STAM: 43
SP: +6
SKP: + 41
...

CONGRATULATIONS!
You've made it to Level 30.
Well done on completing the training section of your new life and reaching the final evolution of the Interface!
This evolution of the Interface isn't like the previous evolution.
Here, the choice in how it evolves rests with the Player, though the choice is a binary one.
This choice doesn't have to be made instantly but must be completed before Level 31 is reached or the Interface will remain locked in its current configuration.
...
The choices for Interface Evolution are:
Player+
Natural Evolution
...
Player+
This is, for lack of a better term, a doubling-down on the current Player-inspired work of the Interface.
However, several important changes increase what the Player is capable of achieving with this evolution.
First, there would be an increase in the tiers of all Force Powers and Skills, allowing you to take any of them to an 8th tier. However, each new tier has skill requirements equal to 2.5x that of the previous level.
The growth rate the Player is capable of won't change, but these far larger level XP requirements will slow the development of any Force Power or Skill taken into the 7th and 8th tiers.
Once a Force Power of Skill reaches Level 100 of tier 8, then can only be improved beyond that with the purchase of a new ability: LEVEL BOOST.
This can be purchased with either a Perk Point or Player Power Point.
However, it can only be taken once every 10 levels from Level 30, and no matter how many times you take it, can only ever be applied once to a Force Power or Skill.
It grants either a 1 or 2 Tier increase to whichever Force Power or Skill it is applied to.
Perks will also be available to remove restrictions on Force Powers that the Player lacks a natural inclination toward.
However, as with LEVEL BOOST, the strength of the restriction can only be removed once every 10 levels starting from Level 30.
...
Natural Evolution
Skills will gain a new base maximum limit of Level 100 of Tier 7.
However, this evolution would, in essence, free the Force from the control of the Interface. At least when it comes to the Player and how they access it.
It would still work with the Interface, allowing the Player to use the Force in conjunction with their special abilities such as the Minimap, but the tracking of what level or tier a Force Ability is at, and the hard limits on what the Player can do with the Force would be, in general, removed.
One key caveat is that while this freeing of the Force would place the upper limits on what the Player can do with a Force Ability, all Force Powers would suffer some form of degradation.
This is due to how the Interface filters the Force for the Player versus how other Force-sensitive and trained sentients interact with the Force.
The Player will need to, to varying degrees, relearn how to use their Force Abilities and the growth rate in their Force Abilities will be determined by the strength of their connection to the Force.
Again though, the Player would be capable of doing things with the Force that, even with Player+, they would not. Perhaps, with concentrated training and effort, capable of feats that could reshape a planet, star system, or even the galaxy.
That, however, would depend entirely on the focus of the Player, their understanding of the Force, and their desire or determination to achieve it.
Note, that while Natural Evolution goes a different direction from Player+ the new ability LEVEL BOOST would still be available.
It would, however, only apply to the Player's Skills, with what it grants altered to reflect that.
Perks to grant natural inclinations toward certain rare Force Abilities would also remain.
...

NOTE
In simpler terms:
With the current Interface setup, the Player is limited to a base of Level 100 of Tier 6 of every Force Power and Skill.
With Player+ Force Powers and Skills get a new base of Level 100 of Tier 8.
Though there exists an ability, LEVEL BOOST, to lift each Force Power of Skill once to a higher Tier, to a maximum of Tier 10.
This would, for Force Powers with no usage of LEVEL BOOST, lift the Player's capacity to that of an average member of the Jedi High Council.
With Natural Evolution Skills get a new base of Level 100 of Tier 7.
With this version of LEVEL BOOST, any skill can be raised once, to either Tier 8 or Tier 9.
However, the Force is freed from Interface control, and based on the Player's current Force sensitivity, they are, potentially, capable of rivalling, and even surpassing, any mortal Force-user to ever live.
...
NOTE
With the evolution of the Interface and the choice The Player faces, another option becomes available.
If Player+ is taken, then either PLAYER's BODY or PLAYER's MIND may be cancelled, and the Perk Point returned to The Player.
If Natural Evolution is taken, then either PLAYER's BODY or PLAYER's MIND must be cancelled, and the Perk Point returned to The Player.
...
NEW ABILITY DESCRIPTION
LEVEL BOOST
With this Ability (be it purchased as a Perk or Player Power) The Player can lift the threshold of any Force Power (where applicable) or Skill by one or two tiers.
Each purchase has three applications. These can only be applied once to any Force Power (where applicable) or Skill, though it is possible to apply two at the same time, granting one Force Power (where applicable) or Skill a 2-tier increase.
This Ability can only be applied to a Force Power (where applicable) or Skill once, so choices have to be considered carefully.
...

Even though I'd read that before, I was still impressed with the choice I had for reaching Level 30, and how either option had the potential to be amazing. However, the more time I had to consider them, the more I was leaning toward Natural Evolution. While it had a lower Skill tier available and would cost me some training with the Force, the ability to match – or even surpass – beings like Yoda, Windu, Sidious and Plagueis wasn't something I could ignore.

As I'd seen with Maul, with the limits currently in place, I simply couldn't engage a Council member or higher – before leaving Maul with Osto to be taken from the battlefield, I'd used Observe on him to discover he was Level 36. I needed to improve, yet Player+ only took me to the level of a High Council member, which given how those who'd come with Windu had done against Sidious simply wasn't high enough to be capable of stopping his plans. And that was without considering my actions might've resulted in Plagueis' fate changing.

However, I also understood that I couldn't, and wouldn't, make the change now. The moment I took Natural Evolution if that was my final choice, then I'd lose Dark Side Masking, exposing the taint I no doubt had because of how often I'd drawn on the Dark Side. While that would cause massive problems with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan currently on Naboo, more than likely members of the High Council and Palpatine would be arriving soon to handle Drallig's body and celebrate the liberation of the planet.

If I took Natural Evolution then I needed time away to learn to mask my Force presence, at least enough that none could sense anything different about me to the point they'd either try to imprison me (the Jedi) or recruit me (the Sith) or attempt to kill me (possibly both).

Now, Qui-Gon, and possibly Obi-Wan though given his limited Force Potential I wasn't sure, had likely sensed my flares of anger but I could easily play those off as concern for my friend. While a Jedi Knight, I was young, and still maturing physically, so emotional reactions were prone to occurring, especially for one who's come late to the Order. Appearing without the ability to mask any taint I might have would be another matter entirely. To say nothing of the other things I'd learnt from Ada's holocron ever since I'd first activated it on Zonama Sekot.

That would ruin everything I'd done up until now, and place my slowly developing plans for the future in danger, all but handing the galaxy to the Sith.

Pushing those concerns to one side for the moment, I pulled up my base stats, wondering how they'd changed because of reaching Level 30 and my injury.

Cameron Shan
Species: Human
Title: The Player
Age: 17
Level 30
HP: 253/253
(-7.5% for lost limb)
FP: 16022/16022
(-10% for Raven)
PP:60/60
XP [11874/40000]
STAM [1213/1213]
Hunger [67/100]
STR: 21 +
VIT: 22 +
AGI: 22 +
INT: 42 +
WIS: 32 +
CHA: 32 +
Luck: 10 + [+10]
SP: 19
SKP: 179
PerkP: 0
PPP: 1
Credits: 5492463
...

Overall, that wasn't bad. The loss of HP because of my missing forearm wasn't massive, though the concept of HP when a single blaster bolt or lightsaber to the gut could, potentially, kill you made the value seemingly worthless as far as I could tell. The XP being a little over a quarter of the way to Level 31 was an indicator that even with the massive force I'd managed to bring to the planet, the way the Interface granted me XP for every droid taken down meant large-scale battles against the CIS in future would be a useful method for XP farming. At least to a degree.

Since there was no definitive reveal of how much combat XP I got, I couldn't tell how much I'd done, but I felt I'd not gained any XP from the space battle. The battles in Theed and on the grass plains had been connected to me via the Battlenet, so gaining a minute fraction for each droid, tank and transport from those battles made sense. If the space battle had been added in, then the XP gain would've been less as there were more people manning the various ships in the allied fleet engaging fewer droids when compared to those on Naboo.

I was slightly surprised that the Changing Fate [Qui-Gon] quest was complete as the objective was to ensure Maul didn't kill Qui-Gon, with nothing being stated clearly about that having to take place on Naboo. There was still a chance the quest could be retroactively failed if that occurred in the future, but if that happened then I'd cross that bridge when I came to it. While I wasn't overly close to Qui-Gon, bar us both being members of the loose – and rarely meeting – Coalition of Jedi trying to prepare for the darkness to come, as a fellow former Padawan of Dooku I felt a faint kinship toward him.

I dismissed my Stats page and those relating to the choice I had to make. Once everything regarding Naboo was over, and I was lightyears away from the Jedi and Sith, I'd see about making my choice. For now, my focus could return to the present.

I slipped from the bed, moving toward a small table nearby. There lay my beskad along with two lightsabers and the remains of two more. Like myself, Serra had lost a blade when fighting Maul, though for her it had been the shoto I'd helped her with. Most of the components hadn't been recovered, but the crystal had been found by Fenrir when He'd been helping Bo dig Serra out of the rubble, and like the two smaller ones from my main blade, it now rested on the table. My issue, however, was that one of my crystals was cracked, having been damaged when Maul destroyed the emitter.

Beside Serra's remaining blade was Master Drallig's, which Bo had placed there thinking Serra would want the connection to her former Master/father figure, which was a sentiment I agreed with. When she awoke and began to recover mentally, she'd have to decide what to do with the blade, though I half-expected her to start wielding it along with her blade, returning to dual-wielding two full-sized lightsabers.

I picked up the crystals and small krayt dragon pearl from my lightsaber, rolling them around in my palm as I considered how to handle rebuilding my blade. While I'd still go for a curved hilt as Makashi was the base of how I fought, I wanted to add more features. The ability to have it not short out when wet, or be able to alter the blade length were things I knew would be added, but I wasn't sure what other features I might add.

I knew that I wanted to add the Mantle of the Force crystal to the blade, and while the crystal was almost entirely aligned with me, having four crystals in a lightsaber was currently beyond what I could manage. Mechanics [Lightsabers] was at Professional:97, and I hoped that once I hit Master:1 I could add everything I wanted to my new blade, but only time would tell. I could manage with the shoto and beskad for now, and if I waited to rebuild my blade until Anakin had found a crystal, we could bond further over building our blades together.

That had my thoughts turn to the Chosen One, and I looked upward, wondering just what had happened to him. I could still, very faintly sense his pain, but it was just a background feeling, only able to reach me due to our bond and the strength of our force sensitivity. However, before I could consider once more what had happened to him, the door opened.

Turning I took a step back, a clearly emotional Sia-Lan Wezz bearing toward me.

"Hey," I said, though I couldn't get anything else out, nor was there a reply as she stormed past me to Serra's bacta tank.

I blinked, processing the flood of emotions rushing from my friend as she placed a hand on the tank. Sorrow and concern were the dominant emotions but a slowly growing, but powerful rage was present as well. That anger, I suspected, was directed at me, and I was fine with that. Sia-Lan was closer to Serra than me, and likely blamed me for Serra's injuries and Drallig's death; something I did as well.

"Rann," I said to the other Padawan who entered with Sia-Lan.

"Cameron," the older but lower-ranked Jedi replied. "We didn't know you were on the planet until we sensed you during the battle." His tone was calm, but I noted his mind was closed as if he didn't want to project his feelings outward. That fit with my previous interactions with him as his thoughts and feelings had always been distant and protected. Though from the way he stood, at a distance, arms crossed over his chest and slightly at an angle, it felt like he wasn't happy I was here. "Nor that Serra and Master Drallig were also present."

I opened my mouth to respond only to stop as Sia-Lan spun and marched toward me.

"Why was she here?!" The girl raged, a finger gesturing toward my face. "It's your fault that she's in that tank and Master Drallig is dead!" the finger jabbed closer, forcing me to lean back and avoid being poked in the eye.

"Padawan!" I snapped, not liking her behaviour. "Calm yourself. Now!" I used Force Persuasion as I spoke, entirely unimpressed with her behaviour. While we were roughly the same age, my rank carried weight, as did the fact that even without an arm or lightsaber I knew I could beat the shit out of both Padawans.

Normally, I wouldn't use the Force against another Jedi, but Sia-Lan's behaviour was unacceptable. No matter how right she was.

"Don't you dare tell me what to do!" She snarled back, the finger jabbing my chest as she lowered the hand. "youghd…"

Her words trailed off as I closed my fist, grasping her with the Force. Before she could get another sound out, or counter my grasp, I lifted her upward, bringing her to my eye level, which left her feet dangling below as I held her afloat via her robes.

"While we are, I hope, still friends, you are overstepping your bounds, Padawan," I said as calmly as I could, though my annoyance and irritation at her behaviour were still clear in my tone and body language. "I understand why you, why both of you," I added, glancing at Rann whose hand had drifted toward his lightsaber though he'd yet to grasp it, "are upset. But remember that you are a Jedi, and if I need to remind you of that fact again, you will regret my training."

With my piece said, and some of her anger lost by the shock of my actions, I let her go. The fall was short, as while she wasn't as tall as me, she wasn't that short, but I'd already turned away from the pair, moving toward the bacta tank. While my way to nullify her anger wasn't one most Jedi would do, I wasn't going to stand there and let her berate me for choices I, or Serra and Drallig, had made.

I placed a hand on the tank and sighed. I knew that, as a Jedi, I'd fucked up in letting Serra come along, and thus having Drallig come as well. However, as a Mandalorian, I'd been left with little choice. To dismiss an ally and friend when I'd called others to battle would've made me look weak and unworthy to gather the forces I had, never mind lead them into battle.

Turning back to the pair I saw that while Rann had relaxed, Sia-Lan's hand rested on her hilt, though she hadn't drawn the weapon yet. The narrow eyes that glared at me suggested it wouldn't take much to have her do so. As amusing as it would be to see her lose control, and then school her about the failure of doing so without proper training, I wasn't interested in that. Not when a stray move of a lightsaber could damage Serra's tank.

"Sia-Lan," Rann began, placing a hand on the elbow of the arm gripping Sia-Lan's lightsaber, "perhaps we should hear Knight Shan's reasoning before jumping to assumptions."

"I know what happened!" Sia-Lan snapped at Rann as she turned to him. That had him raising a single eyebrow. I was a little surprised when that, more than anything else, was what broke through her anger at Serra's condition. "Fine," she muttered, her shoulders slumping and the hand drifting away from her lightsaber, "but I doubt anything you say will change my mind."

I looked at her carefully, thoughts of reminding her of the Jedi Code and the concept of keeping an open mind drowned out by a need to smack her around the head for acting like a Force-damned child. "Understandable," I eventually said as I rejected both options, "but I again remind you of who and what you are." That drew a scoff as if she felt I was being hypocritical, which in a sense I was as I'd come to Naboo as more Mando'ade than Jedi. To say nothing of my tendency to ignore the Code. That said, any irritation I had with her behaviour I let go of, as staying annoyed at her was fucking waste of time, and would show that I could still act like a Jedi.

"To begin, Serra knew I was intending to come to Naboo to help with the situation. I consider both Queen Amidala and Senator Palpatine friends and felt the Force wanted me to help them. That said, I knew this battle would be dangerous, and when Serra first asked to come with me, while she was still inside the Temple, I told her to stay away."

I paused here, turning back and placing my remaining hand on the tank. "The Force, it seemed, had warned us both that if the other came to Naboo, we'd be in great danger. I didn't want her here anymore than she wanted me to go alone, but I pulled rank." My shoulders slumped as the tank continued to beep in time with her constant, but slow, heart rate. "However, Serra reached out to our common friends, and they arranged for her to leave the Temple." I didn't have to mention that those friends were Mandalorian. I was still in my armour, sans my helmet and the section I'd lost with my arm which suddenly itched, and given the warriors that had fought on Naboo, even a youngling could put two and two together. "When I discovered her at the meeting point for the allied fleet, I wanted to send her back; to order her as a Padawan to return to the Temple. She, however, convinced me to let her stay."

I turned back to the pair. While I could mention how she convinced me, by appealing to our status as Mando'ade, it would only make things worse, and drop Serra in deeper trouble with her friends and the rest of the Order. If she wanted to reveal that, it would be her choice to do so. I wasn't going to shift blame to her to save myself from rage and disappointment from others that I felt I deserved.

"Once we were planet-side, Master Drallig arrived soon after. How he slipped past the Federation's fleet I'm not sure, but he did. At that point, and after he'd spoken with his Padawan, there was little I could do to insist he not join the allied forces once he stated he would do so. He outranked me just as I outrank Serra or you. That said, during the battle, I assigned them what should've been a low-risk assignment: to find and rescue a group of Naboo who were about to be shipped off-world and sold into slavery." I sighed and looked down. "I'd hoped by doing that to keep them out of danger. The Force, however, had other ideas."

Silence fell over the room, Rann seemingly considering my words while Sia-Lan slowly calmed herself. I stood there patiently, ignoring as best I could the itching of my missing limb, waiting for their response.

Ever since the battle had ended, my mind had been replaying my choices. I should've pushed for Drallig and Serra to fight elsewhere on the planet. I should never have let them come to Theed, not when I knew Maul was there. In the end, however, I had, and now Serra was paying dearly for my mistake, though I swore on Drallig's memory that I'd not make that mistake ever again.

"Was it really a Sith?" Rann asked after perhaps a minute.

"Well, I didn't exactly stop and ask him if he was," I replied with a small smile which drew a chuckle from Rann. Sia-Lan seemed uninterested in my humour though. "By the time I reached him, he'd already killed Master Drallig and was about to dispatch Serra. I… I couldn't allow that, so I rushed in trying desperately to save her."

Another silence fell over the room, though this one was broken not by a question but by the doors to the medical centre opening and Qui-Gon walking in.

"Well, it seems I was beaten to meeting you, Cameron. I do hope that I'm not too late to hear of your battle with the Sith." He wore a smile that I suspected was meant to relax the tense atmosphere in the room, but there was a hint of, perhaps, apprehension, under it.

"You're sure it was a Sith, Master?" Rann asked, earning a small smile from the old Jedi.

"While I didn't engage him, I sensed his presence as he fought Master Drallig, Knight Shan, and Padawan Keto. I'm left with no doubt that the Zabrak was a Dark Sider, however until Padawan Keto recovers, the only proof we have of his status is Cameron's report."

"And that he defeated Master Drallig inside a few minutes," I added, wanting that point to not be forgotten. While I could understand them dismissing Maul as a Sith if he'd just fought me and Serra, Maul had dismantled Drallig in the time it took me to reach them. And there, again, I saw another mistake that I'd made and had made at times before. A flaw of not using the menagerie of powers at my disposal when they'd be most applicable.

"Yes, there is that," Qui-Gon agreed with a sigh, his shoulders drooping slightly. "While it is conceivable that a random Dark Sider, or even a failed Padawan that I'm unaware of, might be able to defeat a random Jedi Knight or Master, Master Drallig was the Order's Battlemaster and one of our most skilled duellists. That any but a trained Sith could defeat him is something I find doubtful."

Silence returned to the room as the Padawans contemplated Qui-Gon's words. As it stretched on, I considered a way that might help convince Qui-Gon and the Council that Maul was a Sith. I lifted my vambrace and went to access the controls only to stop as I moved my wounded arm over, forgetting the hand was missing.

I sighed loudly, annoyed at making that mistake, but knowing that I'd be making it for some time to come. Even after getting a replacement limb, I knew I'd suffer from phantom limb syndrome as I'd known a few former operators in my former life who'd had to deal with that.

"There is no shame in being wounded," Qui-Gon said, his hand giving my shoulder a gentle squeeze, gesturing to what Gilamar had done earlier. "The Zabrak defeated a Jedi Master and almost killed another Jedi. That you were able to defeat him is a testament to your skills; and the training of your Masters."

I nodded, accepting the praise, though it wasn't fully deserved. "I only won because of the beskar and the weapons in the vambrace," I said slowly, letting my regret seep into the Force and tone. "If I'd fought as a true Jedi, Serra and I would've shared Master Drallig's fate."

"Then it seems the Force has guided you to places where you could discover how you might survive the battle without you perhaps realising it." I looked at him, seeing the sort of wise, amused smile that I often saw from Fay. The kind that implied they knew something I didn't. "It was the Force that led you and Padawan Keto to Mandalore to train. There, like when working with Master Dooku to free those who would become the Lokella, you came into contact with others who'd be of use to you when Naboo was under threat. It also, at least with the Mandalorians, showed you another way to fight in ways not taught in the Temple. A way that, when the chits were down, allowed you to survive and defeat a Sith."

"Yes, Master," I said with a nod, accepting his words even if I didn't entirely believe them. While the Force may have played a part in my helping to establish the Lokella, going to Mandalore had been my choice. I'd wanted to head there and determine if they might be of use come the Clone Wars. Still, it was reassuring that, if nothing else, he didn't hold it against me for using non-Jedi – or less civilised as Obi-Wan famously said – methods to combat Maul.

"And I am relieved that I don't have to inform Master Dooku of your death. While it has been many, many years since I've faced it, I'd prefer to not face him once more when he is displeased."

I chuckled at that. "Aye, that's understandable," I said, well aware of the face Dooku had when annoyed, irritated, or unimpressed with someone, something, or a piece of news he disliked.

"Is he as scary as they say?"

Qui-Gon and I turned to Rann, who, realising what he'd just blurted out, brought a hand up to cover his mouth. The stuttering start of an apology began to slip through his fingers, but it died out when my earlier chuckle turned into laughter as I imagined how Dooku would react to the question. I heard a few quieter, though just as amused, chuckles slip from Qui-Gon before I got myself under control.

"Master Dooku isn't scary per se," I replied, "he's just… very strict about the high standards he expects. And while he expects that from everyone, for his Padawan the standards are considerably higher."

"A very diplomatic answer. One, I suspect, Master Fay would be proud of," Qui-Gon commented, to which I smiled in confirmation. "Now, while I'm glad you're alive and have recovered enough to joke about other matters, I must return this impromptu meeting to the Zabrak." He glanced at the bacta tank, the constant beeping of Serra's heartbeat bringing me a small amount of comfort. "The High Council is aware of what has occurred, and representatives are being dispatched to recover Master Drallig's body and speak with you directly. However, they, like myself, will no doubt wish to hear the details of your battle with the Zabrak."

"As expected, Master, and I believe I can help with that." In the original timeline, many of the Council had come to Naboo for Qui-Gon's funeral, and as Drallig was more important to the day-to-day operations of the Order, his death would have greater implications and importance.

I reached over to another table, this one holding my severed arm contained in a stasis jar. Turning it over with my remaining hand – and doing my best to ignore how awkward and painful doing this was – I accessed the still-working controls of that vambrace and ejected a datacard.

Carefully I passed it to Qui-Gon. "That's a recording from the armour's sensors up until the Sith lashed out after I struck him with poisoned darts," I explained as he took the datacard. "The poison wasn't designed to kill, simply render anything affected by it unable to move. That he was able to continue fighting afterwards was a testament to his skill, and I suspect how infuriated he was that I'd managed to drug him."

"Yes, I suspect that would anger many Dark Siders," Qui-Gon said as he moved over to a nearby console. There, after a minute or so of typing at the console, he activated a small holoprojector, and the image of Maul as I found him standing over Serra, ready to kill her emerged.

Seeing that again, my gaze drifted to Serra, and I had to control myself, lest my fury at what she'd endured resurfaced. A faint gasp of shock from Sia-Lan was accompanied by her residual anger toward me easing, though, after her earlier behaviour, I didn't care if we ever recovered our friendship.

The recording ran on, and we watched silently as my battle with Maul played out. Qui-Gon had slowed the file down slightly, though not by much as the blades were still moving rapidly around the screen. What I did notice was that Rann and Sai-Lan, even at the slower speed, were struggling to keep up with the display. The speed of the battle was still too much for them to handle.

Eventually, the recording stopped, cutting out after Maul had thrown me back, his rage at getting poisoned lashing out hard enough that the impact with the wall was a logical place to edit the recording. Now, the commanders of the allied army who had access to the Battlenet knew it had lasted slightly longer, but since all were Mando'ade and would have no interest in speaking on the matter to the Jedi – not that the Jedi knew they had the recording as well – it wasn't a deception I expected to be discovered.

One of Qui-Gon's eyebrows rose, mirroring an action Dooku used when he wanted an answer but wasn't going to directly ask the question. That made me smile even as I detailed what had happened after the recording shorted out.

"After recovering from the Zabrak's Force attack, I stood to find him slumped against a wall not far from where we'd just been fighting. My beskad had been thrown from my hand in my tumble, and at the time, I didn't know where it had gone. However, I could still sense my shoto and summoned it to me as I approached him. The Sith was down, his breathing steady but slow, the tranquiliser I'd shot him with having begun to overpower his body as the Force abandoned him."

"As is often the case for those who think the Dark Side offers power without cost."

"I thought he was down for good," I said, dismissing Qui-Gon's remark. "But he drew on his remaining strength, leapt to his feet, and charged at me." Pausing to ensure everyone was listening, I projected honesty about my words. "His attacks were slower than before. I sidestepped, wanting him alive, and drove my blade into his side. He snarled, then pushed forward, and was bisected just above the waist. He fell into the river and went over the falls."

"Did you try to recover his lightsaber?"

I cringed. "I admit that it slipped my mind as I watched the body disappear, though the last I saw it, it was still in his grasp." This was true, though the 'he' here wasn't Maul but Osto as he'd been holding the blade as the subdued Maul was taken away by the warriors in his squad.

Qui-Gon looked at me intently, as if sensing I was holding something back. I saw that Rann and Sia-Lan were also looking at me, but that was likely because they were struggling to process that I'd defeated the Sith who'd killed the Jedi Battlemaster. If Sia-Lan still wanted to blame me for Serra's injuries she could do so, though if she pushed about it again my patience would be even less than last time.

"It is unfortunate that the Sith – and after viewing your duel I have little doubt he was one – chose death over imprisonment, but it isn't unexpected," Qui-Gon said slowly, seemingly accepting my recounting of the end of the duel. "And your actions, made so soon after your injury, are entirely expected. However, I feel the Council may wish for greater detail about those final moments. Not just in how the Sith died, but regarding why he was on Naboo, and why you, if as I suspect, felt a danger here, you didn't ask the Council for support."

"I believe you said they wouldn't listen to you when you asked, Master," I said, recounting something he'd mentioned before we'd entered the system. "As for why he was here, I'd wager a good number of credits that he, and his Master as I feel he was the Apprentice, were, and possibly still are, involved in some way with the Trade Federation."

"Yes, the choice made by the Viceroy to blockade Naboo was rash, and invading downright reckless. Illogical even for one who places importance in credits over direct power." Qui-Gon paused and stroked his beard. "The Viceroy is secured in the palace. Obi-Wan, a squad of Naboo and Gungans and a unit of Mandalorians standing watch over him. When the time is right, he will be handed over to Republic security for questioning and trial."

"I suspect he might not make it there," I said slowly, seeing a way to cover my tracks if I was able to enact justice on Gunray. "If the Sith are involved, then the Master will want the Viceroy silenced before he reveals anything that might incriminate others."

"Yes, that is true. And it is something I already plan to mention to Master Yoda when he arrives," Qui-Gon replied with a smile. "I'll ensure your agreement with that is also mentioned." I nodded in thanks, pleased I wasn't being dismissed and would get some credit for the decision. While I doubted it would make any difference to how members of the Council saw me, it would help divert attention and blame from me if Gunray was removed from the board after leaving Naboo. Before that, I had to determine how, when, and where he would face justice for his actions. "Now, since you've been given the all-clear, perhaps you and the Padawans would be willing to help with the search for survivors?"

"I would Master, however, I first wish to collect Raven. During the fight, I sensed something shift in the Force, and I feel I need to investigate the matter quickly."

"This would be what brought about your moment of hesitation during the duel?" he glanced at my missing hand, making clear what he was referring to. I nodded in confirmation. "Hmm. I will speak with the Queen to arrange your departure. Though I suspect she and others will be disappointed to hear of it."

"I don't think I'll be gone long. Perhaps a week at most, and if I still can't find the source of the shift, I'll return so I'm here when the Council arrives."

"That would be advisable. I don't think Queen Amidala would be willing to hold the celebrations of victory without the one responsible for the forces that came to her planet's aid." His lips twitched. "You two may speak with Knight Shan when he returns," He continued, addressing the Padawans. "For now, our services are needed by the populace of this world."

Rann gave me a nod, which I returned. Sia-Lan stared at me, the fury she'd had earlier calmed slightly by, I suspected, seeing the duel I'd had with Maul. The trio then left the room and once the door was closed, I turned back to the bacta tank.

Placing my remaining hand on it, I sighed. "I'm sorry," I muttered, taking a moment to reach out for Serra's mind. I could sense it, though it was obscured; likely from the drugs flowing through her system that were keeping her sedated. I could sense her pain and anguish but knew there was little I could do to help with that currently.

Turning, I attached my shoto to my belt and then the beskad. Fenrir lifted his head, sensing we were leaving, and after he stood and stretched, he gave Serra a long look, one mirroring mine from moments earlier. Moving toward the door, I wondered how difficult it was going to be to fly Raven with only one hand. While we shared a connection and she could sense my intentions and react, I'd be slowed down in using the controls because of the missing limb.

I knew Anakin was still alive, but something had happened to him. What I'd felt wasn't a premonition, but a live reaction felt through the Force. Why it had to happen while I was engaging Maul only the Force could say, but it had.

Carrying my helmet under my remaining arm, I used the Force to open the door and walked out of the medical bay. Two guards stood outside, nodding as I exited; admiration and respect were easy to sense from them. As I walked away, I started playing around with ideas in my head. Gunray had to be removed before he was handed over to Palpatine, as that would simply allow the snivelling grub to return to Sidious' control. However, with the guard on him currently, it would take a bit of work to ensure the Neimoidian ended up dead without anyone being implicated.

The fact that I was contemplating the removal of Gunray by assassination - as that was what it would be - was something I'd taken a few hours to process. I could remember clearly that when I'd been captured by those who raped and abused children, including a fellow Jedi, I'd decided against executing the rapist. Yet now, less than a decade later, I was fine with ordering an assassination of an enemy that could trouble me in the future.

Pulling on my helmet, I opened a secure channel and contacted HK. If anyone knew how to remove Gunray without it being linked to me, it would be the droid. It was what Revan had constructed him for after all.
… …

… …
"Your ship is refuelled and ready for launch, Master Jedi."

I looked up and gave the technician who'd approached a smile. "Thanks." He turned and walked away, and I looked at Raven.

Finding her unharmed in the swamp had been a relief as this was the first time I'd parked her somewhere off the beaten track, and after settling in I'd flown her to the palace. Currently, she was resting in a small private hangar inside the cliff that the royal palace rested upon. The hangar was just large enough to let Raven enter, though the royal cruiser would've never fit, which was why it was usually docked in the hangars in Theed.

That said, the interesting fact was that I was in the second of two small bays, with the first being an unknown ship that had been discovered after Theed was freed. It hadn't taken me long to investigate the matter and discover that the vessel was Maul's and that it had already killed a group of technicians that had approached it before my return to the city.

Its presence raised a handful of issues as, while an impressive-looking vessel, I'd never seen or heard of it again in the knowledge I had of the future. No doubt it had come up in comics or novels, but I'd never read any, so I was at a loss here. Likely it had returned, slowly, to Sidious' control, but I wasn't willing to allow that to happen here.

While it had formidable defences – the video of a technician screaming as their body melted was one I wasn't going to forget, even if Eidetic Memory ensured that – I wanted it. The information inside would provide intel on the Sith plans. Intel that I might never get from Maul.

As such, I'd tasked HK with finding a way inside the vessel – whose name wasn't on the landing records nor the ship's hull – but already he'd run into a small issue. While a great combat and assassin droid, HK wasn't built for slicing into systems. That had, however, offered me an opportunity that I planned to take when I next spoke to Padmé.

HK would remain on Naboo while I returned to the ShaDo system to determine what had happened to Anakin. I'd tried contacting them via the Holonet, but the signal was down. While not an encouraging discovery, the fact neither he nor Dooku was dead – my quests for them and Force Bonds with them were still active – meant I wasn't panicking just yet about what had befallen the Lokella. Still, HK remaining here would also have him looking for ways to eliminate Gunray before representatives of the Republic arrived to take the Neimoidian.

HK's initial suggestions of simply vaporising the entire detention wing of the palace were shot down when I explained I needed it handled discreetly, with no links back to us. That had sparked a reaction in his optical receptors, and I suspected he was looking forward to that more than gaining entry to Maul's ship.

As I reached the Raven's ramp, I sensed two familiar presences and turning I saw Ferox lead Bo into the bay. While Bo wore her helmet, I could sense her concern, though it was drowned out by Ferox's for his newly-formed family.

"What's this about a problem with Anakin?" Ferox asked once he was closer, Fenrir growling at the Corellian's rapid approach and aggressive tone, though he refused to do anything more, content to laze around at the base of the ramp.

"During the battle, I sensed something happened to him," I replied. "I've tried to contact the station, but the signal's not getting through. Now, I know Anakin is alive, but I can't tell much more than that," I added, trying to calm his rapidly fraying nerves. "Because of that, I want you and Bo to come with me."

"The Mando'ade have gathered aboard our prize of war to celebrate."

"That can wait!" Ferox snapped at Bo, stepping toward her, and growling at her helmet. "The lives of my people, my family, matter more than any stupid celebration!"

Bo held her ground, and while she didn't audibly respond, I saw her fist clenching.

I moved forward, sliding my good arm between the pair. "Easy there," I said, moving the rest of my body between the pair. This had the potential to explode given both had fiery personalities, and that was the last thing I wanted to see. When it was clear that neither was going to add anything else, I turned my attention to Ferox.

"Ferox, Mandalorians always celebrate a victory, especially one of this magnitude. Something I know the Lokella do as well," he grunted at that and took a step back, turning in the process. That let me turn to Bo. "I'm not asking our people to delay the celebration, but tell me you wouldn't rush from a party if your family or friends were in potential danger?"

She nodded at that. "You're right, I wouldn't. Anakin and Shmi will always take priority over a victory celebration."

"I apologise for my aggressive behaviour," Ferox said, catching me off guard as he rarely apologised unless he had the issue beaten into him. The relationship with Shmi seemingly had smoothed his more unbalanced tendencies. "I am simply worried about my family."

Bo nodded, accepting the apology, and then turned to me. "How long will we be gone?"

"If I push Raven, and we don't run into any complications, perhaps a week, six days tops."

Bo nodded. "I'll inform my father and Alor Torrhen to delay festivities until then."

I frowned at hearing that as with the Ne'tra Tal'ade, Saak'ak, and Luuhan all controlled by them, and in orbit of Naboo, the longer they dallied here, the greater the chance they'd still be present when the Chancellor and High Council arrived. As much as I'd love to see their faces at the sight of a Mandalorian warship sitting peacefully in orbit of Naboo, it would be better for the ships to be gone. Then again, as Padmé had granted every warrior who'd fought to free Naboo permission to remain as long as they wished, and that so long as they weren't wanted for violating Republic law, every one of them - be they Mando'ade or Lokella - would have safe harbour in the Naboo system.

They would always be offered safe harbour – so long as they weren't being hunted by Republic security – there was no reason for the Mando'ade to leave early with their ships.

Now, the Vuutun Palaa was in orbit as well, however, she was little more than a wreck. Her engines had blown during the battle and one of the hangar arms had been breached just before they'd surrendered. From what I'd heard the Naboo were planning to have the vessel stripped for parts and sold to help with the rebuilding.

Personally, I'd have considered seeing what condition the power core and the rest of the ship were in as while it was a reminder of the invasion, as a station or defence platform it had some potential. However, I could understand why the Naboo wouldn't want a symbol of their planet's darkest moment remaining. That said, if I could, I hoped to convince Padmé to have an actual station developed that could help defend the planet, system, and nearby planets. It was unlikely to happen, but it was worth trying.

"They'll be fine with that?" I asked as Bo turned away, probably to open a channel to them through the Battlenet.

Bo stopped and looked at me as if I'd suddenly grown a second head. "Cam, you're the Akaan'lor of the battle. To celebrate without you, while appealing to many, would dishonour you, and those who fought under your banner."

I stared at her, wondering how much of that was true or not. Mandalorians enjoyed celebrating, or at least Bo did, so for her to suggest every warrior that had answered my call would simply wait for me sounded far-fetched, though I could see why she felt they would.

"Fine then. Contact them once we launch as I want us airborne inside five."

She nodded and moved toward the ramp. I looked at Ferox, and with a grunt, he followed the Mandalorian. As I moved toward Raven, Fenrir stood, sliding up to Bo, happy she would be joining us again. While I couldn't exactly speak with him, I knew the tuk'ata missed Bo, considering her a part of our pack. Truthfully, at any other time, I'd agree with the feeling, but my mind was still concerned for Serra, and I took the first step onto Raven's ramp, hoping she'd be awake by the time I returned, if not out the tank entirely.

"Cam!"

Turning, I saw Padmé entering the bay, her steps hurried enough that the guards with her were struggling to keep pace and continue to ensure the area they were entering was safe. Padmé wasn't in her royal garb, which was a relief as I found the clothing choices the Naboo had for formal occasions to be gaudy, if not pointless. I knew it was their tradition, but not all traditions made sense.

"Wh," she paused, taking a moment to regain her composure and breath. "Where are you going?"

"I need to check on something," I replied, amused at the worry I saw in her eyes. "When I fought the Sith I sensed a disturbance in the Force centred around a friend. Bo and Ferox are coming as they know this person as well."

"When will you come back?" There was a slight hint of urgency in her tone as if I was somehow important to the formal celebrations the Naboo were planning. I hoped that wouldn't be the case, but knowing my luck it would be.

"Five, maybe six days."

"Oh." Padmé relaxed at that. "OK then. I was just concerned you wouldn't be here for the celebration."

"Aye, Bo was worried about the same thing," I replied with a chuckle. "Didn't think you'd be joining the Mandalorian festivities," I added with a teasing smile.

"What?! No!" Padmé paused, realising she'd raised her voice higher than intended, and drawn the attention of several technicians in the bay. "There will be official celebrations for the liberation of the planet, the new alliance between the Naboo and the Gungans, and the election of a new Chancellor. One who will be coming here personally as his first official act." The last bit was spoken with a wide smile, which all but confirmed that this little detail of the timeline hadn't changed.

"Given your smile, I take it I know the new Chancellor?" I asked, matching her smile.

"Yes. Former Senator Palpatine was elected a few days before the battle," She replied, her smile widening as she believed this was a good thing for Naboo. "With him as Chancellor, I'm certain the Viceroy and the Federation will be forced to pay for their actions."

"I'd say losing three of their most valuable vessels along with the extent of their military might being exposed will cost them, though, I fear the Federation's sycophants in the Senate will work overtly and covertly to ensure the Viceroy and those with him escape with nothing more than a slap on the wrist."

Padmé held my gaze for a moment before sighing. "I… I fear you may be right. However, I'll reserve judgement until Chancellor Palpatine has had time to reshape the Senate into the voice of the people that it should be."

"I feel he will change the Senate, but I cannot say if that will be for the good of all," I said, adding a small seed of doubt about Palpatine's intentions to her thoughts. The speech she'd given before the battle, along with the help to free her world and people coming from those unaligned with the Republic had shown that she wasn't as ardent a supporter of the Republic as she had been in the other timeline, though I wasn't sure how much I could change her, and her planet's fate regarding the Republic.

Now, while I didn't want Naboo joining the CIS, or whatever they became here because of my actions altering plans that led to their creation, having Palpatine's homeworld, or at least its current leader and one the people would revere for her actions in liberating them, questioning some of his motives would, I hoped, lead to others to see through the blinkers the Sith Lord was placing over their eyes. All I had to do was ensure that I knew how to spin this approach once it got back to Palpatine, but I felt he'd subtly approve as it served his true intentions.

Padmé nodded, accepting my words, though her eyes soon fixed on my arm, the one missing a hand. "How is it?" She asked softly. Before I could reply, her eyes widened, and she brought her hands to her mouth. "I…"

I chuckled and lifted my good hand to cut off her apology. "It doesn't hurt, though I can still feel it. Phantom pains the doc said," I added with a chuckle. "I'll get a replacement limb when I can, and the galaxy will move on. For now, though, the disturbance in the Force takes priority. As it did when I knew I had to help you and your people." She nodded, though remained silent as if scared to make another faux pas. "There's nothing wrong with showing concern for a friend, Padmé," I added, placing my remaining hand on her shoulder. "Still, I'd rather questions about the limb came only from those I consider friends and not others who might gloat over the injury." The faces of Jon Savos and Master Belfour came to mind, and while I doubted either would say anything to my face, they and others who disliked or hated me would enjoy hearing I'd lost a limb in battle.

She nodded as her eyes met mine, a faint smile creeping back onto her face. There was a spark of something more than just concern in her eyes, and I slid my hand from her shoulder. She was only fourteen after all.

Though it all depended on Serra still wanting to pursue something with me after she recovered. For a while I expected she'd resent me for Drallig's death, which was understandable, but I hoped that, whatever became of our relationship, we'd remain friends. Serra was, and always would be, the first person in this life that I considered my friend and I'd do as much as I could to ensure that wasn't irrevocably damaged.

"I'll ensure Serra gets the best of care until you return."

And there was another reminder, however unintended it was, of Serra, my feelings toward her, and her condition that was heavily my fault.

"Thank you," I said with as natural a smile as I could manage. "And because I worry about your safety, and to ease your concern about my return, HK and Simvyl will remain behind to help ensure your safety." Currently, Simvyl was helping guard Gunray while HK was in the bay next door, which allowed me to segue into something I'd been planning to ask Padmé when I returned. "Actually, now that I think about it, HK has examined the vessel in Bay One, and has deduced he needs help accessing the ship's computer. While not what he was designed for, might I request that the R2 unit he knows be assigned to help him? I know the vessel will be turned over to the Republic and Jedi soon, but I want him to try and access it before then on the chance it might have information that could help ensure Gunray doesn't escape justice." I leaned closer, a smile widening as I spoke. "I feel, though he won't admit it, that HK misses T3, so a new companion might smooth some of his rougher edges."

Yes, I was manipulating her to get what I wanted. However, given R2's insane luck in the other timeline, the connection he'd formed with Anakin, the chaos of HK and R2 as a team, and whatever Maul's vessel contained, I had no issues with using Padmé in this way.

"I doubt HK would ever admit to that," Padmé replied with a small and gentle laugh, "but I agree with the idea that gaining access to that vessel might be of worth." She paused and looked at me. "As thanks for your services to Naboo, I'll have the R2 unit transferred to your ownership by the time you return."

"Yet another way to ensure I return, Your Majesty?" I asked jovially.

"Well, I can't have the Hero of Naboo absent for the victory celebrations," She replied with the same amusement. "May the Force be with you, Master Jedi. The thoughts and prayers of the people of Naboo and their current Queen will be."

I bowed, breaking eye contact as the spark of desire returned to her gaze. "And may the Force be with you and your people in the years ahead, Your Majesty."

I turned then and walked up the ramp into Raven.

Already I could feel the power racing through her skin, the engines slowly powering up as Bo worked to ensure Raven was ready to fly by the time I reached the cockpit. As the hatch closed, I put concerns about Serra, Padmé, my relationships, and everything else to one side. What mattered for now was Anakin, Dooku, and the Lokella.

Something bad awaited us in the ShaDo system, but I felt it wasn't anywhere near as bad as it could've been.
… …

… …
Raven slid from hyperspace, depositing us into the ShaDo system. Already I sensed her missing the exotic energies of faster-than-light travel, as if she was slowly becoming hooked on them, like an addict on spice. Or at least one of the less dangerous variants of spice as I never sensed she was becoming lost in the sensations and experiences of hyperspace, just that it seemed to excite her, making her more energetic and alive.

Thoughts on Raven's behaviour and reaction to hyperspace were driven from my thoughts as the initial sensor readings came in, confirming what I was seeing.

"The fuck?" I muttered as I scanned the debris of ruined vessels that littered the system. Now, it wasn't a massive number as the ships here were minute when compared to those around a Core or other well-developed world, but it was still a shock to see the wrecks of dozens, if not hundreds of vessels stretching from the hyperspace exit point toward Mtael's Gift and Gai.

"What happened?" that came from Ferox who sat in one of the spare seats in the cockpit behind me with Bo occupying the co-pilot's chair.

"Battle," Bo replied shortly. "A major one for the Lokella."

I bit back a sarcastic remark about stating the obvious, as this wasn't the time or place for it. Instead, as Raven slowly moved forward, I scanned the debris, noting which ships matched those I knew belonged to the Lokella and which didn't. The debris around us currently wasn't heavy, consisting of two gunships that had seemingly been overwhelmed when the attacking force had arrived, though as we neared the station, the amount and variety of debris increased.

Almost all of it around Mtael's Gift didn't match anything in Raven's logs, though one ship did. The markings on the hull that the scanners could see underneath blast marks bore a striking similarity to a vessel that had been on Tatooine when I'd gone there to meet Qui-Gon, Padmé and the others.

Before I could think on that further, a proximity alarm sounded and two battered, but still capable, CR70s slipped out from behind the wreckage of a large cargo hauler. With them came a flight of starfighters, mainly composed of Z-95 Headhunters.

Not wanting to get into a firefight, especially as Raven was unarmed, I threw open the comms. "This is Cameron Shan along with Ferox aboard the Raven. We request permission to approach and land on Mtael's Gift." While none of the approaching vessels had locked their weapons on us, I could sense their agitation and anger from here. That said, if any of them fired on Raven, I'd be having words with them; ones that they'd likely not enjoy as an annoyed Force user was not something many wanted to face.

Thankfully, before anyone could make such a mistake, the small holo-display in the cockpit flickered to life, revealing a Twi'lek that I couldn't immediately place. "Mtael," he began with a bow, "we are grateful that you and Commander Ferox have returned. However, the battle has ended and those responsible were killed, captured, or driven off."

"Yeah, I can see that," I snarked, drawing a snort of amusement from Bo. "I'll save questions until I've docked. Provided, of course, that I can?"

The Twi'lek blinked, and I thought I saw his lekku twitch, though that might just be a trick of the hologram as it flickered slightly. "Yes, Yes. I will inform the Council of your arrival." He turned as if to close the channel only to pause. "Many will be relieved that you and Commander Ferox have returned."

"Croz's twitchy," Ferox said once the channel closed, and the defence force started to change their vectors. "There's more that happened than just a space battle."

I stayed silent, as I already knew that. Anakin wouldn't have screamed into the Force so powerfully that I'd hear him from so far away for only a space battle. However, I could sense Ferox's growing fears about what might've happened and didn't want to add to them.

As Raven slipped toward the debris the corvettes and fighters had been hiding behind – which included a Valor-Class light cruiser built by TransGalMeg Industries – I reached out through the Force.

The first presence I sensed on the station was Dooku. The calm, almost cold centre he projected into the Force relaxed some of my fears even as he pushed back against my probe, letting me know he was in good health. I didn't try to speak with him telepathically, as I needed to keep my mind at least mainly focused on Raven. While I could pilot her easily enough with one hand, the increasing volume of debris along our flightpath meant I couldn't be too distracted.

Instead, I simply gave him a sense I was near and would soon be able to speak directly with him. That drew the expected cool acceptance, though there was a faint hint of concern as well. That was odd, though given the other Force presences I could sense on the station, I quickly understood why he was concerned.

Before I focused on the unexpected and unwanted one, I located Anakin. As normal, he was instinctively hiding from detection through the Force, but I was used to that and knew how to sense the faintest of shifts his natural attempts to hide caused in the Force. What helped to find him this time though was that his mind was a mess.

Anger, fear, disbelief, and despondency raged for control of him. He didn't react directly to my presence in the Force, but what he was feeling had me concerned about Shmi and her child. I kept my eyes forward, not wanting Ferox to catch my eye as his concern would only amplify if he felt I knew something he didn't.

That left me focusing on the third powerful Force presence I felt on Mtael's Gift, and wondering why Vosa was present.

Coming face-to-face with her was so far down my bucket list, that I suspected I'd have to go two systems over to find it. Yet, not only was she no longer on Gaia, as she had been ever since Dooku had started trying to rehabilitate her, but it felt as if she was unrestrained, though hopefully she wasn't armed with anything more than the Force.

My mind, as it often did when Vosa came up, returned to my time under her care, and the horrors I'd endured. My missing arm twitched, the pain of the lost limb merging with once more feeling the rage that had been brought forth by Vosa's machinations; suffering under her direction in an attempt to break and turn me.

I jerked when I felt a hand on my shoulder. Looking up I saw Bo there, a hand on my shoulder and a concerned expression on her face. Looking out of the viewport I saw we'd moved much closer to the station, so much so that I must've gotten lost, again, in reliving my experiences with the Bando Gora.

"You ok?"

"Yeah," I replied absently. "Just… When we get there I need you to remain calm," I said, turning back to her. Bo frowned so I kept going. "Vosa's there."

Her grip on my shoulder tightened, as did her jaw and her eyes narrowed as she looked toward the rapidly approaching and growing Mtael's Gift. The slightest of twitches crept onto her face and I felt I had to intervene. "Bo," I said softly, but in a clear tone that I knew she'd listen to.

Her gaze returned to me, and I felt a surge of desire and relief at the fire burning in her eyes. However, as much as that fire was one I wanted to sate, now wasn't the time nor place to do so. I needed her to remain calm once we landed, as while she was a good fighter – possibly becoming great with a few more years of experience – Vosa was several leagues beyond her.

"Fine," Bo said eventually, some of her fury fading away as she spoke through gritted teeth. "But if she puts a hair out of line, I'm going to blow it and the head attached to it off her shoulders and then jettison the body into the star."

I chuckled at the image, finding the idea of ending Vosa extremely appealing; even if what Bo suggested felt too quick and easy for what Vosa had put me through.

"That's all I can ask for," I said with a smile before turning my focus back to Raven and the controls as landing vectors came in from the station.
… …

… …
I stood in Raven's airlock waiting patiently for the ramp to descend. Outside were dozens of sentients, though three were closer to us than the others. Dooku wasn't with them, nor was Vosa who was close but not directly with him, or Anakin. While I'd have liked to speak directly with either of them upon arrival, given the chaos that had been seen outside the station – warships and fighters on high alert while a few transports slowly moved debris away from the station – I could understand if Dooku was busy helping the Lokella and Anakin was focused on whatever had greatly upset him.

Vosa not being present was a double relief, as not only would I not have to face her as soon as I arrived, but it removed the threat Bo might react to any off-hand remark the deranged bitch might make. Ever since realising that Vosa was on the station, I'd been dreading a run-in with her to the point that, once Raven had landed, I'd been reluctant to leave my chair. My remaining hand had gripped the controls tightly as Ferox had stormed from the cockpit.

With us being alone, Bo had come over and placed a hand on my shoulder for support. She'd not said anything, simply waiting for me to prepare myself and stand, but her presence and support had helped immensely. As had the silent promise I saw in her eyes that if Vosa stepped out of line, Bo would do everything she could to put that bitch down for good. It didn't, however, stop my missing hand with itching, nor with the nagging doubt I had that if I saw Vosa I'd be able to restrain myself from trying to kill her. Preferably, as painfully as possible.

As the hatch hissed and then opened, Ferox rushed forward. Fenrir growled at the disrespect, but I wasn't offended. Ferox was, understandably, worried about his family and if our positions were reversed, I'd have done the same.

Walking forward, the recycled atmosphere of the station filled my lungs, a faint hint of cleansing agent fresh in the air. That suggested there'd been a battle in the bay, and a quick look around confirmed it as blast marks dotted the walls, discolouring them.

As the landing area came into sight, I saw Ferox meeting with three other members of the Lokella Council. While the group was led by Baalta, the fact Maan Lonwin and Tweq Ruhn were missing – when both were high in the chain of command of the Lokella and Mtael's Gift – wasn't encouraging.

"What happened?" Ferox blurted out before Baalta could acknowledge my presence. "Where's Shmi?"

"Mtael, Ferox, we are grateful you have returned," Baalta said, trying to be diplomatic, yet in her tone, and within the Force, I could sense the pain and fear of the Lokella. In fact, it was so strong that the usual worship they had when I arrived was almost non-evident.

"Where is Shmi?" Ferox asked again, his voice positively feral, which drew a growl from Fenrir as he moved to my side. I went to place my hand on his head, only to stop as I realised he was on the side with the missing limb.

Baalta looked down and sighed. "I… It would be better if we took you to her." She then turned to a Rodian with her. "Take Commander Ferox to his wife." The Rodian did as asked, though as he stepped away Ferox came over, grabbed the alien's clothing and all but dragged him away.

"What happened here?" I asked once Ferox was out of earshot of us.

Baalta sighed again and shook her head. "It seems that not all who joined our cause did so because they believed in it. When the fleet answered your call, a signal was sent out. Not long after the Mtael had insisted that most of our forces return, another fleet arrived in the system, intent on forcing our people back into chains. Those who stayed behind fought valiantly, but by the time the Liberator and the rest of the fleet arrived, only two gunships remained to defend the station, which had already been boarded." Baalta paused and looked down at the deck. "While we wanted to honour the Mtael by providing him help as he had once done for us, in our haste we over-committed and many of our people died, though I'm led to believe that none were captured and re-enslaved."

I moved forward and placed my hand on Baalta's shoulders. "The future is uncertain, even to those of us who can use the Force."

She lifted her head, the faintest of smiles creeping onto her face. "Master Dooku said as much after the battle. I… If not for him and his apprentice, I fear the loss of life on the station would've been far worse." I nodded, choosing to not vocalise any thoughts about Vosa. Especially how she wasn't Dooku's apprentice. "He is currently in the station's command centre and awaits your presence."

I glanced over to the door that Ferox had raced through, the Lokella Council member being dragged along behind him. "What happened to the Skywalkers?"

"The boy, young Anakin, is fine. While he didn't see battle, he helped where he could." the smile on her face grew. "According to reports, he used the Force as you and Master Dooku showed him where he could and, at other times, seemed to know when and where the attackers would come from." The smile fell. "Shmi, however…" she shook her head, her lekku twitching while the montrals moved. "Many people suffered because of our haste to help."

"You did what you thought was right based on what information you had at the time. That is all anyone can do. To blame yourself in hindsight, if one doesn't learn from the mistakes, only leads to recrimination and doubt."

Baalta nodded, the smile slowly returning. "The Mtael is wise. As expected of a Jed… Your arm?!" she whispered as she saw the missing limb. "What happened?"

I lifted the arm, smiling as if I found it funny that this kept coming up even when it was hard to find anything amusing about losing my dominant hand. "While the battle with the Federation went easier than I'd expected, they had unexpected help. A Dark Sider, possibly even a Sith if that word means anything to you," judging by her non-reaction it didn't, "was there. While I was able to defeat him eventually, it came at a high cost."

Baalta's eyes widened as if she was struggling to understand what I'd just said. Her hand came out, gently touching my arm slightly above the elbow where I'd lost the forearm. "You… you paid this price to free others? To protect them from enslavement?"

"He did," Bo replied as I saw an amused smirk on her face, her helmet under her arm.

"You truly are the Mtael," Baalta said; a wide, proud smile coming to her face. "To pay this price for others shows that we were right to support you. While we will mourn our dead for some time, it will offer many some respite to know the Mtael continues to fight to protect others. To end the tyranny of slavers. And we will continue to stand with you, just as you do by arriving here so soon after your battle."

I considered heading to Anakin directly, though since Ferox was heading there already, I decided that speaking with Dooku and learning more about what happened here should come first. Yes, Anakin was in pain, and it sounded like Shmi – and possibly her child – was gone. While I wanted to comfort him, Ferox should, as his stepfather, be the first to have that opportunity.

"Is Dooku's… guest still present on the station?" I asked. I knew she was, as I could sense her twisted, deranged presence in the Force, but I wanted to hear from Baalta about why Vosa was here before I spoke to Dooku.

Baalta's face tensed, and her lekku seemed to vibrate. "Yes… she is currently staying in a small room near Master Dooku. He felt it was best if she remained close, but not too close, to him."

"An airlock would be better," Bo muttered, and I found myself disagreeing simply because, with her training, Vosa might be able to survive that long enough to make it to another airlock or a nearby hatch. Now, if we opened the airlock near the system's star and accelerated away before she could recover, I might consider it a fitting action to take.

"While many share your distaste for her Lady Bo-Katan, she fought beside Master Dooku during the attack. She saved many from the slavers when they boarded the station."

"You're sure they were slavers?" Bo asked as Fenrir growled, showing his dislike for those in that profession.

"Yes. While few of them survived, thanks to the actions of Master Dooku and others, we captured several of their boarding parties. Those that chose to surrender were quite forthcoming after Master Dooku spoke with them."

"Aye, I expect they were." While a Jedi, Dooku had no issue with doing what was needed to discover the truth, especially from sentients barely worthy of the name. It was honestly surprising he remained a Jedi for as long as he did in the other timeline given his opinion of most beings in the galaxy. "Although, perhaps we might discuss this as we walk," I added as I saw many in the bay were still watching us, and while I couldn't hear their voices – or at least wasn't going to bother using the Force to enhance my hearing – I could sense the growing curiosity, confusion, and even some anger all directed toward me. "Master Dooku isn't one to tolerate being made to wait."

Baalta chuckled. "Yes, that is indeed true." She turned and indicated toward a door leading from the bay, one heading in the opposite direction from where Ferox had gone. "While we respect him for his role in creating our people, he is cold, almost strict in a way that reminds many of their former enslavers. If not for his role, and his connection to you, Mtael, I feel many would fear his presence. Much as they do with his current apprentice."

"Master Dooku is… careful to a fault. It makes him, to those who don't know him, hard to read; almost to the point where one would question whether he has a heart."

"Yes. We on the Council, and among the first generation of Lokella, have always understood his importance to our cause. While I wished it hadn't happened, the attack has shown that to those who came to us later. If not for both his and his apprentice's presence on the station, we would have suffered far more grievously."

"Who hired the attackers?" Bo asked as we reached the door exiting the bay.

I was curious about that as well. While it was possible it was just a large slaving group, I felt that was unlikely. Even with most of the fleet gone, the concentrated forces left behind would've made the venture a risky one with the loss of slaver ships and personnel not able to be covered unless every Lokella was captured.

"The Hutts. Specifically, Decca." Baalta all but spat out that name, and I reached for my lightsaber, only to be reminded that it was gone, as was the hand that would normally wield it.

Decca had been the Hutt behind the slaving and mining operation in this system when Dooku and I had stumbled upon it. He'd held a grudge against the Lokella ever since and had been the one who sent the thugs after me during my verd'goten.

I ground my teeth; the face of the walking handbag that had shot me at my moment of triumph seared into my mind without the help of Eidetic Memory. Now, I knew that incident, and a few others involving Trandoshans had coloured my opinion of the species, to the point I wouldn't stop someone from wiping out the race, but a group that pleased their God by killing others wasn't one I considered high on any list to protect. Something the Wookies – among others – agreed with.

"While gathering your forces and striking back at Decca will be appealing, I must advise caution," I said slowly, keeping my feelings toward the giant slug out of my tone. "He deserves to pay for what he's done, but his mother is Gardulla. She is, even by Hutt standards, a remarkably influential being in the criminal underworld. And that's before we consider the Kajidic, Hutt Clan, that she leads. They are only rivalled, from what I know, by one other Hutt Clan for power, influence, and greed. Moving openly against Decca, Gardulla, or even the entire Kajidic would have the rest of the Hutt Clans allying to protect them. Not because they care about those two, but because it would be an affront to their entire system."

"We are aware of this. However, the need for retaliation is strong." Baalta's response was aggressive, almost challenging, and she seemed to understand this as she blinked in shock after she finished speaking.

"There's nothing wrong with being passionate," Bo said before I could tell Baalta she didn't need to apologise. "The trick is learning to focus that passion – that rage – properly to not get lost in your emotions and lose sight of the objective when facing your target. Also, you need to find targets that won't risk another major assault. Find weak points in your enemy's lines then strike them hard and fast; cripple their operations without endangering your warriors."

"Wise words, and ones I'll pass along to the Council," Baalta said as we stepped inside an elevator. That brought a few moments of silence as Baalta used a display inside the car. "A small security measure to ensure only those with permission can access the command levels," she said as we started ascending.

"A wise precaution," I said before turning to Bo. "With the war now over, might your father, Alor Torrhen, and other trustworthy warriors be interested in resuming the training program for the Lokella's warriors?"

Bo nodded. "Aye, I think they'd be interested."

"We would be grateful for any help you or others can offer," Baalta added with a smile; one that exposed the sharp teeth her species were known for. "The initial training programs put in place by your people are still used for training our warriors, but refresher and advanced courses wouldn't go amiss. Nor, perhaps, training in ship-to-ship operations."

Bo nodded, taking on Baalta's words and I knew she was sincere in her promise to pass on the suggestion to her father and Torrhen. Her people needed a focus and, while training a small group of freed slaves might not appeal to many, it was an honourable job to take. It would, if they chose to, allow the Mando'ade who came to see battle against the slavers; a foe deserving of extermination.

The Lokella were a small group, barely a power beyond their system, but with the right training, support, and targeted assaults, they could become a small regional power. One that, in theory, could check some of the Hutt influence in this section of the Outer Rim.

"What about the settlement on Gaia?" I asked, changing the topic.

"There was some bombardment, but no true damage was done. With the credits you've provided over the years, and what we've liberated from slavers and pirates, we purchased defences for the settlement. Those included a shield generator large and powerful enough to protect both the settlement and the mine from sustained bombardment from several cruisers for a few hours. After realising this, the slavers focused their firepower on the station intending to take it out before moving on the planet."

"I'm glad the credits allowed those simply looking to start their life anew to be protected, though I'd suggest a few surface-to-air cannons at a minimum as the settlement grows." The settlement, Hope, had grown a touch north of thirty-five thousand sentients when I'd last checked on it. The people there were, by and large, ones who simply wanted to live as peaceful a life as they could but had no interest in returning to the galaxy and Republic that abandoned them.

"I will pass along the suggestion, Mtael, though since the attack many who had chosen to not involve themselves in our struggle have changed their minds. It seems the idea of being re-enslaved has sparked a desire to fight for what they have and need to protect."

"A worthy reason to fight," Bo offered. I was thankful that was all she said, as I knew her feelings about those who wouldn't fight to defend what they had, and agreed with the sentiment. It was close to the ideals those called the New Mandalorians had followed. Thankfully, that group had all but been destroyed by the latest civil war; reduced to atoms. To the extent that even prominent supporters of the concept – like Satine Kryze – now saw the flaws in peace at all costs without the ability to defend it. "And it will increase your need for skilled trainers and weaponry."

"Yes, though we no longer need to rely solely on the generosity of the Mtael. Beyond the credits taken during freeing others who are enslaved, the phrik mine is now active enough that we can begin selling it."

"I'd suggest only doing so in small quantities and in a variety of different markets. The Republic, Jedi, and others will take note if a new, decent-sized phrik mine suddenly appears," I suggested, worried that selling the phrik too rapidly might draw unwanted attention. Especially from the Sith.

"We had already considered that, and as they are allies of yours, we were interested in seeing if the Mandalorians might be curious about purchasing the alloy. While I know many of your warriors use beskar, from my understanding, many don't. While phrik isn't comparable to beskar, in both cultural and practical significance, it has some similar properties; hence, as you would've observed on Naboo, why our warriors now wear it. As such, we'd be willing to pay any of your people who agree to train our warriors in either credits or phrik."

"I'll pass along the offer to my father and others," Bo answered, once more displaying, for her, unusual tact. I didn't think many, if any, Mando'ade would be interested in using phrik for their armour, but the fact Bo hadn't called Baalta out on that was a sign she was understanding, at least to a degree, the need for diplomacy. Something I was sure Adonai would be pleased with.

The elevator stopped, and when the doors opened I saw four guards, all in phrik armour, turn our way with weapons ready but not directly aimed at us. That was a new feature; one brought on by the recent attack. Once they saw it was us, they relaxed, though their blasters remained in hand.

Walking past the guards, we reached the door for the command centre quickly, which wasn't the one the Lokella had used initially. With the growth in the size of their people and forces and the handful of merchants that came to the system, they had needed more room. From what I'd been told, this was the former bridge of the Pius Dea cathedral ship, though most of the ostentatious decorations had been removed and sold for credits to both help the Lokella and rewire much of the station.

The large, recently installed bulkhead door to the command centre opened, and I saw two more guards there. They stood just as ready as those outside, though my focus quickly shifted to Dooku as he turned and looked our way. Vosa, thankfully, wasn't present, being located a level below.

"Master," I said once we came closer, "I'm relieved to see you alive and well." Several members of the command crew glanced my way. That was likely due to me using the term Master, though when they saw it was me, they returned to their duties. Well, all but two who seemed a little starstruck at seeing the Mtael.

"As I am for you, though it appears you didn't escape the battle unharmed," he replied, his eyes flickering down to my missing forearm.

"Sadly yes, but given the other option was death I consider it a fair exchange." I tried to be flippant about it, but I could tell that I failed to convey any hint that I was comfortable with what had happened. The smile I wore also wouldn't pass muster with someone who knew me as well as Dooku did. Plus, there was the fact he'd consider the loss of a limb a sign of weakness. While he'd never commented directly on the matter, I'd inferred he felt as much from the various discussions we'd had over the years.

"If that was the only other outcome, then I can accept your injury. However, I would prefer to speak further about what, or who caused you such a wound."

I smirked as my other hand slipped into a pouch on my belt. "I thought you might say that," I said as I pulled out a small datacard. "The recording from my armour. It begins from when I first encountered the Sith," a single eyebrow rose on Dooku's face, indicating how unexpected that reveal was, "as he was about to kill Padawan Keto having already dispatched Master Drallig."

Dooku's brow rose further. "I had sensed Cin's passing, but I was unaware he had been on Naboo when it happened."

"He came because of Padawan Keto," I explained as he took the datacard. "Though before you watch it, I'd like to hear about what happened here and then speak with Anakin."

"I expected that you would come for the boy," Dooku said as he slipped the datacard into his robes. He gestured toward another exit from the command centre. Like the one we'd entered through, this one was guarded, and after a nod accepting his suggestion, I fell into step at his side.

Bo came along as I expected, though I'd thought she'd have gone with Ferox to see Anakin. As much as she might protest it, she had a soft spot for the boy.

"During a training session with Komari, I sensed a shift in the Force warning of danger. I had planned to leave her on Gaia, however she said she felt the shift as well and wanted to help. I pondered the request for a short while before granting it, feeling it would be a good test of how far she has come in recovery from what the Bando Gora did to her." I bit my tongue, not wanting to mention that she had been the one who'd ordered me broken, not another. "We arrived on the station moments before a sufficiently large force exited hyperspace causing the beginnings of panic within the station. Neither I nor Komari have the inclination toward Battle Meditation that you possess, so I felt the best place for me was in the command centre. Komari followed along, though I had her assigned to a room nearby; the same one she has returned to now that the battle has finished."

"For that, I'm glad," I commented before taking a long, deep breath to push away the memories of what I'd endured under her attention.

"Understandably so, even before considering you fought a Sith on Naboo." There was no hint in his voice that he doubted my words, which was a nice reassurance after Qui-Gon and others not entirely trusting my words at first.

"The other Jetii needed to see the recording first before believing Cam." Bo's comment wasn't entirely accurate.

Dooku glanced at me as we reached an elevator, having passed another squad of guards in the short corridor that led to it.

"Master Jinn and his Padawan had been assigned by Chancellor Valorum to defuse the blockade of Naboo. They weren't successful."

"Quite." Dooku's tone was as close to amused as he'd ever come to be in public. While he accepted Bo around me, he didn't trust her to the degree I did. Then again, he didn't trust many sentients to begin with. I, his other former Padawans like Qui-Gon, and a handful of others might be ones he considered reliable, but the majority of beings were, in his eyes, unworthy of any role other than simply existing.

"Master Jinn accepted my words enough to agree with me that the Zabrak was a Sith before viewing the recording, though that helped to confirm his suspicions. His Padawan, and two others who were by chance on Naboo during the invasion, were less convinced without the recording."

"There is no chance where the Force is concerned, though their reluctance to accept the emergence of the Sith is understandable." He paused as the doors closed and he entered the floor we would be heading to. "Have you spoken to the Council regarding this?"

"No, Master, though they are due to arrive in about a week to collect Master Drallig's body. The new Chancellor, Sheev Palpatine," that drew an interested look from Dooku, "will be arriving with them to celebrate the liberation of Naboo. However, when I sensed Anakin's distress, I knew I had to come here first with Bo and Ferox coming along due to their connection to the boy and his mother."

"Indeed." There was a slight pause before Dooku resumed speaking. "Returning to events here, when I arrived at the command centre I discovered that the attackers, which I later learnt were hired by Decca the Hutt, had breached the station. Feeling I would be of more use there, I headed to the nearest landing bay. Komari accompanied me simply because I was unwilling to leave her behind on the small chance she might somehow betray my trust." I wished she had, as Dooku would've struck her down for the action, thinking her beyond redemption. "It was fortunate I allowed her to come. While I was engaged against a large enough group of attackers to require the majority of my attention, ones that were targeting a group of children which included the Skywalker boy, Komari slipped away. When I realised this, I pursued her, unsure of her motives. I didn't sense a hint of betrayal from her, yet she had disobeyed my commands."

As the elevator slowed, he continued. "When I found her, she was surrounded by bodies. A group of perhaps ten Lokella lay dead on the ground, killed by blaster fire. Nearby four Weequay lay, their wounds brought on by one trained in the force. Komari was there, knelt over one of the Lokella, the Force shifting around her and the woman on the floor. Once I was closer I understood the woman was Shmi Skywalker." He paused there, allowing a moment of remorse. "Shmi was gravely wounded, Komari rested her head on her lap. Komari was never skilled with Force Healing, yet I could sense her using the Force to try and save the life inside Shmi. I knew there was nothing I could do to help Shmi; such things are beyond my abilities, but seeing Komari work to save the child Shmi carried was unexpected." He paused again, meeting my gaze. "Even given that Shmi had been one of the few Lokella to have interacted with Komari, displaying a degree of patience with my former Padawan that would rival that of Master Yoda." That caught me off-guard as I didn't realise the Skywalkers had any interaction with Komari, though knowing how kind Shmi was, it didn't surprise me that she would be willing to help Komari if needed. "Just as Shmi passed, the last of her life given to protect her unborn child, the boy arrived." The doors hissed there, signalling we'd arrived at our level. "I believe that his anguished scream is what you sensed?"

"Yes, though the timing was less than ideal," I held up my missing forearm, the fingers on it itching again.

"Yes, that would've been most unhelpful when battling a Sith. However, the Force often acts in ways we fail to understand, or comprehend." He stepped forward, leading us into the corridor. "Even decades later I struggle to fully grasp certain moments the Force seemed to insist that I experience."

I considered responding, suggesting I was fine with what had happened, but the words died on my lips as we rounded the first corner and I saw what lay ahead of us.

We'd arrived at the largest medical centre on the station, yet the corridor outside it was lined with beds until the next junction perhaps a hundred metres away. Some of the beds had been brought here to handle the overflow, others temporary ones constructed in a rush. Every bed was occupied; many of them had people sitting and either talking to each other or keeping to themselves; bacta patches, bandages and the like showing the various injuries they'd suffered during the attack.

The fact they were still here days later, instead of inside the centre or returning to quarters to recuperate, was an indication of just how devastating the battle had been. As were the dozen or so medical staff moving through the corridor, checking on the patients.

I moved forward slowly, taking in the sight; a voice nagging me that what had happened here was my fault. I shouldn't have asked the Lokella for help on Naboo, and shouldn't have asked them to risk their fleet to help others in need.

"Mtael."

I stopped and looked down, seeing a young Twi'lek female looking up at me, reverence on her face. Her hand, the one not held against her chest, reached over her body. "You came," she said softly as I noted one of her lekku was bandaged, the tip of it no longer there.

Hesitantly I reached out, taking her hand into mine. As much as I wanted to comfort her, I didn't want my actions to turn the admiration on her face into devotion. While I accepted many of the Lokella felt that way about me, I never tried to encourage it, nor use it to my advantage. At least not intentionally.

As my fingers grasped her hand, her eyes saw my other arm and a gasp slipped from her lips. Her eyes returned to my face, and I already knew the question forming on her lips.

"Where were you?!" The angry, snapped question took my attention from the Twi'lek to an enraged Human. The man stalked toward me, pushing past others on their bed. "Where the kriff were you while we were dying?" He raged, anger burning in his eyes and fuelling his movement. "Why did you call our ships away?" That question was accompanied by the thrusting of his hand toward me.

Behind and around him, others turned, wondering what the commotion was. While some shared his rage as they saw me, and some displaced the respect the Twi'lek granted, most were confused as to why the man was so enraged at me.

I could understand the man's rage and the pain he felt. I understood the loss of a loved one as the image of a red-skinned Togruta was broadcast into the Force so loudly that I felt they'd sense it on Coruscant. Yet, for all that anger, his behaviour here, pushing past others far more grievously injured, was unacceptable.

However, before I could answer him, Bo pushed past me, one hand floating over a blaster pistol. "Don't your osikyr dare, you shabuir!" Her snarled, venomous response had the man stopping in his tracks, though the rage in his gaze never wavered. "Cam never asked your fleet to leave!" Bo added, taking another step toward the man. "Osik, he ordered them back when we saw how many had come, and if not for that you'd not be standing there to shabyr shout at him!" she continued to close on the man, her hand grasping the pistol though she didn't draw it. "And on top of freeing another world from slavery; besting a Darjetii to do so!"

"Bo, that's enough," I said, placing my remaining hand on her shoulder even as the Togruta blinked, confused at the venom in Bo's tone. I was too, but I saw it as Bo simply defending me from what she saw as baseless accusations. "Oriam is just angry; at the world, at the slavers, the Hutts and losing the one he loved in the battle." Oriam blinked; shock at me knowing why he was angry - thank you Observe - pushing back his rage.

Bo grunted, but she allowed me to gently ease her to the side so I could pass. "Oriam," I began as I came face to face with the man, "while I don't know the full details of what everyone else here endured, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked the council for help, not even to free the citizens of another world that were invaded and bound for slavery." As I spoke, I lifted my other arm, the one missing the forearm, using the injury to show I'd suffered as well. "The safety of the Lokella matters greatly to me. Certainly more so than asking them to forgo the defences of this station or the planet below to answer my wishes." Behind him I saw most were watching us, listening to my words. "I never expected the Council to offer the majority of the fleet, never wanted them to. Just because to many, though not all, I am a figure of importance doesn't mean my wishes and my needs supersede those of your people. Something I explained to the fleet that came to help when I demanded most of it return to this station."

I watched Oriam as I spoke, noting the anger slowly fading into the background. It didn't disappear, nor should it, but it pulled back enough that when he spoke again, there was little hint of it in his voice. "Why," he paused and licked his lips. "Why did we have to help a world of the Republic? They did nothing to help us!"

"No, they didn't. Nor did the Senate, whose new Chancellor hails from Naboo; the planet we helped to free. I, however, won't stand by and do nothing. Not if it led to innocents being enslaved and abandoned by those sworn to protect them. The Trade Federation, the Hutts, and others like them, have run roughshod over the Outer Rim for centuries, doing whatever they pleased. The voices of those they hurt, those they enslave – be it officially or with contracts so one-sided they might as well be – have been ignored by those in the corridors of power; many only concerning themselves with personal power and wealth."

"Yet I knew I couldn't help the Naboo, couldn't make a stand against oppression, be it of slavers or corporations, alone. So I reached out to the Lokella and the Mandalorians." Given their history, having them help to free the oppressed was an amusing turn of events, but it would also, I hoped, help rehabilitate their image with some. "I'm sorry that my request cost you, cost all of you," I added as I looked past Oriam and took in the sentients in the corridor. "But I won't stand by and do nothing because those who should've helped the Naboo, who should've helped you, did nothing."

I stopped there, taking stock of my words while Oriam considered them. It wasn't lost on me that my words might sound like something a Separatist would say, but I suspected that for many who joined the CIS, their issues with the Republic were genuine. However, their cause was only a front used by the Sith to shatter the Republic and the Jedi and bring everything under the control of a Sith-led empire.

If I'd seen myself say that back when I'd been inserted into this galaxy, I'd have wondered what had changed. Yes, Sidious had used the Clone Wars to gain control of the galaxy, but I believed in the concept of the Republic and the GAR. Yet, after seeing how the Republic worked – or in many cases, didn't – I could no longer see myself standing with the GAR against whatever the CIS became in this timeline. Not if it was, as in the other timeline, controlled and corrupted by the corporations before they were turned on by the true puppet masters.

The issue was that, unless something changed drastically, I only had maybe ten years before galactic war broke out. Yet, before I could begin laying true foundations for what was to come, I had to sort out several critical issues. With myself, with Anakin, and with others.

Putting those thoughts to the side again, I placed my hand on Oriam's arm. "I'm sorry that you lost someone you cared for deeply, I truly am. But I cannot change the past, nor will I apologise for the choices I made that led to your loss save for wishing I'd been clearer about only wanting a small section of the Lokella Force to aid me. However, no one; not you, or me, or the most powerful Jedi to have ever lived can know for certain the repercussions of any action we take. Nor how that action can alter events across the galaxy." I removed my hand from his arm and stepped back. "If you and others wish to hate me for what happened here, then I understand and wouldn't blame you. I'm not a dictator, nor do I ever wish to become one. That said, I will continue to do what I feel, in my heart, and in the Force, is best for not just myself but the galaxy as a whole."

Having said my piece, I moved to one side and slipped past him before he could reply. I was interested in hearing his thoughts, and those of other members of the Lokella. However, I wasn't here now for them. That was a cruel thought while they were in pain, but it was the hard truth and I'd be an arrogant, deluded fool if I ignored it.

The doors to the medical centre slid open as I approached, even as those in the corridor continued, like Oriam, to consider my words. The sickly-sweet smell of bacta – one I'd grown used to after defeating Maul – grew stronger as I entered the centre.

Beds lined the walls, all occupied. Bacta patches, larger than those used outside, covered many of the sentients lying on the beds. The other beds held sentients whose eyes made clear their injuries were mental more than physical. Nurses and doctors moved around, the signs of tiredness and weariness easy to see in their movements.

Dooku and Bo were at my side as the doors closed behind us. My eyes searched the room, though I didn't see Anakin. Reaching out with Detection, I sensed Anakin in a small room near the back of the centre. Inside were two others. Ferox and one I didn't know.

I moved toward the room, ignoring the looks from those present. Like outside before my impromptu speech, the faces that watched me ranged from adulation to disgust, however, I wasn't interacting with any of them. I wasn't here for them.

The door to the small, backroom slid open with an audible hiss. Inside I saw Ferox and Anakin, the boy had his head against the Corellian's side, one of Ferox's arms around the boy, as they sat near a bed. Something was on the bed; the source of the third presence I'd felt in the Force. Yet before I could approach close, Anakin shifted, sliding from Ferox's side, and turned.

"Cam!" My name came out in a mixture of relief, shock, and fear. Yet before I could process his emotions fully, I'd dropped to a knee as he rushed toward me.

His arms grasped around my neck as mine went around his back, and a moment later, tears flowed from his eyes as he sobbed into my shoulder. With my remaining hand, I gently patted his back, letting him release his pain. As he did that, I lifted my head and looked at Ferox.

His eyes, like Anakin's, were red, though in his arms I saw a small bundle of blankets. I knew instantly that this was the child Shmi had been carrying, though before I could ask its name, or even use Observe to determine if it had any true Force Potential, Anakin lifted his head from my shoulder, drawing my attention.

"Mom died," he managed to get out between sobs, his face wet and his eyes bloodshot.

"I know," I replied, offering him a small, sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry."

My hand came around and up, intending to wipe away his tears, only for me to stop as I realised I'd once again used the arm with the missing limb.

"Your Hand!" Anakin blurted out before I could lower the arm enough he might not see the wound. "What happened?"

"He fought a Darjetii," Bo replied, drawing Anakin's attention to her and saving me from having to explain what happened without revealing it was his scream that had distracted me.

Dooku clarified. There was nothing in his voice to hint at anything else, but I sensed a faint ripple in the Force suggesting he knew more than he was letting on. "However, Cameron sensed your pain, and as soon as he was able, came to visit," my former Master added, not letting me dwell on what he might be holding back.

Anakin's gaze returned to me, his eyes widening at Dooku's words, and I offered him a smile. "I felt your pain through the Force and knew I had to come," I explained as I brought my other arm around and wiped away some of his tears. I wasn't going to mention when I'd sensed his pain, or what it'd led to, for a good, long while. Knowing Anakin, he'd blame himself for it and never fully forgive himself which wasn't something I wanted. When he was older, I'd probably tell him the full truth, but by then he'd have moved on from the event enough it wouldn't affect him psychologically.

In truth, the mistake was mine. I'd enjoyed the fight with Maul far too much and granted the Zabrak too much control over how it went and where we fought. I should've gone to the tools in my armour sooner and used them more. If I had, I might've kept my hand. However, as I was aware, hindsight was a bitch, so I wasn't going to dwell on the mistake, only learn from it going forward.

"Mum's dead," he repeated as my hand came away from his face.

"I know," I answered again. My fingers brushed back the hair on his forehead that had stuck there when he'd buried his head in my shoulder.

I wanted to help him, to take his mind off events, but I wasn't sure how. I'd already promised to take him as my Padawan, but making that official now felt wrong; cheap even. And disrespected Shmi. Around us, I could faintly feel the Force shifting as if trying to nudge me toward an action it wanted. However, as was often the case, I wasn't attuned to its intent as strongly as most other Jedi. Yet, as my fingers lifted away from Anakin's forehead, I caught sight of my vambrace, of the beskar it was made of, and an idea took root in my mind.

"Anakin," I said slowly, sorting out rapidly if this was the right idea. "I want you to know that I'll still take you as my Padawan. However, I know you're not ready for that. You need to grieve for your mother. That said, I have… an idea that I think you might like." Anakin's head tilted to one side, his curiosity shining through his grief. I looked up at Ferox. "Were you and Shmi married?" I asked. It was a touch callous to ask that now, but for the idea I had, I needed to be sure of Anakin's relationship with the Corellian.

"No," Ferox replied gently, the bundle in his arms held securely against his chest. "W.. we'd agreed to wait until after Lia's birth before making it official. We… we had hoped you might be there when we married, given your role in bringing us together."

I nodded at that, unsure what to say to him to apologise for not having considered that when I'd taken Anakin to Mandalore before the invasion of Naboo. It was nice to also have a name for Anakin's sister – one that, amusingly, was close to what his daughter had been named in another timeline. However, my curiosity about Lia Skywalker would have to wait until later. "Then, with your permission, I'd like to adopt Anakin."

"I thought Jedi couldn't have families," Anakin blurted out before Ferox could answer my request.

"While that isn't entirely accurate," Dooku replied as I was reminded of Ki-Adi-Mundi, "I believe Cameron isn't interested in making you his son in a common, Republic sense."

I turned to my former Master, curious to his thoughts on the plan brewing in my mind. The slightest, barely perceptible movement of his head gave me his blessing, though I knew he'd want to hear my reasoning for this choice at a later date. Bo, on the other hand, was trying and failing to keep a proud smile from spreading over her face.

Turning back to Anakin, I smiled gently. "A Jedi isn't normally allowed to have a family. I, however, am far from what most would consider a normal Jedi." Bo snorted out a laugh that she tried to hide behind a cough. "Nor am I only a Jedi. I am Cameron Shan, Alor – that means Chief – of Clan Shan of the Mando'ade. If you want I cou…"

"Yes!"

Anakin's response cut me off from finishing my question as his eyes radiated joy at the idea of becoming Mandalorian. The pain was still there, but for this moment at least, it was replaced by other feelings.

"Ni kar'tayl gai sa'ad, Anakin." He blinked at my words, clearly not understanding them. rather amusingly, he looked up at Bo for an explanation.

"That means you are now, by the laws of our people, Anakin Skywalker, son of Cameron Shan," She said, amusement easy to detect in her voice.

Ankin offered a weak laugh, any excitement at his change in status lost under the sorrow he felt over his mother's death. I held him close, letting the mixture of emotions wash over him while around us the others stood.

Later I'd speak with Dooku about how this development would change the Master-Padawan relationship I'd have with Anakin. I also knew that I'd have to keep this development hidden from the Jedi Council, and by extension, the Sith. However, given I planned to take some time, perhaps a year or two, away to train Anakin while continuing to build a base of support for the wars to come, that shouldn't be a major hurdle.

Eventually, and thankfully before I needed to call on the Force to counter the lack of fresh oxygen entering my lungs, Anakin eased his grip. As he slid back, a wide, happy smile dominated his face. "Wait," he muttered as his eyes drifted down. "Does that mean I get armour like yours and Bo's?"

"One day, maybe," I replied with a chuckle as I ran my hand through his hair. Given his changed mood, he didn't react to the action. "However, that won't be for a good while yet, and not until after you've completed your verd'goten." He gulped at hearing that, memories of the stories of my and Bo's hunts coming to mind. "First though, I'd like to meet your sister."

"Okay," he said, turning he grabbed my hand and dragged me forward. I stood as I moved, approaching Ferox who leaned forward slightly to grant me a sight of the babe in his arms. She looked much like any other newborn, though I swore I saw the same spark of curiosity in her eyes that I often saw in Anakin's gaze. "Lia, I'd like you to meet Cameron Shan, my new father."

I blinked as Anakin said that, marvelling at how right it felt to hear him call me father. I hadn't considered the idea of having children for a long, long time. Certainly not until the wars against the Sith were over. Yet, standing here with Anakin, meeting his half-sister – who Observe confirmed had little potential with the Force – I knew I'd made the right decision.

Yes, when it was discovered, it would place an even larger target on our backs, but that, I was discovering, happened naturally the more active I was in the galaxy. With events that were still to come, regardless of whether they happened as they did in the other timeline or not, I'd rather have Anakin trained and ready to fight than risk leaving him exposed to the chaos to come.
… …

… …
Later that day, as the station's chronometer ticked toward midnight, I was almost ready to leave Mtael's Gift. Anakin had transferred his belongings to Raven not long after I'd adopted him, taking a room between mine and Bo's. Currently, he was off saying farewell – for now – to Ferox, Lia, and his friends on the station. Many of the Lokella were sad to see him go, but as it was an open secret that I'd intended to make him a Jedi, most were accepting of the change.

Bo found the idea of the adoption amusing, teasing me regularly about it, even mentioning that she'd had the idea of adopting the boy first. When I'd shot back at that saying she still could, and we could co-parent Anakin, she'd laughed so hard she'd not been able to reply for nearly a minute. While she liked the boy, she continued to claim she had no interest in having children – be they through adoption or birth – and was happy to be the fun-loving, gun-toting aunt. Though when she'd spent time holding Lia, I noticed a look in her eye that suggested she wasn't as against the idea of children as she claimed. That, however, was a discussion for, at best, several years down the road.

Ferox, for obvious reasons, would be staying on the station. Not only did he have a new-born daughter to raise, but the Lokella needed his leadership. With a child to care for, I hoped he'd temper his more aggressive approaches to life. He had, though, given me a datacard to pass to Validus – who was back on Naboo, containing information on the attack and a private message between the pair.

Before I departed, and with Anakin still off speaking to his friends, I'd found the time to speak again with Dooku. After adopting Anakin, we'd not had much time to speak, yet as I approached him on the balcony that overlooked the bay containing Raven, I knew he'd have examined the recording of my battle with Maul.

"Master," I said as I neared though he'd already been turning before I spoke.

"Cameron, I won't keep you long," he replied as I approached. "I only wish to speak with you about your duel with the Zabrak, and pass along an unexpected revelation from Komari." I tensed at the mention of the bitch, but relaxed a moment later. "Knowing your continual disinterest in meeting with her, I felt relaying the message to you would be preferable."

"My thanks, Master," I said as I reached his side, my hand coming out to grip the balcony's railing and looking down at the Raven as Lokella technicians moved around her under Bo's watchful direction. "While I have grown and changed since my time with her and the Bando Gora, I know I'm not in any condition to meet with her again."

That was, as Dooku knew, a massive understatement. Everything I'd endured at the hands of Vosa and the Bando Gora was, because of Eidetic Memory, fresh and clear whenever I thought about it. That made releasing the feelings I held toward her, and about my time with her, into the Force as a Jedi was meant to do, be extremely difficult to manage. If not downright impossible, which was why I chose to push the anger and rage that time, and other moments in my life, down deep inside. It was something that would, if not for anything else, keep me from ever being a 'good and proper' Jedi. Though given I'd never really been a proper Jedi, it was perhaps not a major issue.

"Quite." Dooku's response was succinct, to the point, and oddly amusing. "According to Komari, she fought the Zabrak at some point while you were under her care." I grimaced at referring to my time with the Bando Gora like that, but I understood Dooku was being diplomatic about the ordeal. "It seems that the Bando Gora were involved in a plot with the Zabrak to kill someone I believe you are familiar with. Hego Damask."

I blinked at hearing that. "Huh." The word slipped from my lips as I processed what I'd just learned. "That wasn't something I've heard him mention, though if the Sith were involved, then it was likely only tangentially as otherwise the Muun would've died. I'll have to see what I can learn about this, subtly of course."

Dropping a nugget like that could, if Plagueis was still alive, cause friction between him and Sidious. It hadn't been a direct attack by the Apprentice on the Master – which spoke to how powerful Plagueis was – but it was an interesting development to learn of, nonetheless.

What I didn't know though was if, in the other timeline, that was the event that enabled Sidious to kill and replace his Master, or just an early attempt that failed there as it had here. Plagueis must've died not long after Naboo, as I felt there was little chance the Muun would've stayed in the shadows while his Apprentice was Chancellor, so I'd know soon if my actions, unintentional as they were, had fucked up this timeline enough that Plagueis survived. If he had, then things would be a million times harder as for all of Sidious' power – taking down three Council members almost instantly being a prime example – Plagueis would be on another level. Perhaps beyond even Yoda and Windu together.

That was a frightening thought and meant my plans for training Anakin would have to be accelerated.

"Indeed. Though I would be cautious of whom you reveal this to. To most outside the Council, Komari is missing and presumed dead. The reveal of this information, if it reached the ear of the Zabrak's Master, would have him investigating us, and those around us intensely. That could endanger many, if not all, of the plans we are contemplating."

"The Sith might also seek to take Vosa, replacing the Zabrak," I added, which was something Sidious would be working on now. Dooku was, I was all but certain, off the table as Darth Tyrannus, but the Sith would have backup plans upon backup plans. So much so that I feared little I did would stop them from reaching a point where they could implement Order 66.

"Indeed."

"Thank you for this, Master," I said after nearly a minute of silent contemplation. "Also, can you offer my… thanks to her? While, in the grand scheme of things, it's likely this information is unimportant, it is another small thread in our investigations of what the Sith are planning. With it, we might be able to find moments between where she encountered the Zabrak and Naboo that may have been influenced by the Sith."

"I shall pass along your words, though I'm unsure of how she will take them." he paused as if considering something. "She retains an interest in you, often wondering what latest event you have found yourself involved in. That interest has only increased with your defeat of the Sith, though I fear it has also increased the interest the Sith may have toward you, and potentially the boy."

"I had feared that Master, and have some plans to limit our exposure for the next year or so. If the Force allows me the freedom to avoid incidents."

Dooku grunted, understanding the joke. "Like you, I believe the Zabrak is only the apprentice. While his form is impeccable, he was intent on defeating you with the lightsaber only. A true master of the Force, be they Jedi or Sith, wouldn't allow themselves to be so limited. If the Master focuses on you, I am concerned you will be unable to escape their machinations."

"On that, we agree, Master. And while I take the time to train Anakin, I feel I now know how to overcome my deficiencies with the Force. While I'd have preferred the clarity to have occurred before losing my hand, I'm glad it has finally come." OK, the clarity came from reaching level 30, but Dooku wouldn't, and couldn't, understand that.

I took a step back and bowed to him. "May the Force be with you, Master."

"And with you, Cameron, and your new Padawan. I sense you will both need it for what is to come."

I nodded, understanding the final warning he gave, and then turned. While I was curious about his opinions of my fight with Maul, I already knew the critiques he'd offer as they'd been the same ones he'd been giving for the last few years. By the time I met Dooku again, if all went as planned, then I'd have overcome those issues, and at the very least, I hoped I'd be able to push him into taking actions during a spar that he'd not normally wish to.

Before then though, I had to return to Naboo. I couldn't avoid meeting the High Council, or the Sith Lord that was the new Chancellor of the Republic.
… …

… …
I had Raven turn, banking her under and around one of the arms of the Saak'ak before she then swooped over the arm.

"Woo-hoo!" Anakin called out as Raven turned almost on a credit-chit to face the entrance to the hangar. That let me see what was parked there and I whistled at the sight of the Royal Naboo Cruiser.

"Damn! Padmé's going to be pissed," I muttered as Raven moved into the bay and the damage to the royal cruiser became apparent.

The superstructure was still intact, and the engines still mounted, yet the hull was peppered with holes, scorch marks, and other forms of damage including what appeared to be the arm of a Vulture droid wedged through where the cockpit was. Sections of the inner workings were exposed in several places, with the panel R2 and the other droids had exited through during the cruiser's escape from Naboo having been blown off.

"It served its purpose," Bo remarked from the co-pilot's seat as Raven flew past the royal cruiser. "I'm sure the Queen is fine with the damage given it helped free her people. But, if she does have it rebuilt, please insist that she adds some shabyr weaponry."

"I'll pass that along," I said with a chuckle as Raven turned, planning to set her down between the royal cruiser and the assortment of vessels that filled this bay, along with the next one.

"Oh!" Anakin called out, his arm thrust between Bo and me. "That's a D-17 Patrol craft! I've always wanted to see inside one! And that's a…"

"Anakin," I cut in before his enthusiasm for the collection of vessels overwhelmed him, "When we arrive I need you to not start fiddling with other people's belongings. The Lokella allowed it because they trusted you. Here, while the Mando'ade trust me, none know you're my ad. As much as Bo would no doubt enjoy me settling any grievances that are brought up, I'd rather not waste my time doing so."

"Okay," he said, much quieter than before, and pulled his arm back.

"If you're good, I'm sure my father and Alor Torrhen would be willing to let you visit the Ne'tra Tal'ade, ad'ika," Bo offered, using the Mando'a term for child or little one, which oddly, was close to Anakin's name.

"Really?" Anakin asked, not even attempting to hide his hope. Somehow, the idea of getting to see the inside of a Mandalorian dreadnought was lifting his excitement to new, untold levels. While I was a little concerned about it, I was letting it go as it kept him distracted from crying over his mother. Something he'd done each night since we'd left the ShaDo system.

"Yes. As Cam's ad, you're now an ally of my Clan and Clan Ordo." From the corner of my eye, I caught the smile on Bo's face as she talked to Anakin, once more showing her feelings toward the boy. "If not for Cam, the Ne'tra Tal'ade might've been returned to dock without seeing battle. Since it is here, and because of everything, I feel it won't take much to convince them to allow you a tour of one of our older, but powerful, warships." She leaned closer. "Perhaps, if you're really good, it might even be possible for you to fire the turbolasers at a nearby asteroid," she added in a conspiratorial tone.

"Woo-Hoo!" I winced at Anakin's volume as he was right next to my seat. "Come on Fenrir!"

As Raven reported touching down on the Lucrehulk's deck, I turned just in time to see a bemused tuk'ata follow the boy out of the cockpit. "Are you trying to spoil him?" I asked Bo as I turned to her, even as, with just one hand, I powered down Raven's systems.

"Maybe, but I'm also encouraging his shereshoy," she replied as she stood. Shereshoy was a uniquely Mando'a word that, as close as it could be translated, meant 'lust for life' in Basic. While I didn't fully understand it, I knew that term only covered part of what shereshoy truly meant. It did, though, remind me of the saying 'seize the day' from Earth. "And to show him that our ways are better than those of the Jetii."

"I remind you that I'm a Jedi," I countered as I stood.

That drew a snort of amusement from her. "Even you know you're not a good one." She took a step toward me, entering my personal space. "You fought and defeated a Darjetii as Mando'ade, not Jetii." Standing on her tiptoes, her lips moved toward my ear. "And a very emuur'la one at that," she added before nibbling gently on my ear.

I rolled my eyes as she pulled back, well aware and used to her flirting. Though I'd admit that if not for Anakin, his trouble sleeping each night, and the fact his room was next to mine, then I'd have struggled to not give in to Bo's temptations. Even with thoughts of Serra still fresh in my thoughts.

Before we'd docked with the Saak'ak, I'd contacted Theed for an update on her condition. Padmé had informed me personally that while she was still in the bacta tank, her doctors assured her that my fellow Jedi would be out of the tank before the celebrations. Padmé was also glad I'd returned as the Chancellor and Jedi Council were due to arrive tomorrow. From the way she spoke of the festivities, I suspected – and dreaded – that she planned for me to be front and centre in them.

"Come on," I said to Bo, once more ignoring her flirting. "If we don't get out there quickly enough, I fear what sort of chaos Anakin might get into."

"Knowing his buir, a lot," Bo added as she fell into step at my side as we left the cockpit.

It took about a minute to make our way through Raven and reach the exit hatch. As we entered the airlock, the sound of the ramp deploying was heard, but attention was on Anakin and the way he was struggling to not bounce from foot to foot. I could sense his excitement, along with Fenrir's amusement, as he waited to see new vessels. "Anakin," I said, drawing his attention, "remember what I said."

"Yes, sir." He wasn't calling me father, which was a relief as I wasn't sure I was ready to hear that, but I'd made it clear he didn't have to address me as Master. For former slaves that term had negative, and likely painful, connotations. In time, I'd explain how to the Jedi it was meant as one of respect, but given he wouldn't be around any Jedi bar myself and Dooku when we stopped in the ShaDo system, that wouldn't be an issue.

I took the lead once the airlock hissed open, and looking around, made note of the various ships in the hangar. To say they were an eclectic collection would be like saying Kashyyyk had big trees. There was little to no uniformity in the ships in the bay, showing how each Mando'ade was free to select a vessel that suited them. While that allowed them great freedom, it also made it hard for others to track Mandalorians based on starship types. However, it did feed into the idea that they wouldn't be unified, at least not without a strong, powerful Mand'alor to control them.

Around the bay, Federation droids moved, though these were the unarmed, cargo-type droids a ship like the Saak'ak was meant to have and not the various battledroids that it had carried to Naboo. Since there was no cargo in the bay, at least as far as I could see, the droids were likely helping with the maintenance of the various ships here.

From what I'd learnt speaking to Asta Ordo when we'd approached for docking, the remaining battledroids and Vulture droids were being stored in the port arm, along with any surviving crew from the three Lucrehulks. Well, bar the senior figures who were, unfortunately for me, held in Theed. Hopefully, HK had discovered a way to remove Gunray while I'd been gone, but if not, I'd have to try another approach to ensure he never reached a Republic jail. There was no way I was allowing Sidious to keep that piece on the board.

Once on the deck, my focus shifted to an approaching group of Mando'ade. None wore their helmets, instead, like Bo, they carried them under an arm, but I'd know each of them even if they wore the helmets. I watched them all as they came closer, though I held Osto's gaze a touch longer until he gave a subtle nod. That meant Maul was secured aboard either this ship or more likely the Ne'tra Tal'ade ready for transport to a secure Mandalorian facility designed to house and contain Force users.

I wasn't sure what my plans would be with him, but I knew he'd be of some use. The Force had been clear in that as I'd stood over him, considering my options as the sedative designed for bull rancors that I'd shot him with rendered him unconscious. In the end, I'd used the Force-suppression cuffs I held in my Inventory to secure him, and then had Osto and his squad withdraw from the city with the Zabrak. I knew I'd have to talk with Adonai, Torrhen, and the handful of others who knew about Maul, regarding what to do with the Sith, but that could wait for a few days. Though I did know I needed him out of sigh, preferably out of the system, before Palpatine arrived.

"Alor Cameron, it's good to see you again," Adonai said as he led the greeting party. He extended an arm, thankfully for my remaining hand.

"You as well, Alor Adonai," I replied as I grasped his forearm. "Though I had shab'an idea you and Alor Torrhen would turn up with a shabyr dreadnought," I added with a smile. That drew laughter from everyone within range to catch my words. "Not that I'm complaining, mind you."

"We wanted it active for the civil war, but by the time the last upgrades were installed and checked, the war was over," Torrhen replied as I grasped his forearm while Adonai hugged his daughter, much to her annoyance. "The vessel had been powered down since then and we feared we'd have wasted the credits on improving her. Of course, that was when your call to arms came in and we felt it would be a waste to not deploy the Ne'tra Tal'ade into combat once again."

"Given the smoking hulk floating nearby, I'd say it more than lived up to design," I remarked as I greeted Asta and Ordo in turn. "And while I'm sure the Naboo are grateful for the extra firepower, I can't imagine how the Chancellor and Jedi Council will react when they arrive tomorrow."

"Aye, we're looking forward to that," Asta commented with a grin matched by the others. "It will be nice to show the Tsad Droten that Mandalore isn't the feeble backwater they believe."

"We had considered removing the Ne'tra Tal'ade to avoid an incident, but I was outvoted on the matter," Adonai added, though the smile he wore made clear he wasn't offended or upset to lose that vote. "Given reports of her travel would've reached Coruscant already, there was little point in attempting to hide her existence."

"Besides, your Queen granted every warrior and vessel that fought to free her world safe passage in their system, and a port in the storm if needed," Osto added. "So long as it's not to hide from Tsad Droten law or the Jetii."

"I'm sure the new Chancellor is going to love that," I commented with a grin, doing my best to ignore the teasing Osto used regarding my friendship with Padmé. Bar Adonai and Bo, though I couldn't see her face to confirm it, none understood what I was implying. "Until a few weeks ago, he was the Senator for the Chommell sector, being born on Naboo."

That had the group laughing in delight, which was what I expected. Having the homeworld of the Chancellor of the Republic – or Tsad Droten in Mando'a – grant Mando'ade safe passage and protection would place him in an awkward position if he ever had to censor the Mandalorian sector. Not that most Mando'ade would listen to the Republic, but it would be an interesting dilemma for Palpatine to handle.

"You mean that we didn't just save a Tsad Droten world, but the home of their new leader?" Asta asked between chuckles. My nod of confirmation only had her and the others laughing harder. "Shab elek!" She exclaimed, punching the air in delight.

As the group and those nearby heard and passed on my information, I realised that none had remarked on my missing limb. They'd all seen it, the glances impossible to hide, but none seemed concerned about it. It had been a regular thing that others asked about, but the Mando'ade here just accepted it. Now, Bo had already told me that would be the case, using her father's artificial leg as an example of how being wounded in battle wasn't something to look down upon, so long as the battle had been a worthy one, which defeating a Sith certainly qualified as. Still, seeing the lack of reaction to the wound in person was a nice experience.

As the laughter died down, Adonai's eyes drifted to those with me and Bo. "While I expected Fenrir, I hadn't expected the ad'ika to be with you," he said, looking at Anakin.

I turned and called the boy forward, placing my hand on his shoulder once he was in front of me. "Anakin, I'm sure you remember Duke Adonai."

"Hello sir," Anakin said, getting a smile from the older Mando'ade.

"To the rest, may I present Anakin Skywalker, my ad."

That statement caught everyone off guard, and they blinked as they stared at either me or Anakin. Adonai glanced at Bo, seeking confirmation, and when he returned his gaze to me I assumed she'd given it.

"M-my mother died when we were attacked by slavers hired by the Hutts," Anakin said, and I didn't need the Force to sense the shift in tone that fell over the hangar. Not just with the group in front of us, but with others nearby who were watching. "Cam was already going to make me his Padawan, but when he offered to make me Mandalorian as well, I accepted."

Adonai stepped forward, and after dropping to a knee, placed his hand on Anakin's free shoulder. "Su cuy'gar Anakin Skywalker of Clan Shan," he said softly. "While you were not born Mando'ade, you are now one of us. Aliit ori'shya tal'din."

"Family is more than blood," I explained as Anakin turned and looked up at me, he turned back and smiled at Adonai as I saw the others nod in agreement.

"Vur entye."

I chuckled at Anakin's attempt to use Mando'a. While he didn't know much, Bo had enjoyed, among other things, teaching him phrases along with telling the history of our people. So much so that Anakin was already listing ideas for his verd'goten. While I was against a sarlacc or a krayt dragon, I could see him taking on a Rancor: It would be a nice homage to what Luke did in the other timeline. That, however, was something I'd have to meditate on when he was almost thirteen.

"It's vor entye," Adonai corrected, "and ba'gedet'ye ad'ika." He squeezed Anakin's shoulder before looking up at me. "Have you taught him the remembrance chant?"

"Bo did," I replied. It had been something she did not long after I'd adopted Anakin. While she'd used it nightly ever since joining me – back at the start of the last Mandalorian civil war – I'd not joined her until our return from the ShaDo system. While I'd lost my grandfather and mother, I barely knew either of them or felt little connection to the pair. However, with Anakin now using it as well, I'd joined in and added my mother's name, letting him see that everyone suffered. I'd also explained that Jedi mourned the loss of friends like any would, however, we were expected to release our feelings into the Force. Knowing the boy, I knew he'd not do that, which was why the Mandalorian chant was something I joined in with.

"Good," Adonai said, looking at his daughter for a moment before returning his attention to Anakin. "Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum. Urin Kryze, Sellena Kryze."

"Korkie Kryze," said Bo, adding the name of her dead nephew.

"Gregar Ordo."

"Ane Keldorn."

"Ressa Shan," I added, just as I'd done for the last few nights.

"Shmi Skywalker," Anakin said after me, and I gently patted his shoulder. This was the first time he'd not seized up when saying his mother's name. He still mourned deeply for her – that I knew without using the Force – but this was the next step in his recovery from that traumatic event. Since the chant was helping him deal with his grief, I planned to continue it after we left Naboo, and I began his training.

Other voices joined in, adding the names of loved ones lost over the years. While that would help Anakin see that he wasn't alone, that he was a part of something greater than himself, as the names continued to be added, my mind shifted to other things.

As far as I knew, HK and R2 were still working to gain entry to Maul's vessel. I'd contacted HK through a secured channel, wondering how they were doing. He'd been insulted that I was concerned for him as if the idea a starship could destroy him was in some way more demeaning than letting a meatbag do so. That said, he was impressed by the security on Maul's vessel. I wasn't yet convinced of where I wanted that ship stored, but I had a few ideas. I had to get the hyperspace coordinates of the systems without the Jedi or Sith learning of my intentions which would require me to head to somewhere other than the Temple for the information I required.

"Now, ad'ika, know that you aren't alone," Adonai said, bringing my thoughts back to the hangar bay. Adonai stood then. "All suffer loss, be it of family, friends, or limbs," he added, patting his leg, the one with the artificial limb. Given how freely he moved on it, it would be easy to forget, but given the rumours of weapons built into the thing, that might be what he hoped. "However, a warrior doesn't wallow in their loss. We mourn what has been taken, we remember those we love, and in the name of those no longer with us, we keep pushing forward. Oya Manda!"

"Oya Manda!" The chant was repeated by me and others in the bay.

"Oya Manda!" Anakin added a moment later, earning a nod of approval from Adonai as the man ruffled the young boy's hair.

"Good. We'll make Mando'ade out of you." His gaze then took in me, Bo and Fenrir. "Now, all of you, come. The warriors grow restless. We have delayed the celebration of our victory far too long waiting on the War Leader's return." He moved forward and clapped an arm on my shoulder. "First a dragon, then duelling for the fate of a planet, and now defeating a Darjetii," he said with a wide smile. "The blood of a true warrior runs thick in your veins."

"To be fair, I don't go looking for trouble," I replied with a chuckle and smile, "that said, I don't deny that I do enjoy the battles."

Adonai laughed loudly at that, as did others in the hangar. "Oya!" he shouted, others joining in a second or so later.

"And many say he's not Mando'ade." The partially whispered comment came from Osto and widened the smiles worn by his parents.

Adonai turned, pulling me with him. Anakin fell into step at my side as our group merged with Adonai's and we headed into the Saak'ak. Tonight, and probably into the morning, we'd celebrate. Food, drink, song, dance and other forms of entertainment would be partaken, and until I returned to Naboo's surface, thoughts of facing the Jedi and Sith would be pushed from my thoughts.
… …

… …
(Bo-Katan POV)
Bo-Katan moved to the free seat next to Cam's son – and that was something that continued to make her chuckle -- with a wide smile on her face and a large, just-refilled mug of ne'tra gal in her hand. "Enjoying yourself ad'ika?" She asked once seated next to the boy, enjoying the fact his name was so close to the Mando'a term for 'little one'.

The boy smiled back at her; his face rosy as he nursed the single cup of ale he'd been allowed. "Yes," Anakin replied, "but I don't know what you're chanting, or what the dancing means."

She laughed and leaned closer, placing an arm – the one not holding her mug – around the boy's shoulders. She had no interest in children of her own – be they adopted or naturally born – but she liked this ad'ika. Not only was he, according to Cam, going to one day be very powerful with the Force but he was intrigued by her culture. Well, now his culture as well since Cam had adopted him.

The other thing about Anakin was, much like Cam, Bo-Katan sensed there was something special about the boy. He was jate'kara; touched by luck and had a destiny. One that, again like Cam, Bo-Katan felt a need to help shape and follow. The pair were drawn to each other, and while she felt for Anakin that he'd lost his mother, she was glad Cam had made him Mando'ade, or at least an adiik of their people.

Once the celebrations here were over, she knew Cam planned to take time away to begin Anakin's training, but he had promised her that it wouldn't just be Jetii training; that he'd begin teaching the boy what he could about the ways of the Mando'ade. Bo-Katan had, in return, promised that if he needed help with that training, or ever found himself needing an ally, she'd do what she could to help. And to Bo-Katan, this felt like one of those moments.

"Then let me teach you," She said as the group on the floor, which was most of the warriors in the chamber, restarted the Dha Werda.

"Taung sa rang broka Mando'ade ka'rta."

"The ash of the Taung beats strong within the Mandalorians' hearts," She said, translating the Mando'a into Basic. As they chanted, the warriors, led by Cam, Osto Ordo and Vonte Tervho – the generals of the ground offensive – pounded their fists against their armoured chests, setting the beat of the chant. Now, Cam wasn't able to set the beat properly, his missing limb ensuring that, but Bo-Katan knew none saw that as an insult. Cam had fought and defeated a warrior of great power and skill – one that had defeated the Jetii responsible for training all others in their ways of combat – becoming the first Mando'ade in centuries, possibly even since the Dral'Han, to defeat a Darjetii in single combat. That made his injury a mark of honour and victory, something even those who only came for the credits respected.

"Dha Werda Verda a'den tratu."

"We are the rage of The Warriors of the Shadow." As she continued her translation, Bo-Katan felt her smile grow wider as Anakin started trying, and failing, to copy the beat the warriors were pounding out. It pleased her that the boy was already becoming one with their ways, drawn in by the camaraderie the chant – and others like it – inspired in all Mando'ade.

"Manda'yaim kandosii adu."

"The first noble sons of Mandalore."

With this line, the warriors turned to their right, catching the ad'ika off guard, and continued the beat by bashing their fists against the armour of the warrior next to them.

"Duum motir ca'tra nau tracinya."

"Let all those who stand before us light the night sky in flame."

She felt Anakin wince, taken aback at the ferocity of the fists that crashed against the armour of another warrior, understanding that they weren't pulling their blows. That striking with anything but close to full fury would insult those chanting with them.

"Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a."

"Our vengeance burns brighter still." The warriors jumped and spun to their left as Bo-Katan continued her translation. The hall echoed with the sounds of armour being pounded, every blow from the assembled warriors timed to perfection, making the deck vibrate with the ferocity and certainty of their blows. Almost as if the ship understood it was now part of their culture, that it served their cause.

"I was told a Jedi shouldn't seek vengeance."

Anakin's sudden statement stopped Bo-Katan from translating the next line as she looked down at the adiik. "You're not Jetii," she scoffed, "you are Mando'ade. Vengeance isn't something to be feared; it's something we use to power through our actions. To steel our thoughts during the darkest days of a cause." She pulled him closer, hugging him against her armour. "One day, when you're older, wiser, and better prepared, you will face the one responsible for your mother's death." Bo-Katan felt a pang at never being able to do that to the hut'uun who'd killed her mother and younger brother, though she knew her father had made sure of that. "When that day comes, don't let the desire for vengeance cloud your mind. Instead, temper it, control it, like the warriors are doing with this chant, into something infinitely more powerful. Use it to steady your mind, to guide your hand, but remain the one in control."

The ad'ika fell silent at that, and Bo-Katan sat with him, not bothering to translate the next few lines of the Dha Werda for him. The pain of losing a mother was one she understood well, and was perhaps part of why she'd thrown herself into teaching him what she could as they'd returned to the Naboo system; as if she wanted to be there for her ba'ad as her father had been there for her.

"I miss her."

The words were barely audible over the chanting that reverberated around the hall, but Bo-Katan caught them as she'd been watching Anakin closely. She shook him gently with her arm, keeping him closer to her side. "We all miss those we've lost," she said as the second verse of the Dha Werda began, the warriors had returned to pound their fists against their own armour for the moment. "However, we don't cry for their loss. We celebrate their life and their accomplishments. We honour them by continuing to live, by using what they taught us to fight each day as we carry their memories with us through battle and life."

Those were, she realised after saying them, the exact words her father had said to her after her mother had died. That had Bo-Katan blinking, wondering why, in this moment, that memory, those words came so easily to her thoughts, and if they'd been passed down through her family whenever someone lost a loved one.
"I want to kill the Hutts for taking her from me."

"Aye," she replied, loosening her hug, "I'm sure you do, but you're not ready yet." he turned and looked up at her, his eyes reddened by tears shed for his mother. Using the hand holding her mug, she gently pushed back a lock of his hair that had matted against his forehead as she hugged him. "Soon your father will begin your training, to start your journey toward being a great warrior, a true Mando'ade. The journey will be long, difficult, and dangerous. There may be moments where you feel you can't go on. That it's too arduous. In those moments remember your mother, your sister, your father, and everyone that cares for and wants you to succeed. Let those memories, and your father, mould you, train you, in the ways of the Jetii and the Mando'ade so that, when you're finally ready to stand beside us as a fellow warrior, you're something greater than either." She smiled. "On that day, when you ride into battle against the ones responsible for your mother's death, Cam will ride at your side. As will I and others."

Anakin's face had slowly shifted as she spoke as if he was engraving the words onto his heart. By the time she finished, a smile had returned to his face. "I'll be the best Jedi ever!" he said with certainty. "The best Mandalorian ever!"

Bo-Katan laughed, and almost attempted to ruffle his hair with the hand holding her mug. "I know you will be," she said as she chuckled at nearly drenching him in ne'tra gal. Yet, deep down, she knew that like Cam, Anakin would face a choice. The paths chosen by the Jetii and the Mando'ade were, at their cores, simply incompatible.

Cam knew this and warred within himself over it, yet he continued to try and keep to both. Bo-Katan knew it wouldn't, and couldn't last. Cam was Mando'ade – the joy and delight on his face as he neared the end of the Dha Werda with their fellow warrior made that clear – and in time, Cam would see where his path lay. As would Anakin.

Bo-Katan didn't know when that day would come, but when Clan Shan truly embraced their destiny, their jate'kara, the galaxy would tremble at their feet. And she, Manda willing, would be there at their side, revelling in the battles it brought forth.
… …

… …
(Cam's POV)
"Certain, you are, that a Sith this Zabrak was?"

"Yes Master Yoda," I replied as I stood in the centre of a small, secured chamber inside the Royal Palace in Theed. Almost the entire Council had come to Naboo for Drallig's funeral, which had taken place this morning; the morning after the Council and Chancellor Palpatine had arrived on Naboo.

While Drallig hadn't played a major role in helping free Naboo, to the Naboo and some Gungans it still mattered. As such, his body – at least part of it – had lain in rest for many to view and pay their respects to. I suspected that to many it was a reminder that even though it had been the Mandalorians and Lokella that had been the main source of the support for Naboo, the Jedi and the Republic hadn't entirely abandoned them.

Beside Drallig's body were the remains of a unit of Lokella and Mando'ade that had fallen fighting to free Theed. The Lokella had drawn an unfortunate short straw and encountered a group of heavily armed mercenaries who'd been guarding a group of Naboo. The same group I'd originally asked Drallig and Serra to free. Without the help of the Jedi, the Lokella had suffered badly, but those they'd fought against had died and not a single Naboo was killed or shipped off-world.

The Mando'ade had encountered a squadron of tanks moving to support one of the main battles in Theed. The pair had destroyed all eight tanks and their accompanying droids, but as both had used durasteel armour, they'd succumbed to their wounds before others could reach them.

All the fallen off-world warriors were granted honorary citizenship of Naboo by Padmé in a ceremony, and along with the Naboo and Gungans who'd died fighting to free the planet, would be forever remembered as Heroes of Naboo.

Not long after Drallig's funeral, as expected, I'd been summoned to speak with the Council regarding Drallig's death and events that happened in the lead-up to and during the battles for Naboo. The meeting had begun with them watching the recording I'd provided Qui-Gon of my duel with Maul, ending as it did, before I stood to supposedly kill him unintentionally.

They'd asked about what happened after the recording ended, accepting the reason for the failure. It seemed that they also believed me when I told them the story I'd told to Qui-Gon, which was a little surprising. While I was skilled at Deception, I wasn't sure I was good enough to fool those as experienced as the Council. And I knew I couldn't entirely fake the truthfulness of my statement on Maul's fate. Yet, they'd accepted my story, and we'd now moved on to discussing Maul and his possible connection to the Sith.

"Could it not have been a simple Dark Side Force user?"

I turned to Plo Koon to answer him. "By the time I encountered him, the Zabrak had already killed Master Drallig, and after seemingly toying with Padawan Keto was about to kill her as well." I paused and glanced down, to the chest piece that along with my greaves, pauldrons and single vambrace, I still wore as I spoke to the Council. "He would've killed me as well if not for the armour I'd chosen to wear." I knew the Council hadn't and wouldn't approve of me wearing armour, but it wasn't technically against the tenets of the Order to wear armour, and even if it had been, I'd still have worn it to this meeting. It helped, I hoped, reinforce that it was only because of it that I was able to stand before them today. "The speed he moved, his skill with the blade in a variety of forms, and his ability to react and counter everything I threw at him, are comparable to anything I've faced. Even you, Master Yoda, during our brief, and very one-sided, spar."

Yoda nodded, accepting and understanding my comparison.

"Yes, the recording you gave us certainly showed the speed and ferocity of the Zabrak," Even Piell replied, "and I, for one, am inclined to believe your opinion on him being a Sith. I will, however, wait until Padawan Keto is fully recovered and able to offer her opinion before reaching a position on the matter." He paused even as I saw a few of the other members of the Council nod in agreement. "I do, however, wish you had managed to recover the body and lightsaber so we might have examined them."

"My intent had been to wound and capture him, Master."

"Yes, we understand and believe you on that," Saesee Tiin responded. "And given the clear difficulty you encountered in the duel, not to mention having to be concerned about the condition of your friend," there was the faintest of hints in his tone that he felt Serra was perhaps too close to me, but I couldn't sense anything in the Force to confirm or deny that feeling, "we commend your restraint. Even if, perhaps, an attempt to end the duel quicker might've been more advantageous to you."

"In your place, after suffering the injury you did, many a young Jedi might struggle to restrain themselves," Windu added as he took over. "That you didn't speaks well of your temperament. Though it does leave the reason you came into battle, as if you were expecting trouble, in shall we say, less than traditional Jedi clothing open to discussion."

I lowered my head, accepting the slight rebuke before giving my reasoning. "Ever since becoming a Knight, I'd understood that I had limitations that, to this day, remain in place. Add into that… concerns I've held about a general feeling of danger growing somewhere in the galaxy, and I felt that, if I was to survive this danger, I needed a method to overcome my limitations. Knowing that Jedi in the past had worn armour for battle, I felt that was a way to go, and with connections to various political figures on Mandalore, I was able to secure an armour made of beskar that, barring one small mistake, enabled me to engage and defeat the Sith."

"I cannot fault your logic for seeking a temporary solution to what has been a long-term problem for you," Plo Koon offered as he leaned forward. "However, we are concerned by this continual choice you make to interact with Mandalorians." At this, Even Piell and Saesse Tinn nodded. "Particularly how close you seem to have become to a daughter of Duke Adonai Kryze. Given his other daughter is currently being groomed to become the Senator of the Mandalore sector and your connections to this world, and several important figures from it, there are suggestions, which we do not agree with, that you are becoming too political for a Jedi."

"I'm aware of that concern, Masters," I said, speaking to the entire Council. This point had been one I'd been preparing for even before landing on Naboo, and I already knew how to use it to my advantage. "Once I have a replacement," I gestured with my hand-less arm, "I plan to withdraw from events for a time, perhaps a year or so. I hope that by taking time away, not only will I finally overcome the hurdle in my development, but I distance myself from figures of importance in the Republic."

Silence fell over the chamber, and I felt the faintest of shifts in the Force. That meant, based on previous experiences, the council were speaking about my reasons telepathically, so I stood still, waiting for their response.

"Close to the new Chancellor, you are. A concern of this Council, that is not. Connections in the Senate, many in the Order maintain. Your youth, however, a concern is. Friends with Senators, Jedi Masters usually are. Close to one, rare for a younger Jedi it is. Doubly so, the Chancellor. On this, we trust you, however."

"On other matters, we retain our concern," Windu added, taking over from Yoda. "However, we approve of your plan to commune with the Force in isolation, and will withhold further comments until you return to the Temple after your sojourn."

I nodded in acceptance; glad they'd bought my reasoning for wanting time away. That said, I kept thoughts about a certain young boy far from the front of my mind. I needed to train him away from the eyes of the Jedi and Sith, to say nothing of needing time and space to see how the final evolution of my Interface altered things and adapting to that.

With time to consider the matter more, I'd chosen Natural Evolution. While it would result in lower peaks for my skills, and degradation of my Force Powers until I truly understood how to use them, the removal of any limit on what I could accomplish with the Force made it the logical choice. Not just for the threats Sidious, and potentially Plagueis as I'd not heard any mention of Hego Damask passing on over the Holonet, posed in the coming decade, but for – provided I defeated the Banite Sith – the Vong and whatever other horrors existed in this universe.

It would also, I felt, remove the issues I held with a lightsaber. That was something I needed gone as if I struggled against Maul, then I had no chance against anyone on the level of Windu, Sidious, Yoda, or Plagueis. All the technical skill in the galaxy wouldn't save me if I had to fight even one of that group; or any that I currently shared the chamber with.

"You are free to depart on your sojourn, though I would suggest waiting until after the Naboo celebrate their liberation," Windu added, drawing me from my thoughts about the future. "However, we may contact you if we have need of you, or require further information about events that happened here."

I bowed deeply, accepting their stance, and knowing that was my dismissal, turned and walked from the chamber. Outside Simvyl and Fenrir waited, the tuk'ata stretching as the doors to the chamber slid shut.

"How'd it go?"

"As expected," I replied as Fenrir moved closer and pushed his head into my arm. "They're pleased the Sith is defeated, unhappy about my armour and the manner in which I won, and accept my reasons for wanting to take time away," I added as I used my hand to scratch Fenrir under the chin.

"And they're okay with you taking a Padawan?"

I smirked. "They never asked about it, so I simply never brought it up." Simvyl frowned slightly but didn't challenge me on the matter. "They will learn at some point, and if they have an issue with it, then I'll ask for forgiveness."

"I see you're learning from politicians," Simvyl replied with a smile that revealed sharp teeth.

I shrugged in response as we began walking away from the chamber. As Windu had said, there was still the victory celebration to come this afternoon, but until then, and hopefully afterwards, I was free to do as I pleased. Though for now, that was heading back to Raven and resting. I might contact Bo to see how Anakin was doing as he was staying on with her and should be enjoying a tour of the Ne'tra Tal'ade. The vessel was still in orbit along with the two captured and still hyperspace-capable Lucrehulks, but all three would be departing at some point this evening or tomorrow. The Lokella had, bar a single CR70 Corvette, already left, wanting to return home and help with the recovery.

"HK sent a report while you were meeting the Council," Simvyl said as we walked, reminding me that the Council hadn't brought up HK. Either Qui-Gon had failed to mention him, or they simply didn't consider it an issue compared to my armour and other actions I'd taken. There was no way they weren't aware that the first of the Knights of the Old Republic series was out, so it was odd now that I thought about it, HK hadn't been mentioned. Of course, as HK had been out of sight since the battle, people might have semi-forgotten his presence. "He and the astromech had gained access to the target. After subduing a droid and the onboard defences, they've determined the vessel is named Scimitar. They've yet to access the flight controls, but HK suspects they'll be ready to do so within a day at most."

"Good. Once they've got full control of the vessel, we'll wait until after the celebrations to have it slip away. While I could have HK take it to Coruscant, I fear the Sith's influence extends to the highest levels of government. Otherwise, the Trade Federation wouldn't have become the power they are today. The longer it takes for knowledge of the Scimitar's fate to reach the Senate, the longer the Sith remain in the dark regarding where it is. Which, as I've already stated, is why I also don't want the Jedi Temple to be aware of the ship's existence."

What I'd love was if the ship had some way to hide from sensors. If it did, it should be possible to have it slip from the bay tonight, and head to a position far enough away that others wouldn't find it. However, that would only get it off Naboo. I still had to determine where I wanted the vessel stored, though I knew it wouldn't be in the Mandalore sector. That was far too obvious a location for it and would place it close to Maul if he found a way to escape his imprisonment before I was ready to deal with him.

Adonai and Torrhen had assured me that the prison they would secure Maul in was designed specifically to contain Force users. While it hadn't seen much use over the last few centuries, no Force user had ever survived an attempted escape. The list of those that had attempted escape was small and contained a Sith Lord and a few Jedi Masters, but as none had ever managed to break free, I trusted them to keep Maul on ice for the next few years.

"I understand your logic, and agree that the Senate and Temple could be tracked by the Zabrak's Master, but I feel we could bring the Jedi Council in on your plans. So long as they agreed to keep no record of this."

"While they accept that the Zabrak was a Sith, I don't think they'd be as cautious as I feel they'd need to be." I turned and smiled. "I know you have faith in the Order, but until I'm sure of how far the Sith's influence extends through Coruscant, I want to keep my cards close to my chest."

"Very well."

I was glad Simvyl trusted me on this, as he was the only sentient who knew about my plans for Maul and his vessel. Others only knew parts of the plan. Since Simvyl would be travelling with Anakin and me – due to his bond of loyalty – I considered him the best person to run my plans by. Which was why I was glad he was accepting of my intentions.

We fell into silence as we neared the main sections of the palace, not wanting anyone to overhear us. As we walked, we passed various members of the palace staff or Royal Guard. They either smiled or nodded in recognition and appreciation. While the official ceremony wasn't until later, it seemed in my absence that the story of my actions had spread throughout the populace.

"Master Jedi." I paused as I realised they were speaking to me. Turning, I saw a squad of four Senate guards approaching, their blue armour and long rifles making it easy to know who they were.

"Yes?"

"If you have time, the Chancellor wishes to speak with you."

I kept a slight smile on my face as the lead guard spoke. "Then lead on," I replied. While I'd expected he would want to speak with me, I'd hoped it could wait until after the ceremony. Unfortunately, it seemed I wasn't going to be that lucky.

Palpatine would've heard what happened from Padmé already, but he'd want further details. I expected he would prod for greater detail of my duel with Maul, though without making it obvious he was doing so. If I were in his place, I'd also begin factoring my actions here, not just in helping free Naboo but in gathering allies to do so.

Those allies had, from what I knew, avoided the Chancellor. The Mandalorians were staying on their vessels, while Validus and the other Lokella who remained were simply staying until the ceremony and would be distracted by events back home, so the only source of intel Palpatine would have was from Padmé, those like Panaka, and myself.

My ad-hoc alliance was already changing things, as not only were the Lokella wanting to hire Mando'ade trainers, but Padmé and Panaka were interested in doing so as well. While I doubted the Naboo would ever shift entirely from their peaceful ways, the fact they'd only survived the invasion due to the actions of the small security force, concerned and eager citizens, the Gungans, and outside help seemed to have convinced Padmé to increase the size and capacity of the Naboo security forces.

It only took us about a minute to reach a corridor where more of the Senate guards stood watch, but I was again glad Anakin wasn't with me. The longer I could go without Palpatine becoming aware of him, and sinking his way into the boy's trust with his silken words, the better it would be for everyone. Yet as we moved through the guards standing watch, I pushed thoughts of Anakin, the Mando'ade and any plans about the future from my mind. I didn't need Sidious sensing anything about them. As far as I or the Interface knew, Palpatine hadn't attempted to scan my thoughts, not even my surface ones, but I wasn't taking the chance he might pick up on a stray thought and discover something I didn't want him to.

"Your companions will have to remain here," the guard who'd addressed near the temporary Council chambers said as he and those with him turned to face us.

His tone was serious, almost threatening, and I struggled to not smirk dismissively at his tone. Even without an arm, I knew I could take them by myself. Fenrir must've sensed some of my amusement, as he stepped forward and growled. It wasn't a deep or threatening growl, just one daring the guards to do something. All four of them tensed, concerned that something was about to happen.

"Of course," I replied, placing my hand between Fenrir's ears, and giving him a scratch. "Try not to make a new chew toy," I said to the tuk'ata before stepping toward the door at the end of the corridor.

The guards that had escorted us remained outside with Simvyl and Fenrir as I entered the chamber. Two more guards noted my arrival and tensed slightly, thinking I was a problem – which given the armour I wore, made sense – before they saw the lightsaber at my hip. That eased their concerns, and I moved forward, quiet voices guiding me toward my destination.

Turning around a corner, I saw Palpatine sitting on one extremely well-decorated sofa that along with a partner sat around a table that likely cost north of a hundred thousand credits. As Palpatine spoke to an older man who sat on the other sofa, Sate Prestige, who was standing behind the Chancellor and had seen me approaching, dropped down and whispered to his master.

Palpatine turned then, a wide smile coming to his face as he saw me. "Cameron, my boy," he began as he stood. The other man turned as the Chancellor approached and I recognized him as Sio Bibble, the Governor of Naboo. "The hero of the hour," the Chancellor said as he reached me, extending an arm.

"I wouldn't go that far, Chancellor," I replied as I shook his hand. He surprised me though by pulling me into a hug and laughing gently, enjoying my confusion as he patted my back. Sio and Sate smiled at the sight though there I could sense Sate not liking something about the situation. Perhaps he had known of Maul and disliked that I'd removed one of Sidious' tools, or perhaps he simply disliked that I was slowly growing closer to the hidden Sith Lord and feared for his position.

"Nonsense," Palpatine said as he pulled back, breaking the impromptu hug. His hands slid down my arms as he continued. "Without your actions, your ability to find allies in her most desperate hour, I fear my home would've become another cog in the vile grinding machine that is the Trade Federation." His hands stopped on my upper arms, just above my elbows. "Queen Amidala swears by this, and having seen the warship your allies brought, and heard tales of the battles that raged, I find myself agreeing with her. Though it seems that you paid dearly for supporting us," he added, his eyes glancing toward my missing forearm.

"Sadly, yes," I responded, ignoring the phantom itching from fingers that were no longer there. "Though it was a low price to pay to ensure millions remained free of oppression."

He smiled even as I watched Sate slowly guide Sio away from the sofas. "If I might ask, how exactly did this happen?" he said as he turned, knowing what Sate was doing, and guided me toward the seats. "and is it in any way connected to the death of the Master Drallig?"

"It appears the Federation wasn't working alone," I replied slowly, knowing exactly how I expected this conversation to go, and having a handful of contingencies if it moved in certain ways. "There was a Dark Sider present when we arrived." Palpatine reacted, as expected, with surprise. "There is a possibility he might even have been a Sith…"

"A Sith?" Palpatine cut in, his acting superb. "I-I had thought them nothing more than a legend?" He asked. Even knowing he was lying; I couldn't find even the faintest hint that he didn't believe what he said. This man, and Plagueis, were masters of hiding themselves, of convincing others they were exactly who they pretended to be. Which, given his true name, made perfect sense for Palpatine. He was insidious in ways no one could ever conceive, never mind detect.

"That, along with confirming if the Zabrak was a Sith, I leave up to the Council," I replied with a small smile. "All I will say is that he was an incredible duellist, on par with any I've seen." Truthfully, I felt Windu, Yoda, and perhaps a handful of others might be able to defeat Maul, but saying this would stroke Sidious' ego as he had been the one, from what little I know, to train the Zabrak.

"High praise from such a young and accomplished Jedi."

"I would argue against accomplished," I said, countering the Chancellor's praise, "but I thank you for the compliment." His smile widened. "I'm sure that if you inquire, the Council will keep you abreast of their investigation. If the Sith truly have returned, then they are a threat to the Order and the Republic. However, I expect the investigation to be stalled until they can recover the Zabrak's body." I offered a sheepish smile. "When the time came to end the battle, after I lost part of my arm, I… I struck him down."

This was a different story than the one the Council had received, but I felt it was a risk worth taking. I'd already opened up to him about using the Dark Side against the Vong, so hinting at doing that against Maul, because of my injury, would ease some of his concerns about how I defeated Maul. It would, no doubt, increase his and Plagueis' interest in seeing if I could be turned, but since I was all but disappearing for the next year or so, I felt this was a way to remain close to the Chancellor without him questioning how I managed to defeat Maul and going looking for answers.

HK had already deleted the recordings of the bay housing the Scimitar, but that wouldn't stop people from talking about the vessel. From there it wouldn't take long for Palpatine's spies to learn that HK was connected to me and that I had Maul's vessel. Hearing that I'd taken the vessel, but hadn't handed it over to the Council would further make them feel I was questioning my position with the Order. Which I was, but not in the way the Sith would, I hoped, believe.

"Given the grievous wound you suffered, I'm sure few would fault you for striking the Zabrak down in anger," Palpatine said, a hand coming to rest on my shoulder. "Not even the Council can expect you to forget your emotions all the time."

"They'd prefer that I did, which is perhaps why, like with the Vong, I didn't mention how I felt when the Sith died," offered him a small, slightly weak smile. "I feel many in the Order, including some of the Council, continue to question me. Even though I'm not him, some see my ancestor whenever they look at me." That included, I felt, the Sith I was sitting with, though where the Jedi might see a concern, Sidious saw an opportunity.

"While I don't understand the Force as well as you, I can understand the concerns of the Council. You are a remarkably skilled and powerful young man, Cameron. It is only natural that others, ones who've held positions of power and influence within the Order, would fear your potential."

"I wouldn't say they fear me, Chancellor. Just that many distrust me, which given my tendency to find myself in conflicts, is understandable."

Palpatine gave my shoulder a squeeze of support. "I don't share that fear, Cameron. No, if not for you, my home, and millions of my fellow Naboo, would be all but enslaved." He gestured toward where Sate and Sio Bibble had gone. "Governor Bibble was just telling me more details of what happened here, and after speaking with him, Captain Panaka, and Queen Amidala, I know with certainty that I and my people owe you a debt we can never repay. Know that, for your actions here, and elsewhere to defend the Republic, you will always have my thanks. And my support."

I gave him a wide smile and nodded. While I wasn't planning to draw on that support, it was something I might have use of in the coming decade. The idea of using Palpatine to help me bring about his downfall had a delicious sense of irony about it. "And you, Chancellor, have my support to help guide the Republic to become what it needs to be."

"I'm grateful for your support," Palpatine said as he turned to the table. "I fear that I will struggle to enact the changes needed to make the Senate what the people of the Republic need it to be," he continued as he refilled one glass that sat there and then started prepping a new glass. "As you remarked before my election, there are many there who serve only their own self-interests or serve at the behest of external influences."

"Like the Trade Federation," I said as I took the glass he offered me.

"Yes," he said with a nod. "I swear to you and my people that I'll do all in my power to ensure Viceroy Gunray gets the justice he deserves for his heinous acts here, but I fear it will take me far longer than it should."

"If you have need of me, I'll do what I can to help, uncle."

He smiled widely, enjoying me using the familial term. "For that, I'm grateful, nephew." As he raised his glass in thanks, I knew he planned to use that connection, that friendship to spin how he had more influence on what had happened here to free Naboo than he truly did. That though, had nothing to do with being a Sith, and everything to do with being a career politician. "However, I feel you have already helped more than enough and paid dearly for it."

"Aye, there does seem to be a pattern developing here," I remarked with a dark chuckle after taking a sip of the fruity wine "First it was almost losing an eye, and now an arm." I paused and shook my head. "I'm not sure I can survive another wound."

"Will you return to the Temple to have a prosthetic limb attached?" His tone was sombre now the topic had shifted to my injury.

"I'm unsure of the Jedi's position on the matter, so I'll have to wait and see."

Palpatine frowned deeply. "That is simply unacceptable." He placed his glass down and turned. "Sate," he called and a moment later his aide appeared from behind a pillar as if he'd been spying on us while we talked. "Compile a list of the best companies and figures in the field of limb replacement."

"Th-there is no need for that," I said, acting as if I'd not expected him to make this offer even as Sate nodded at the order.

"But there is, Cameron," Palpatine said as he turned back to me. "In my opinion, and that of our young Queen, you are almost wholly responsible for Naboo being free. For that alone, I shall do everything in my power to ensure your injury is handled and treated by the very best in the Republic with no expense spared. To do otherwise would be unworthy of my position as a citizen of Naboo, Chancellor of the Republic and, though it is not by blood, your uncle." He smiled widely as he finished.

"I," I paused and licked my lips, acting as if uncertain of the offer. Which I was, though not because of the offer, but because of who was making it. I knew he might make this offer, but I was still uncertain about accepting it. "I wouldn't wish to impose on your duties as Chancellor. The Senate must be divided after the unexpected removal of Chancellor Valorum and your elevation to the position."

"It is, however, I insist that you are rewarded for your actions in gathering the force to correct a mistake made by the Senate," he replied, his tone firm and unwavering. "To me, regardless of if I was the Chancellor, a Senator or simply a concerned citizen, to do otherwise would undermine everything the Republic stands for."

"I cannot accept the offer from the Chancellor," I said, keeping going before he could argue, "but I can if it comes from my uncle."

He smiled widely and raised his glass again. As my glass chinked against his, I wondered how I was going to get out of this. Or at least turn it fully to my advantage. I'd been expecting the offer or a replacement, but not for him to seek out the best in the business for the limb. That meant I'd be hard-pressed to reject the offer, and certainly couldn't leave it in a random location.

That was something I was concerned about as the odds he'd place some form of tracker inside the limb were high. Now, I knew he'd spin it as simply wanting to keep track of me out of concern for my well-being, but that would allow the Sith to track where I went, which wasn't something I could allow.

Sipping my wine and keeping a smile on my face, I realised that there were ways I could use this to my advantage. I already planned for the replacement limb to be coated in beskar, so whatever he had designed I should, in theory, be able to either have it examined closely by Mando'ade engineers, or built from scratch by them. The latter would also allow me to ensure the OS in the limb was one I knew of and wouldn't, in theory, have any hidden features that might work against me.

Of course, there was the chance Palpatine wouldn't have done anything to the replacement limb, simply using the extreme quality and cost of it as a way to further ingratiate himself with me. For now, I'd just have to wait and see how this latest development played out.

"Now," Palpatine began, leaning back on the sofa, "perhaps you might enlighten me not just to how your battle with this Sith went, but how you managed to gather so many allies in such a short amount of time." He paused and looked around almost conspiratorially before leaning forward. "I'll admit that the reaction of Masters Yoda and Windu upon seeing the Mandalorian warship was one I shall treasure for some time."

I laughed at that, wishing I could've seen it as well. "Aye, that would've been something to see. Though I admit that I only learned of the Ne'tra Tal'ade's presence after the battle as she didn't arrive at the rendezvous before we developed our plans for reaching Naboo."

Palpatine settled in, getting ready for the story of how the battles went. As I began, I already knew a few details that I'd be holding back, though so long as he didn't prod too much, there wasn't that much I wanted to keep from the Sith Lord.
… …

… …
"And again, Cam, thank you," Padmé said as she smiled at me through the holo-display. "If not for you…"

"You and your people would've found a way to regain your freedom even without my assistance, Your Majesty," I replied, as Raven swept past the wreck of the Vuutun Palaa, the first scavenger vessels – Mando'ade controlled – already working to begin stripping the massive hulk for parts.

"Perhaps, but without your help, and of those you called to your side, the death toll would've been catastrophic," Padmé countered. "I…" she paused and looked away for a moment. "Naboo owes you a debt we can never repay."

"Nor will you ever have to."

She smiled warmly at my words. "I hope that is true, but if not, then you have only to contact myself or Chancellor Palpatine and Naboo will do what we can. Until then, please, be safe, and may the Force be with you, Master Jedi."

"And with you, Your Majesty," I replied with a nod. A second later, as the faintest hints of her emotions reached me through the Force, the channel closed.

"Where to now?"

I looked over at Simvyl, seeing a smile on his face.

"First, we've got to meet up with Bo. I've got a Padawan and son to collect. After that, I'll need to contact HK and arrange a rendezvous. Where though, I'm not yet sure. I need to find somewhere out of the way to store the Scimitar; perhaps even masking its presence from the remaining Sith."

Anakin had departed with Bo aboard the Ne'tra Gal early this morning, though they'd be waiting a system or two away for me to collect the boy. While he'd wanted to head down to the celebration yesterday, I'd not allowed it. He'd not been happy, but I'd promised to explain why once we met again, though I'd only be going into the fact that the Jedi Council wouldn't allow me to train him now that he was my son and not that I wanted to keep him hidden from the Sith Lord that remained on Naboo.

HK and R2 had managed to gain enough control of the Scimitar that, during the festivities last night, with me keeping Padmé, Palpatine and the Jedi Council as distracted as I could, they'd managed to slip from the bay under the Royal Palace. Luckily, the Scimitar possessed a cloaking device, so they'd been able to slip past the Naboo and Republic scans with ease. While that would help keep the ship hidden, I still needed a location to store it.

The other issue that remained unresolved was Serra. While she'd been released from the bacta tank, the High Council had taken her into seclusion. It was possible that they were only trying to help her recover from Master Drallig's death, but a part of me wondered if the move was also about keeping distance between her and me. There was no way the Council wasn't aware that she'd snuck away to join the forces I'd assembled, and that would be something she'd have to face the music about. The Council hadn't, when I'd spoken to them, mentioned that to me, but I was sure the matter was one they were considering. Along with a few others linked to me and my choice of allies.

"Perhaps we could head to Obroa-skai? That's where the Celebratus Archive is located."

I considered Simvyl's suggestion. I'd heard of the Archive, as it was listed as one of the twenty wonders of the galaxy, and had existed for over sixteen thousand years. It was claimed that the navigational charts there were more detailed than even those held by the Jedi, but since the Jedi wouldn't let anyone prove or disprove that, it was merely a rumour. Regardless if the claim was true or not, it was a possible place to head to search for files I'd rather not have the Order now I was looking at.

While there was a Jedi Praxeum on Obroa-skai, it only helped handle the insane amount of data added to the Archive – and likely routed anything unknown to the Jedi Temple's Archive – and wasn't a full training facility. That meant that even if I interacted with the Jedi there, it was unlikely they'd be anyone of importance.

Still, I'd do what I could to keep clear of them, lest they report my searches to the Jedi, and the Sith through whatever means they had for monitoring the Temple, would also learn of my searches. I already had a location for both hiding the Scimitar and evolving my Interface in mind, but I'd have to first see if the system had been discovered by now.

Still, as Naboo slowly fell away behind me, I couldn't help but smile.

Anakin was now my Padawan and son, though while the latter hadn't been planned I could see how it would be useful. With him kept from the Jedi and Sith sight, I had the chance to train him the way he was meant to be. I just had to first train myself to ensure I didn't fail him as Obi-Wan had.

Maul was defeated and secured, on his way to a Mando'ade prison designed specifically for restraining Force users. Eventually, I would visit and begin speaking with the Zabrak. Perhaps he could be turned to my cause, perhaps not, but it was an avenue worth pursuing. His vessel was now mine, though it would take time to access all its files, and even when R2 did, I half-expected them to be empty. Any decently trained and skilled assassin wouldn't keep detailed records of where they'd been. Still, there might be technology or hints on the Scimitar that I could use for either Raven or other starships, or that might lead to unexpected threads regarding the Sith I could pull on.

With Natural Evolution just around the corner, I'd soon have full access to my Force connection, for all the good and bad that would bring. Still, it would remove my limits with the Force, and with a year or two of training, I should be at a point where I could, at the very least, challenge Dooku in a duel. Taking on any member of the Council was out of the question as news of that would reach the Sith, but if I could, before the Clone Wars – or whatever they became here – started, then I'd feel I was as ready as I could be to fight those who stood in my way.

That, however, was for further down the road.

As Raven's hyperdrive engine drew power from her core, I focused on the present, and on the steps I had to take.

The galaxy had changed on Naboo, but even with my knowledge of how events had played out in the other timeline, I couldn't be sure what effect my presence had made. All I did know was that the drums of war were beginning to sound, and the storm that would soon sweep over the galaxy was slowly forming, slowly gathering, readying itself to unleash chaos on an unsuspecting Republic.
… …

… …
A/N: Yes, taking Maul prisoner, and then having the Mandalorians hold him for a year or two is a very dangerous choice for Cam to make. However, consider that, as of now, the timeline is all but broken. What Cam knows of later events, while still probable to generally happen, won't happen how they would've before. Nor does Cam know much of events that are to happen before war breaks out across the Republic.
With that in mind, holding Maul has the potential to be useful. Yes, it might not pan out, but Cam has little other options for determining the Sith plans, beyond joining them.

A/N: Cam's adopting of Anakin might seem blunt, given Shmi's just died, but Cam felt the Force shifting around him, and interpreted that as meaning it was the right choice to make.

A/N: This is also the end of Book 2. Book 3 (The Reforged Path) will begin next month.
...
This story is crossposted on Fanfiction.net, Archive of our Own, and Royal Road.
You can find me (and the backroom team who help with this) on Discord at:
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Regardless if you join the discord or support my writing, I hope you enjoy the story and suggestions, valid criticisms, and ideas are always welcome.
And of course;

May the Force be with you. Always.

USSExplorer · Mar 23, 2024

We are but a day or so away from Book 3: The Reforge Path.
To prepare you for that, enjoy an opening crawl.

USSExplorer · Mar 24, 2024

And so begins Book 3 The Reforged Path.
If you look a few posts up you'll find an opening crawl for the Book.

A/N: Thanks to those helping me write and plan out this story and checking it for continuality and logical errors.
This chapter was released at the beginning of the month to those who support my writing (with every level above tier 1 having seen a draft version, and the highest level seeing the redrafted form, around 2 months ago), and then about 2 weeks ago to those on the story's Discord server. Or at least those who are sufficiently active enough to have the required rank to see early bird releases.
Links for supporting my writing, or joining the Discord server, are at the end of the chapter.

3.01 Evolution and Adaption
... ...

I stood in silence, leaning against a wall in the training room aboard the Raven. Originally one of the ship's two sizable cargo holds, Bo had swiftly transformed it into a training space, a modification I chose to keep. At the moment, my role was merely that of an observer. In the centre of the room, Anakin was diligently practising a series of basic Jedi combat techniques that I had taught him sporadically over the past few years.

The situation had evolved since those early days, most notably because he was now my Padawan—a fact unbeknownst to the Council. The primary change in his training regimen was his use of a blinded helmet, forcing him to depend on his other senses to navigate the intricacies of the combat form. Demonstrating proficiency under these conditions was his gateway to training in the two Mandalorian martial Arts, Beskar'pel and Beskar'rev. The former was based on mobility and was generally used by children and adults of smaller physical builds. The latter was based on strength and was generally the form used by males.

Typically, a Padawan wouldn't be introduced to a non-Jedi style of combat until their teenage years. However, Anakin was an exceptional case, which is why he was undertaking this exercise as a form of Moving Meditation, or Alchaka, as Fay and the Jedi formally referred to it. My decision to have Anakin engage in this particular exercise was driven by a need to help him divert his attention from his mother's death—his grief was palpable, even without the aid of the Force. This need became especially pressing after Dooku shared a story with me just before the invasion of Naboo.

My old Master had sought Anakin out for a training session that the boy hadn't arrived for when he was meant to. He had found Anakin in one of the hangar bays on Mtael's Gift. However, instead of instantly berating the boy for missing a session, Dooku had watched Anakin as the boy disassembled, cleaned, and then reassembled various blaster rifles belonging to the Lokella. In and of itself, that wasn't surprising, as Anakin, like his mother, had a knack for technology and often improved it in slight ways others might miss.

Dooku had paused as he'd sensed the Force moving around Anakin, being drawn upon by the boy as he concentrated on nothing but his work. My Master had asked the boy about this later, to which Anakin had been surprised as he'd not actively drawn on the Force, instead saying he simply found it relaxing to do simple tasks like cleaning blasters repetitively.

That was, in essence, what Alchaka was, which was why, only a day after leaving the Naboo system, I'd already altered his training schedule to include the advanced form of meditation. And it seemed, as he pushed through one velocity and flowed gracefully into the next, that it had been the right call.

While I'd been on Naboo dealing with the Jedi Council, Palpatine, and other matters, Bo had begun teaching Anakin the basics of Beskar'pel and had been insistent that I continue my son's training. Instead of doing that right away, I was trying to find a balance in his training. While most would be, for now, centred around Jedi techniques, I allowed some time so Anakin could begin his Mando'ade training.

Bo hadn't been overly pleased with that but accepted that An'ika – her nickname for the boy that meant Little Ani – was mine to train and that he needed training as both Jedi and Mando'ade. Her need to give him a nickname, along with an insistence to be kept in the loop regarding his training and our adventures let me tease her about having a soft spot for the boy. Though when I'd suggested that she might like a child of her own, she'd denied it and demanded a spar to settle the matter.

As with every other spar we'd had since Zonama Sekot, that had ended with us sparring in more personal ways after I'd proven my dominance once more. Though the sounds she made in the personal section of the spar made it clear she didn't mind losing to me or letting me dominate her.

I was broken from thoughts of Bo, and the smile that thinking about her brought on when I spotted a mistake. "Stop," I said as I pushed off the wall. Anakin did so, and turned my way, though he remembered to keep the visor that restricted his vision in place. "Your arm should be slightly higher," I explained, my hands moving the offending limb to the correct position, feeling the rapid beating of his heart from over an hour of the exercise. "This allows you to flow easier into the next element of the velocity."

With his arm in the correct position and my words heard, I stepped back.

"C-can. I. Stop?" He asked, taking long, deep breaths between each word.

"You can still talk, correct?" I asked, a wicked smile creeping onto my face. He couldn't see that, but he did nod in affirmation. "Then you've not finished the exercise." A faint groan slipped from his lips as his shoulders slumped. "Be mindful of your stance. Now, resume."

He did as I said, and continued from where he stopped as I continued to move back.

I turned before the door opened, and saw Simvyl in the doorframe. He waited until I'd approached, taking soft, quiet steps, before speaking. "You're sure you're not pushing him too hard?"

"This is nothing compared to what Master Dooku and others subjected me to," I replied in a hushed tone, careful not to distract Anakin. "Besides ensuring his mind isn't preoccupied with thoughts of his mother, Anakin is special—far more than others perceive me to be. He has a pivotal role in the impending darkness, and I am determined not to fail in my duty to prepare him for what lies ahead."

My eyes never left the boy as I spoke, and I watched as he moved fluidly, cleanly now I'd fixed the slight mistake, through the velocity. As I'd said to Simvyl, Anakin was important, but the first reason – that of distracting Anakin – was my primary reason for pushing him so much this early on.

Done correctly, Alchaka required complete focus and mentally and physically drained a practitioner. The practitioner emerged from the meditation refreshed with their mind cleared of distractions. Now, I'd not truly experienced that, as the Interface prevented me from truly sinking into the Force, but others had seemed that way while working through various forms of Alchaka, and I hoped it would do the same for Anakin, though it would only be a temporary measure.

We were on our way to the ShaDo system to attend the funeral of several members of the Lokella, with our focus being on Shmi. However, before we could initiate the last leg of the journey, we'd stopped for a refuel. The short voyage here had seen Anakin distracted by his feelings toward his mother. I'd pushed him hard in his training, though until we'd started using Alchaka there'd been little success in distracting his thoughts.

I had considered taking him to find a lightsaber crystal, but I dismissed the idea quickly. The logical place to go was Ilum, and that required clearance from the Council; something I wished to avoid. There were other worlds to find a crystal on, and I had several in my Inventory, but I also felt it was better to wait for such an important moment in his training until he'd moved past the death of his mother.

"The engineers report we're fully fuelled and cleared to depart whenever you wish," Simvyl said, revealing the reason for his arrival, though he could simply have called over the intercom, or to my vambrace which I still wore. "The local officials have a desire to ensure we were serviced quickly and leave with haste."

I chuckled at that, sensing his confusion and concern regarding the situation. "Most officials, be they from a Core world or one deep in the Outer Rim, like to keep the Order happy. For some, it might be because they respect the Order, but I think for most it's to get us away from whatever they're involved in that they wish to remain hidden. Regardless, I'm not going to turn down preferential, and essentially free, service."

"While I wasn't with the Rangers long, I'm enjoying the faster service, though if we didn't have other business to attend to, I feel we should stay and see just why the locals want you gone quickly."

"I have little interest in sticking my nose in everyone's business-" Simvyl snorted, suggesting he didn't believe me, "-but I agree that, if time allowed, at least a cursory exploration of the station might be interesting. However, we do have other matters to handle," I added as I watched Anakin continue his moving meditation. "Keep an eye on him and let him stop when it's clear he can't go further. However, make sure either you or Fenrir are with him." The tuk'ata was, from what I could sense, lazing around the central area – likely resting on one of the sofas after pushing many, if not all, of the cushions off it.

Simvyl nodded, accepting my instructions, and I turned and slipped past him, leaving the training area. While he was a capable pilot, Raven was prickly about who she allowed to fly her. The only people other than me and Simvyl that she allowed to pilot her were Fay and Bo. Fay, because she shared a bond with Raven – though it would be some time before my former Master would get the chance to sit in Raven's cockpit as she was still searching for Tython – and Bo because she was close to me and had spent a lot of time on Raven. That said, like with Simvyl, Raven disliked allowing Bo to do anything but the simplest of actions.

As my hand ran along a wall, Raven reacted by having the lights around my fingertips blink and pulse in soothing patterns. I wondered how the bond I shared with her – and others – would change after the Interface had evolved and the Force was freed from being filtered by it.

… …

… …
"I miss her."

"I know," I replied as I walked with Anakin back to Raven. It was a few hours after the cremation service for Shmi and some others had taken place, and we'd just come from the wake. While it had been a sombre affair, the fact that the Lokella chose to celebrate the lives of those lost, and not mourn them had, I felt, helped Anakin greatly.

While we'd left Naboo after Validus and the Lokella, who had chosen not to stay for the celebrations, we'd arrived before them, even when considering we'd stopped for a refuel in the Core. That had given Anakin about a day to spend with Ferox and his sister, Lia Skywalker.

The ceremony itself had been a quiet affair, the bodies burned in groups though separately so those who wished to spread the ashes of a loved one could do so. As the bodies burnt, Baalta had read a eulogy for them all, talking about how they may have lived and been born slaves, but they had died free. She spoke of how their souls had returned to the Great Spirit, which I assumed was a Togrutan name for the Afterlife or the Force. Those words, and the promise that so long as everyone at the ceremony remembered them, then those who had perished would never truly die.

This was further assured by the names being added to a large display the Lokella had crafted not long after they'd won their freedom. The display, which took up almost an entire wall, dominated the bay in which I'd fought and defeated Girk Saxon. The mural that had been painted there remained, but now in front of it was a statue - one made of marble - showing a variety of races fighting against an unseen threat.

That statue replaced the previous one of my battle with Girk - which had been moved down to Gaia - and dominated the bay that had been converted into a memorial for all who had fallen in defence of freedom. After the most recent attack, every new name had been added, each getting a small plaque to mark their passing, and commemorate their live and death.

Baalta's words, the plaque for his mother, spending time with his sister, and the remembrance wake had eased some of Anakin's pain, and I felt he'd begun the journey to accepting and moving on from Shmi's death. Though I knew it would be some time before he was able to not dwell on his feelings regarding her death, or showing anger toward those who'd taken her from him.

Before the ceremony, Baalta had inquired whether I would speak, but I declined. Although I played a significant role for many of the Lokella, I wasn't personally close to any of the deceased, including Shmi. Moreover, while the original Lokella members held me in high esteem, I was aware that the later arrivals attributed some blame to me for the unfortunate events—a sentiment I understood and accepted. I hoped this might moderate the excessive reverence held by the group's longstanding members towards me.

During the wake, Anakin spent considerable time with Lia while I engaged in conversation with Ferox. Despite Lia lacking the potential to fully harness the Force—her capabilities being roughly equivalent to Bo's—she remained Anakin's sister. I had no intention of depriving him of time with his mother's last remaining connection.

As we sat in reflective silence, occasionally interrupted when someone approached to offer their condolences, Ferox shared his decision to step back from combat operations. With a daughter to raise, he planned to dedicate his time to training the Lokella warriors. However, he made it clear that he would rejoin the front lines when the moment arrived to confront Decca. This was in line with my expectations, and I assured him that, barring a galactic conflict, Anakin and I would stand with him in the fight against Decca and those complicit in orchestrating the attack on the Lokella.

I'd not commented on the fact that, with Anakin by my side, I'd also be stepping back from battle for a few years. Mainly because I knew that, regardless of my personal goals, The Force would have plans for me. As might TPTB, though I hoped both would allow me time to train Anakin so that when the time came to take him into battle, he was ready for it. He might be a child now, but I knew that within a decade he'd be involved in war, so the more battles he saw between now and then, the more prepared he'd be for the chaos and carnage of warfare.

What I had promised Ferox was that, when we could, we'd return to the system so Lia could know her brother. I was sure the Council, if they learnt of this, would blow a gasket, and claim it was infringing Anakin's training as a Jedi, but given what fate awaited the Order – something I wasn't sure I could truly stop – and that I'd adopted Anakin as my son, they'd have other things to concern themselves with. It also depended on when they learnt about Anakin, as I had zero intent of going anywhere near Coruscant in the next few years.

The other side was that no matter who trained him, Anakin was the sort of person to seek out, make, and protect his friends and family. While many Jedi would have issues with that, and it was how Sidious wormed his way into the boy's confidence, I didn't. Force, I would probably strengthen it as it was a 'flaw' that I also held. Plus, I'd accepted recently that I'd never be a good Jedi; at least not how the council and many of the Order would define one.

I was drawn from my thoughts as we entered the small hangar housing Raven, and I sensed a familiar presence nearby – along with one I'd rather not face again. "Go on," I said to Anakin, letting go of his hand and gently pushing him toward Raven. "I need to speak with someone before we leave."

Anakin looked up at me, confusion in his eyes, though that faded as I sensed him reaching out through the Force. A moment later, his gaze shifted behind me, toward the entrance where I knew Dooku was approaching. After returning his gaze to me, he nodded, wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his robes, and then walked toward our home.

Once he was on board, I turned and headed toward the door, my hand instinctively reaching for the hilt of my beskad as it swung open to reveal Dooku and Vosa. The former leader of the Bando Gora, responsible for the suffering I had endured at their hands, stood a step behind Dooku. Her hands were clasped in front of her—likely at Dooku's instruction—and her gaze was cast downward. However, this did little to quell the surge of fury that overwhelmed me upon seeing her for the first time since my escape from the Bando Gora.

The temptation to use the Force to drag her across the bay, to me, and crush her throat with my bare hands was overwhelming. A thousand other methods of making her pay for the agony she had inflicted upon me flashed through my mind. I could hear the faint, unmistakable whispers of the Dark Side, promising the power to achieve everything I desired—and to inflict even greater suffering on her and anyone else who had wronged me. It urged me to shatter their minds, bodies, and souls for having the audacity to harm me. Only when they fully comprehended the gravity of their mistake would I grant them the mercy of death. Yet, such mercy would be neither swift nor clean.

I closed my eyes, inhaled deeply, and pushed those desires, those thoughts as far away as I could. If I was a good Jedi, I'd let them go, but I couldn't, and not just because of Eidetic Memory but because they were mine and I refused to let them go. Thus, I did all I could to silence those voices, and those requests, and push them back into the small, isolated section of mind where they dwelled.

When I opened my eyes, I saw Dooku had approached, and thankfully Vosa had remained near the door, though there was an odd look in her eyes. Putting that aside, I bowed as Dooku came closer. "Master."

"Cameron, I hope this is a respectable time for a conversation. I had avoided you and your Padawan earlier to not intrude on his period of personal reflection." His voice carried a slight tone, but its cause was unclear to me.

"Anakin has returned to Raven," I replied, which elicited a small nod from Dooku. "We're planning to leave shortly."

"How is the boy?" Dooku inquired.

"He's managing as well as could be expected," I responded. I gestured towards a path leading away from Raven and Vosa, and Dooku agreed with a slight nod. "He's grieving for his mother, and I've been trying to find activities and training exercises that will both challenge him and help distract his thoughts as much as possible."

"A wise decision. While he, like you, possesses great potential, he is more prone to forming deep connections with those around him, to the extent that I fear he might prioritize their lives over his own, regardless of the situation."

"That's a concern I share, Master," I said with a smirk. Although Dooku hadn't spent much time around Anakin, he had seen enough to identify what was, in Jedi terms, the boy's most concerning issue. "The saving grace is that Anakin has a way of getting along with most people, even if it sometimes means going to great lengths to help them."

"A noble trait that many Jedi share. However, his propensity to form bonds and place those he trusts above his own well-being is something you'll need to monitor closely during his training. I sense that the loss of his mother has inflicted a deep wound within him. One that, if not properly addressed, could fester and lead him down paths we'd both prefer he avoid." He paused as we reached the bay's wall, an area devoid of workers as they had chosen to find other tasks upon our approach. "I assume this concern influenced your decision to adopt him?"

"I know it's not the usual Jedi way..."

"Something you have never been, nor shall you ever be," Dooku interjected.

"...but it felt like the right decision," I concluded, choosing to overlook Dooku's soft, almost teasing remark.

"Yes, I was there and sensed the shift in the Force when you made your decision. Because of that, and a feeling that it was the correct one, I chose not to question it at the time. With space to meditate on the matter, I can see why you feel it was the correct choice, and how it might help the boy. However, I caution you to be mindful that the bond you share with Anakin doesn't draw out your shared tendencies to find yourselves in dangerous situations."

"I'm aware of that concern, Master. I hoped that having someone to train and protect might temper my more… rambunctious tendencies."

"One can only hope." The response was dry and entirely devoid of emotion. Yet, I ended up chuckling at it and his delivery. "I won't ask you of your plans, as that is between you, Anakin, and the Force, but I hope that all we've spoken of, ever since you first became my Padawan, remain in your thoughts as you train the boy and yourself into the beings I believe you both should be."

"They will, Master, and thank you for all the advice you've given. Even the parts that, at the time, I failed to understand, or am still working to decipher."

Dooku gave a nod, indicating the matter was settled. He then turned and looked toward where he'd just come from, and where Vosa still stood, her eyes watching us – watching me – intently. "I am aware of your opinions on Komari, and that you feel unready to face her given what you endured. However, she was adamant to see you and Anakin depart." My brow rose at hearing of her interest in Anakin, and my remaining hand went to my beskad. "When she met you, as… shall we say, unbalanced as she was, she saw something in you. The same spark that I and Master Fay saw. Since the death of Shmi Skywalker, Komari has become convinced that the same spark of potential resides in the boy. She has even spoken of seeing… glimpses, visions perhaps, of you and him when you're both older. As much as it pains you to hear this, those glimpses align with those we, Masters Sifo-Dyas and Nilas, and others have glimpsed."

"That is concerning," I muttered, feeling the need to remove Vosa from the board growing stronger, regardless of Dooku's opinion on the matter.

"Yes, it might well appear that way. I, however, sense it might also present an opportunity." He held up a hand, stopping me from commenting. "Before you concern yourself, I'm not suggesting you allow Komari to accompany you." If he had, I'd have made sure she was jettisoned into space once we were far enough away from the station that she couldn't somehow return. "Since she glimpsed Anakin's potential, Komari has gained a new, seemingly controllable, focus. It is almost as if she feels she might have some role to play in what is to come, to work toward bringing about what she'd seen in her visions."

"That," I paused, taking a moment to collect my thoughts before I said something I couldn't take back. "I will trust your judgement in the matter, Master. However, I have grave reservations about allowing her anywhere near myself or Anakin."

At first, I'd wanted to dismiss the idea entirely, but then I remembered my intentions regarding Maul. Even if he only became a source of information on Sith activities, he could be of use, and there was a chance – however small – that Vosa might also have some use. That didn't mean I was willing to listen to them now, however, nor might I ever be. But as I'd said, I was willing to trust Dooku on the matter. He had hoped to turn Vosa into something of use, so if this was what allowed him to achieve that, then I wasn't going to deny him the chance.

"I expected you would. However, it was something that you needed to be made aware of. In addition, you should also know that, as Shmi Skywalker was one of the few Lokella to offer Komari kindness without sympathy or dismissal, Komari had an interest in protecting her during the battle. Because she failed, Komari now sees that interest transfer to Shmi Skywalker's children; with a greater focus on Anakin because of his Force potential."

I kept my gaze on Dooku, not wanting to let my eyes drift toward the deranged bitch that stood far to my left. "I… I cannot stop you from trying to redeem her, Master, nor have I ever tried to do so. That said, I know that I'm far from ready to face her, let alone allow her near my… near Anakin. However, I know that, if he wishes to speak to her whenever we return, I won't deny him the opportunity. Though I will insist that you remain present for any such meeting."

"I admit, that is a far more considerate response than I expected. A sign of maturity coming from having a Padawan, I suspect." The corners of his lips twitched, suggesting he found the fact I wasn't rushing to judgement amusing. "That you are willing to at least consider allowing her the chance to speak, and that you can stomach being in her presence – even if it is at some distance – is a sign you are slowly recovering from your ordeal. That, perhaps, is something I am more grateful for than your acceptance of Komari's wishes." He looked behind me, toward Raven. "Have you given any consideration to where you will take your Padawan to begin his training?"

"I have, though I have several errands to run first," I raised my arm, the one missing a forearm, ignoring the phantom pain that came whenever I thought about the limb. "And even then, I can't say with certainty where we will head."

I could've told him my plans, or at least the general ideas of it, but I felt better not doing so. It was unlikely the Council or the Sith would try and force that information from him, but if either wanted to know where I was and couldn't locate me, Dooku and Fay would be their first port of call. With Fay somewhere in the Deep Core, Dooku would be their primary source, thus it was better to simply not give him any information.

"That is often what the Force wishes; regardless of how it can often leave us searching to determine the purpose for our movements," Dooku said, unaware of the momentary consideration I'd given to revealing my plans to him. He stepped forward and after giving me a look over, nodded. "While you have far to go in your training, you have travelled a great distance already, and I am proud of my role in helping shape you into the man you are slowly becoming. Wherever you go, may the Force be with you, Cameron."

"And with you, Master," I replied, smiling.

With that, we turned and walked to our separate destinations. I could've continued talking with him, as there were things I might enjoy discussing, but Anakin was waiting for me on Raven, and the longer I dallied outside, the greater the chance he might emerge and seek to speak with Vosa. Until I was ready for that, or for her to be in my presence, that would be something I'd be avoiding.

… …

… …
"Will there be anything else, Master Jedi?"

"No, that will be all. Thank you for your help," I replied to the Rodian custodian who had guided me to this private terminal room. I settled into the seat in front of the terminal.

"Very well. I will head over and keep an eye on your Padawan and pilot." I waved almost dismissively at the Rodian as I examined the terminal in front of me. It was modelled on the ones in the Temple—or perhaps they were modelled on it—so figuring out how to use it wasn't a problem.

Currently, I was in the Celebratus Archive on Obroa-Skai, a place widely regarded as the foremost library in the Republic…at least outside of the Jedi Temple or the Senate library, though having enjoyed exploring the Archives' public displays – and some of the private ones – with Anakin for a few hours, I wondered if perhaps Coruscant was overplaying the importance of the facilities on the Republic capital.

The Archive had hundreds of relics, many of which were Jedi or Sith in origin – though several of the ones I'd Observed had been mislabelled as Jedi when they were Sith, or vice versa – and there appeared to be more here than in the Temple. However, I did wonder if perhaps many of the more interesting relics and the like, both here and in the Temple, were restricted to Jedi Masters.

Those mislabelled artefacts and a few others had been added to a datapad I kept stored in my Inventory in case the chance to research and examine them later was ever possible. This was the same datapad that held, among other things, the hyperspace routes to Dromund Kaas and other Sith worlds that I'd taken from the nav-computer during my trip forward in time.

It was still odd to me that, during the fight with the Sith Acolyte, the only part of the controls that had been damaged was the Hyperspace regulator, which was what regulated temporal control while in hyperspace. Or that such a small, seemingly insignificant part of the system was vitally important. Still, the fault – or design if the Force and TPTB had been involved – had given me coordinates to worlds that, in this day and age, were either lost or restricted, though I couldn't be sure of which was the case as the details of those worlds were restricted to even Jedi Knights by the Council.

I planned to return to the worlds of the former Sith Empire, the same one my many-times grand-niece had helped defeat, within the next five to ten years, and not just because failure to complete the quest linked to Dromund Kaas would result in Sidious growing even stronger. While the technology there was undoubtedly old, given it had been thousands of years since that Empire ruled half the galaxy, I had a feeling that information there was lost to the wider galaxy. Perhaps even to the Jedi and Sith.

Activating the terminal, I confirmed that whatever I searched for would be destroyed when I logged out. The Custodian had assured me of that, saying that absolute privacy was assured for those the Custodians deemed worthy of using a private terminal. But even seeing the evidence of that on the terminal, I had to wonder if that was the case. Computers, even with their memories wiped, could still, in theory, have the data recovered if no one reused the sections that had previously stored information, which was why I had plans to ensure most of my searches wouldn't be linked back to me.

Reaching out with Detection, I quickly sensed Anakin. He was with Simvyl back in the public areas of the Archive. We'd spent a few hours exploring the Archives before I'd left to carry out my research, and the boy was enjoying the information at his fingertips. Hopefully, Simvyl and the Custodian would ensure my ad didn't get into any trouble.

Returning my focus to the room I was in, even as I carried out my first search – looking up information on Onderon – I probed my more immediate surroundings, determining the locations of anyone else within a few hundred metres of me. Based on the floorplan that I'd seen, and what was added to the minimap as I was escorted to this room, it appeared there were several floors of private terminals. Most were empty, but the fact there were so many was something that would be useful.

Using Force Sight, I examined the power and data lines in the room and the walls around me. As promised, there wasn't anything that stood as a recording or monitoring device, meaning I was truly alone in the room. Save, perhaps, if someone was monitoring my searches and how long I spent on any given file.

After browsing the records on Onderon I closed the file and powered down the terminal. I then turned it back on and confirmed that, at least publicly, the search history was gone. I reopened the files on Onderon and resumed skimming them even as I downloaded everything there to a datapad I'd entered the room with.

While that was happening, I pulled up the data on Ossus, before standing and stretching my legs. Or at least it appeared as if that was what I was doing. What I was really doing was planning out my next few steps and ensuring that there were no motion sensors in the room.

When nothing caught the attention of Force Sight, I knew I was clear to proceed with my plans. Sitting back down, I browsed the files on Ossus, the location of the Jedi Temple before it was moved to Coruscant when the surface of Ossus was seemingly destroyed in the Great Sith War; something that happened before Revan.

Nothing there was particularly interesting, save that the world wasn't as destroyed as had been believed, though any plans to go there were shelved as it was monitored closely by the Republic and Jedi. Many had tried, and failed, to locate Jedi relics. Still, it was another world that, if I could do so without attracting attention, I'd like to explore.

As the data on Ossus was downloaded to the datapad, I opened files on Kashyyyk, though once they were displaying, I moved toward the wall to my left, and after confirming the room next to mine was empty, Phased through the wall. There I found another terminal, this one turning on when I sat in the chair.

At this new terminal, I began the first of my true searches, looking up everything available on Dagobah; my first choice of where to store the Scimitar. The world had managed to hide Yoda from Sidious and Vader for decades, so it was a logical place to consider when seeking a place to store a vessel with strong Dark Side connections. Yoda might not have been using the Force while in exile, but it had hidden him from the searching tendrils of the Emperor. The Scimitar would, in theory, be similarly well hidden from any efforts by the Sith to locate it. At least until I was ready to devote time to searching the vessel's databanks and capabilities.

Dagobah, it seemed, wasn't a world naturally strong in the Force – like Ossus or Ruusan – but the survey team had claimed it was teeming with life. So much so that it was odd the planet wasn't ecologically unbalanced. That abundance of life must've been what Yoda used to hide, and while not perfectly what I was after, it certainly made the world a good candidate. However, it wasn't the only world I was going to consider or search for from this terminal, and after transferring the data about Dagobah to a pad – not the one given to me by the Custodian, but an empty one that had come from my Inventory – I searched for Yavin IV.

I already knew that Yavin IV had been a base for Exar Kun during the Great Sith War – something I'd discovered by accident while a Padawan and randomly searching the Jedi Archives – but discovering that the world had been cleansed in fire by the Jedi was unexpected. The Jedi records said merely that Kun's bases had been destroyed, but the Celebratus Archive stated the Jedi and Republic had scorched the planet.

The planet had recovered in the millennia since, but it was an interesting thing to note and meant that the Dral'Han wasn't the first, or I suspected last, time that the Jedi had gone to such extremes.

As before, I chuckled when I read about Revan's connection to the world, during the time of the reconstituted Sith Empire. The reference to him being called 'Reborn' was odd, and as I read deeper into it, accessing files I'd not been able to view at the Temple, I sighed in annoyance. "That… that ruins so much," I muttered as I shook my head.

Learning that Revan had a connection to a Sith Emperor – the same one who'd led the Sith Empire several hundred years later during Satele's era – and that this Emperor, who seemingly had different names and bodies, was the reason for Revan's fall was upsetting. It made much of the reasons Revan turned for, which I'd referenced in my Knights of the Old Republic series, seem meaningless, if not downright wrong.

I'd believed Revan had turned to protect the Republic, to strengthen it against a greater threat. That the threat turned out to be the Sith Empire led by this Tenebrae, was fine. Yet here it was stated that he hadn't done so initially, only changing tack after breaking free of whatever whammy Tenebrae had unleashed on Revan and Malak's minds. According to this file, that was believed to be the reason Malak turned on Revan, but I wasn't so sure, as there were a lot of details missing, and several gaping holes left in the logic and reasoning of these reports.

"Kind of wish you'd show up and explain all this," I said to the empty room, half-hoping he'd appear, but knowing that that was a fool's hope. Force, since the cave on Ilum he'd not appeared again, but that was about what I expected from a Force Ghost.

Since I had time, and since this Sith Empire and their emperor came up in my family's history more than I'd expected, I opened the files on them and began reading. There was a lot about this particular Sith empire, which given it had lasted for several centuries, and at one point had controlled Coruscant, wasn't a surprise. Most other Sith empires lasted nowhere near as long, save the chaos brought on by the New Sith Wars, though there, the Sith had united and fractured several times over the millennia.

This Sith Empire had been united from its formation to fall, with most of that time spent under the rule of Tenebrae, at least until his apparent defeat though the files hinted at him reappearing as Emperor of another group – The Eternal Empire – as another person. Force, as another species. That was odd and interesting, and wanting to read on this further, I pulled an empty datapad from my Inventory and then attached it to the terminal.

The files I'd be downloading would take time, so I slipped through the wall returning to my assigned terminal. After spending a minute browsing the files on Kashyyyk, downloading them to a datapad I'd entered the room with, I opened the files relating to Coruscant and covered everything about it from its history and evolution, to what it was now and every rule, no matter how seemingly insignificant. That was then set to download into the datapad here, and while I didn't expect to ever need the information, I wasn't going to turn down the chance to borrow every record I could think of.

That was why, as the download began, I stood and reached out with the Force. Sensing the room below was empty, I Phased again, dropping through the floor to another terminal. At this terminal, which again activated when I touched it and was without monitoring, I began searches with orders to download the data to another datapad, for various worlds that, for various reasons, I'd not examined carefully at the Temple.

Mandalore, Kamino, Ruusan, and a half-dozen worlds that I'd known of before arriving in this galaxy, or had come across at the Temple but avoided delving too deeply into their history and lore for fear of drawing the Council's attention. The data on each world I listed in my search was added to the download queue for another datapad, one that already contained the hyperspace coordinates for Kamino, Korriban, and a dozen other worlds that had been freely available to anyone willing to pay a few credits for them. That, like many of the datapads I was using today, was stored in my Inventory so that no one else could ever know what I knew or planned.

Reaching out with Detection, I located those in the terminal rooms and outside. So far, no one was heading toward the first room I'd shifted to for some unsanctioned downloading, but I knew it was only a matter of time until a Custodian came to see what was going on.

Because of that, I located a nearby terminal room that was occupied, though I didn't Teleport directly there, instead arriving in an empty one next to it. I stumbled as the Teleport faded, having misjudged the floor, and appeared around half a metre above it.

Once I was ready, I walked toward the wall and Phased partially through. Using Observe on the Twi'lek sitting there, I confirmed they were nobody of consequence with negligible Force Potential. I then, while remaining in the wall, used the Force to stun them before entering the room. Taking note of what they were browsing, I lifted them from their seat and accessed the terminal.

With this terminal, I began searching for various Force sects that existed outside the control and close monitoring of the Jedi. Once Natural Evolution was taken, I'd need to relearn how to use certain Force Powers that I was reluctant to lose. Combining that with a curiosity about what else the Force could do, what I might teach Anakin, and the potential to learn abilities that neither the Jedi nor the Sith focused on, meant that this was one search I wanted to not be linked to me, and why a patsy was selected.

The first of the sects to appear was Dathomir, though I blinked as I read the entry to the file regarding the planet and its witches. Unlike what I'd remembered, the planet wasn't composed solely of a tribe of Dark Side-aligned witches, nor was it a red, seemingly dead world. The Nightsisters did exist, and their part of the world appeared barren, but there were multiple tribes on the planet. While that drew my attention, the planet was removed from my list of places to visit due to the various tribes all considering males little more than slaves and breeding stock.

Even if I wasn't planning to visit the planet, the files might be of use, and I had them downloaded to another datapad – once more, pulled from my Inventory – while I began searching for other sects. While I knew of a few from random searches in the Temple, there were more listed here than I'd expected, so I programmed the terminal to download everything it had on each of the sects and the worlds where they were based.

After checking the Twi'lek was still stunned, I Teleported back to my initial room, confirmed the terminal was still downloading, changed the display to another section of a file on Telos, and then Phased through the wall. The terminal there had finished downloading my research to that datapad, and I slipped the device into my Inventory before returning to my initial room and then Phasing through the floor. The terminal in the third room was still running and had time to go, I figured I'd head to another room.

Teleporting back to the room with the Twi'lek, I Phased through three walls, and at the terminal in this last room, or so I hoped, I pulled up another list of worlds. These had come from HK's memory banks and were worlds he knew of that I didn't, nor had considered. This list included Lehon, the home system of the Rakata, and the location of the Star Forge. The system was restricted, something I'd learnt in the Temple, but here I could at least determine details about it along with rough directions to the system.

There were also other worlds, including a few I'd come across when skimming Revan's file earlier that had been prominently displayed. Once again, I set the terminal to download the files for those worlds and sectors to the datapad before Teleporting back to the second room.

The terminal there was finished, and after collecting the datapad and sliding it into my Inventory, I returned to my assigned room. Once more, I spent time browsing the details of the world currently there – that being Nal Hutta – and sat down. The other downloads would take time, and it was better to remain where I was for now.

I could've easily carried out all these searches on this terminal, but not trusting that the records would be properly expunged, and not wanting to leave an obvious trail of breadcrumbs, I'd devised the plan for using multiple terminals. The fact each was inside a secured private room only made it easier for me to carry out my research at seemingly random terminals.

Sensing movement toward the second and fifth terminals I'd accessed, I Teleported to each, removed the datacard – each having completed their downloads – turned off the terminals, and Teleported to the fourth room. There, the Twi'lek was still unconscious though the download was nearing its end.

Once it was completed, I returned the screen to the one it had been on when I'd Stunned the Twi'lek, placed him back in the seat and then Phased into the wall. Just before I left, I used the Force to wake the Twi'lek and then departed.

Once back in my assigned terminal room, I sat down in the chair and allowed myself a smile. From what I could tell, everything had gone as I'd intended and my research, or at least the initial stages of it, was completed. However, not wanting to seem uninterested in the room after requesting one, I sat back and began reading the file currently being downloaded.

That was data about the Empress Teta system, where Serra's family were figures of importance. I had little interest in the system or her family, but harmless searching was precisely what I wanted it to look like I was doing. The various datapads with my true research were now stored safely inside my Inventory for review later.

It was possible that, from browsing those files I might require further data from the Archive, but if that was the case I knew I could gain it without having to ask for a private terminal. Or even enter the Archive officially. Teleport was now in the Savant range, which granted me a range of six kilometres. While that wasn't a large enough range to enter these rooms from outside the building – this place was a marvel stretching over ten kilometres wide though most of the more impressive artefacts, relics, and all the private terminals were located centrally – it would only take a double usage of the power to get here and back.

As such, while I wouldn't be spending too long on the planet, I did plan to delay my departure a few days; at least until I'd managed to browse most of what I'd downloaded. There was enough here, including a Jedi enclave that I was planning to avoid, to keep Anakin busy during the day. At least when I wasn't training him.

Now, I might be acting paranoid, but after Naboo, I knew the Jedi and Sith would be carefully monitoring me; the latter pair more than the former group. Palpatine and Damask would be attempting to track my movements and plans, as I felt they hadn't expected me to gather the force that I did to liberate Naboo. They wouldn't want to make such a mistake again, which was why I was doing my research the way I was.

Now yes, they could, through official and unofficial channels, potentially gain access to everything I'd downloaded today, perhaps everything that was downloaded from every terminal. However, by spreading the research out, and using the Twi'lek as a patsy for some of the work, I should at the very least, delay them from knowing my intentions. Haran, if they only used the data from my terminal, it would lead them on wild goose chases.

With time to kill before I was due to meet Anakin and Simvyl, I took one of the datapads from the Inventory and returned to a topic that had caught my interest earlier, placing another down so I could enter notes of anything else I might want to search for in relation to what I was about to read: the history of the Eternal Empire, their founding Emperor, Valkorion, and their role in the war fought between the Sith and Jedi during Satele's lifetime.

… …

… …
I watched Anakin as he swung the low-powered shoto lightsaber and suppressed a sigh. "Be mindful of your balance," I commented, even as I used my beskad to tap his blade downward. The movement caused him to stumble forward, showing he had over-extended in the attack, leaving himself exposed to an elementary counter. "When you attack, always be mindful not to overcommit. It will often leave you exposed to a quick counter by a skilled opponent."

Anakin grumbled, his annoyance easy to sense, as he reset his position. The velocity he was working through was an early one for Form 1, and I had already shown him before. That he was struggling with it wasn't a surprise, though, as he had only started using a lightsaber for the velocities in the last few weeks. He attacked again, and this time when my beskad blocked his swing downward, he retained his balance; his blade and arms remained closer to his body.

"Better," I said as I took a step back. "Again." As he repeated the move, I began walking around him. "While Shii-Cho is the first, and in many ways, the simplest form a traditional Force User will learn, it's not without its strengths. The Form is based around blade work and thus teaches the importance of good footwork and balance, something that carries over into every other Form you'll learn. However, as you're aware, its nature as the first Form means that not only does every lightsaber wielder know it, but they can also exploit the various issues the Form has because its base lies in weapons fundamentally different from a lightsaber. Now, that isn't to say that a skilled practitioner can't overcome those limitations, and the more advanced velocities of the Form help in that regard as well. However, it will be some time before you learn those velocities or those of other Forms."

I'd given this speech, in differing forms, to Anakin several times over the years, though now he was my Padawan and Ad, their meaning and importance grew. He was now my responsibility and knowing what was to come, I wasn't going to be lax in my training, even if that meant pushing him further and faster than he might otherwise be.

In the other timeline, Anakin had used a Djem-So base, and I felt that would still be the case with him in this timeline, but I wasn't going to assume. Before he reached the point of creating a personal style – in about four or five years I hoped – he'd have solid bases in every one of the six base Forms, their variants, and anything else I trained him in. From there, the choice of style would be his alone, though I'd continue to nurture and guide its development to overcome any flaws I saw within it. And, if the worst happened, know how to overcome him.

A beep from the intercom in the training area drew my attention and I moved toward it. Anakin would continue as he knew to not stop unless told to do so; the times he had in our first week together ensured he understood the consequences of assuming. "Yes?" I said as I answered the call.

"They're here," Simvyl responded from the cockpit.

I resisted the urge to say 'finally'. We'd been in orbit of Dagobah for three days now, waiting for HK and R2 to arrive with the Scimitar and I was beginning to fear they'd gotten into trouble. Or more accurately, HK had incited trouble to amuse himself. "I'll be there shortly," I said before closing the channel and turning to Anakin. While he'd not stopped, he had slowed his movements. "You, however, will remain here training."

"But I want to see HK and R2," he half-whined, though credit where credit was due, he didn't stop.

"I'm aware you do, but life, and the Force, rarely give us what we want, when we want it. Now continue your training." I walked toward the door, not letting him get in a reply, and exited the training area. "And you'll train every day as I instructed until I return," I added before the door closed behind me.

Anakin knew I'd be spending a few days on the planet, though like the others he thought I'd be meditating. Through the Force, as I quickly neared the central area of the ship, I sensed his disappointment and annoyance. However, he didn't dwell on them, which was a good sign.

Passing through the central area, I spotted Fenrir lazing – as usual – on one of the sofas. He lifted his head as I passed, allowing me to give him a quick scratch, but stayed there as I passed. Entering the cockpit, through the viewport I saw the faint, but growing, sight of an approaching vessel, though my attention ended up on the holo-display.

"Query: Might I ask why you chose this pitiful, empty planet to meet, Master?" Even as a small, blue hologram, HK retained his snark and presence.

"Because it's such a pitiful and empty planet, in a sense," I replied as I slipped into the pilot's seat, the chair shifting to welcome me and deepen the connection I shared with Raven. "That vessel, I feel, is important. However, I don't have the time to devote to learning its secrets currently, nor do I wish to lose the pleasure of your and R2's company by assigning you to handle the investigation. And although I could give it to the Jedi," a flicker of HK's visual receptors suggested his thoughts on the matter, "I fear they'd waste the potential the Scimitar contains, or somehow mess it up so badly the vessel ends up back with the Sith."

"Observation: Given what I've discovered about this era's Jedi, I believe you are correct in that assessment, Master. Hypothesis: I would speculate that this vessel returning to the Sith is the more likely outcome."

"Aye," I replied with a chuckle. "Dagobah is, for all intents and purposes, an empty world that no one cares about. It's full of organic life, but few if any ever venture here and it's unknown or ignored by the overwhelming majority of the galaxy, like millions of others. With the system being slightly isolated, that lowers the chance anyone would come here for any reason, making it an ideal place to store the vessel until I have time to examine it fully and repurpose it. Potentially even finding someone I'd trust to fly it for me."

I did hope that Maul might be that person, but I knew the chances of that were extremely low. He'd not have any sentimental attachment to the Scimitar, but if he could, by some miracle, be persuaded to ally with me, then returning his ship would be a good way to secure his support, if not begin to earn his trust. That, however, was a pipe dream for years down the road.

"Analysis: A logical decision, Master. However, I feel there may be better locations where this vessel could be stored. Addendum: It has many enhancements that few other ships would possess. Certainly, more than the flying meat sack you choose, Master."

The lights in the cockpit flared as random, furious patterns flicked and rushed around making clear Raven disliked the comment. It was hardly a surprise though as HK had made similar comments before, but had at least respected Raven for her speed, though he put that down to her mechanical components and me. He wouldn't, however, limit his dislike of her lack of weapons, which was something I agreed with. The issue was her organic frame made it difficult, if not impossible, to add anything without risking damage to her.

The Mandalorian mechanics that had examined Raven before Naboo had agreed with my assessment, though they, like HK, felt cutting through Raven's flesh was necessary. All of them failed to understand that Raven was alive and connected to me in ways they'd never comprehend. That said, I was hoping to find someone capable of crafting a method to add weaponry, even if it was just simple laser cannons, ion weaponry, or missiles, that wouldn't hurt Raven. The issue was finding someone skilled enough to do so, and trustworthy enough to allow them that sort of access to her.

"You and R2 can debrief me on the Scimitar's special features soon," I said as my hand moved over the controls, gently easing Raven closer to the formerly Sith vessel. "Once we're closer I'll come aboard for a tour." With that, I closed the channel and spoke to Simvyl. "As planned, I'll be heading down to the surface with the droids. I don't know what's down there, but between the three of us, I doubt it'll be a challenge. Even as damaged as I am," I added, mocking my injury. "Regardless, I need the privacy, and my presence in the Force should be camouflaged enough in a place where it's so abundant to allow me to meditate on my plans."

"Should I monitor Anakin's training?"

"Yeah. He knows what he needs to do, and how long he has to practise, but like any child, he'll be easily distracted. Something Fenrir will encourage as his boredom grows."

"I suggest you speak with Fenrir before you leave," Simvyl suggested as Raven pulled alongside the Scimitar, and I programmed the docking tube to extend once we were aligned.

"Aye, I'll do that."

Standing, I walked back to the central area and found the tuk'ata still lounging around. He lifted his head when I approached this time as if sensing I wished to speak with him. "I'm going to be gone for a few days and need you to keep an eye on Anakin and Simvyl," I said as I scratched him under the chin, drawing a content growl from him. "Just don't distract Anakin while he trains, and when I've finished I'll let you have some time to see what you can hunt on the planet."

A snort was his way of agreeing, the promise of a hunt helping him accept being stuck onboard Raven for a few more days. With that done, I turned and walked toward the docking ramp. This time I'd be using the docking tube, which was the first time it had been needed since I'd bonded with Raven.

As I neared the docking ramp, I grew curious about what features Maul's vessel contained, and what information the droids had drawn from its databanks. While most would be protected, I hoped some of it could be deciphered to allow me an insight into not only where the vessel had been, but what Sidious' plans were.

… …

"Observation: I find this world reprehensible, Master. It is covered only in flawed, chaotic, organic life." R2 let out a series of low, drawn-out beeps and whistles that I knew meant he agreed. "Addendum: The astromech agrees."

"Yes, I'm aware of that," I replied with a smirk as I moved forward slowly, taking care of my footing. With only one hand to use, I had to ensure my footing was secure before taking each step. "However, for what I need to do, this is exactly what I require," I added, glancing back toward the droids, though my gaze travelled beyond them; toward the mountain range we'd been hiking away from for about an hour.

Well, it was as close to a mountain range as existed near the swamps that covered around half of the planet. The rest of the world was covered by jungles, bayous, or cold bogs with the only difference between the various climates being temperature. For the scans we'd taken in orbit, while the planet had little in the way of lakes or seas, the majority of the land was damp.

Not wanting to store the Scimitar in a swamp, and risk it suffering the same fate as Luke's X-Wing did before Yoda freed it, I'd piloted Maul's vessel down toward one of the few points of higher elevation. Closer scans had revealed some caverns, and while none were initially ideal, one had been discovered that was closer to the size we needed.

Thankfully the cave had been easy enough to enlarge so the Scimitar could slide inside – though it was a tight fit – and the cave wasn't like the one Luke had entered near Yoda's hut. Not that I had any clue where that was on the planet, nor was I interested in discovering it.

Before the Scimitar was placed inside the enlarged cavern, the datacore had been copied to three isolated datapads. Each of those had their ability to connect to nearby networks or the Holonet disabled on the off chance that accessing the data the ship stored resulted in an automated distress signal to Sidious. Those datapads were added to a new slot in my Inventory, and while I still had room if I stored the various datapads in a small sack to take up a single slot in my Inventory, I had enough room to not yet need to do that. Even after Bo had insisted I load up my Inventory on supplies that I and Anakin might need; be that for combat or survival.

The various droids on the Sith vessel had been disabled and scanned as well, and while I had little interest in interrogation or security droids – not with HK around – the probe droids piqued my interest. When time allowed, I planned to stop off somewhere and acquire several models of the small, fast-moving droids. I wasn't sure if I'd have much need for them, at least not after Natural Evolution, but it was better to have them just in case. Plus, I suspected Anakin would enjoy taking a few apart, seeing how they worked, and determining ways to improve them.

HK had pointed out the main droid onboard the Scimitar before we'd descended, even commenting that it was a worthy opponent, and maybe even a useful ally if its programming could be altered. I'd look into that in later years, but for now, it was depowered like the other droids, and as an added protective measure, disassembled and stored in different locations aboard the vessel with the head inside a secured crate that would only open when a very long code was entered into it. Or if someone used a lightsaber or similar device to slice the crate open.

The cave had been sealed first with some larger boulders I'd lifted into place with the Force before HK had used his blasters on a different setting to melt the stones at their edges, all but fusing the cave shut. Over time, the local fauna would grow and cover the clearly sealed cave and hide the location from any that might venture to the planet, and Simvyl had used Raven to lock our coordinates so when I, or someone I sent, came to retrieve the Sith vessel I'd know where to look without having to rely on the Force.

"Query: How long will this process take?"

"I don't know, which is why you and R2 will guard me while I meditate," I replied as I used my beskad to cut a branch that was blocking our path. I could've used my shoto lightsaber but had decided against it. While the plants would grow back, there was always the slim chance that someone would come here and recognise the distinctive way a lightsaber cut and burnt a target. "You're free to eliminate any threats that approach," I continued as I saw that beyond the cut branch was a downed tree; one that I'd not be able to climb over with only one hand. "That said, I'd prefer if you didn't kill everything on the planet while I commune with the Force," I added as I used the Force to jump onto the downed tree before turning back to the droids.

"Clarification: What percentage of extermination would be acceptable, Master?" As HK asked that, I used the Force to lift R2, the astromech beeping worriedly as I did so.

"Any that approach after a warning shot are fair game, but I don't want to awake to find the earth scorched around us." As I set the rules I set R2 down on the other side of the tree. At the same time, HK leapt, the servos in his legs granting him the power to leap clear over the downed tree and me. "However, if your scanners detect a large group of creatures approaching, establish a perimeter with a five-hundred-metre radius minimum around me. Once I awake, if all goes well, I'll have Simvyl land Raven and then you and Fenrir can go hunting if you'd like."

I leapt down from the tree, my boots squelching into the mud, which made me grimace. While I detested sand because of events on Tatooine, my dislike of swamps went back to my former life and every training or active operation that had taken place in swamps, jungles, and the like. Dagobah would be useful for hiding the Scimitar and taking Natural Evolution, but I'd be happy when we left.

"Musing: While the tuk'ata is a quadrupedal meatbag, it is efficient at tracking and removing targets. Addendum: Though I would prefer if you would allow me to burn the world clean of offending organic life, Master."

"Oh, I know that," I said with a chuckle. "But the idea is to hide the Sith vessel on this world, not draw attention to the planet by having it be vastly different from Republic records by letting you be happy."

"Objection: I am a droid, Master, and as such superior to any organic and not ruled by emotions. For which I am eternally grateful." That drew another chuckle from me, though I chose not to teasingly respond that while he might be a droid, he was built by an organic.

My focus turned to the world around us. I'd had Detection on since we'd landed and had been using Sense Force ever since we'd entered the swamp proper to find an area particularly strong in the Living Force. At the same time, I wondered if the Force itself might be trying to guide me. While I couldn't fully interact with it due to the Interface, I suspected the Force wanted the blocks between us removed as well, though I did wonder if its reasoning – if it was capable of such a thing – would be the same as mine.

That concern that after Natural Evolution I'd be open to the Force guiding me places was one that had grown the closer I'd come to Dagobah, but I knew what I was doing was the right choice. The Force had hinted to others that I, alongside Anakin, had a role to play in changing the fate of the galaxy, but I assured myself that I wouldn't become like most Jedi in allowing the Force to blindly guide me toward what it desired. Nor that I'd become like a Sith and bend it to my will. Plus, there was also the fact that if I took Player+ I'd never be able to take on high-level Council members, never mind people like Sidious, Yoda, and Windu.

… …

"You remember your orders?" I said as I settled onto a section of dry ground. That I'd found even that was a small miracle and after a few hours of trekking I'd taken it and sat down upon it in a standard meditation position.

"Mockery: No, Master, I don't. the thirteen previous times you've made clear our orders since you boarded the Scimitar were insufficient for either myself or the astromech." R2 beeped and whistled in amusement at HK's response. While not yet as snarky as he'd become in the other timeline, or even close to HK, the hints of the personality that developed over a decade were there already. Given I had no plans to wipe his memory regularly, as I wouldn't with HK, that made it even more likely he'd develop the expected personality. Not wiping a droid could be a security risk, but given HK and R2 were my personal droids, and the former was skilled in killing everything from a Jawa up to a Jedi, and the latter would learn how to defend himself and be upgraded over the next few years, I felt little concern at the idea someone might learn something I didn't want them to from the droids.

"Very well. I hope you can obey them and not reduce this world to molten rock while I commune with the Force."

After getting the final word, I closed my eyes and accessed the Interface, specifically the notice regarding the upgrade for the Interface and then selected Natural Evolution.

WARNING!
The Interface will be offline while the chosen upgrade is applied.
As this evolution of the Interface will involve considerable alterations to the Interface, and by extension the Player, you will be placed into what appears to be a coma or deep meditation.
How this appears depends on the Player's position and location while the upgrade is applied.
...
Upgrade chosen: Natural Evolution
This upgrade will render the Player unable to interact with anything around them for a period of between 75 and 150 standard hours.
The variance in time is dependent on the Player's level, age, and the various levels of their Force Powers.
...
ERROR!
By selecting Natural Evolution, either Player's Mind or Player's Body MUST be removed, and the cost refunded.
The selection has not been made.
Which Player Power do you wish to be refunded?
Player's Mind/Player's Body?
...

I'd known that choice was coming as it'd been in the description, but I'd not expected it in an error message as I'd not been asked for my choice beforehand. I chose Player's Mind, as while it was a useful Power, it could be interfered with, or even overridden, when in a place strong in the Force. Since I felt I'd be heading to at least a handful of such locations in the near to middle future, and the fact that its other abilities were mimicked by true Force Abilities, I felt it was the better choice to be refunded for. While I would miss the clear-mindedness the Power brought on, so far I'd never changed a decision I'd made after reviewing it with the Power active and I felt it was the more logical Player Power to lose.

Player's Body might seem the less useful of the two in dire circumstances, but it had more obvious and useful everyday bonuses. Beyond the increased Stamina Regeneration it offered, and the fact it meant I didn't actively sweat – something several people had commented on and, if the Power was removed, they would notice – it was because of Player's Body that I was alerted when I was wounded, and was able to push on when anyone without the Power might not be able to do so. Something I'd, unfortunately, seen in a dire situation when I'd lost my forearm to Maul as without the Power, I felt I'd have gone into shock over the injury, and thus lost my duel to the Zabrak.

Player's Mind selected.
A Player Power Point will be refunded to the Player once the upgrade has been completed.
...
Do you wish to begin the upgrade now?
Yes/No?
…
WARNING!
Once 'Yes' is selected, the upgrade will commence after a short countdown.
This countdown cannot be stopped, so the Player must be sure and be resting comfortably before confirming the upgrade.
...

That was what I'd expected, as I'd had to sleep off the last upgrade to the Interface, though there I'd not had the choice of how to evolve it. That this one would take longer was entirely logical. Unlike the last one, which seemed to just unlock and adapt a few of the various sections of the Interface, Natural Evolution was going to entirely remove what was in my opinion the most critical part of its function: its regulation of and control of my Force connection.

While things like this, and many of the more technical elements of the Interface, had me still questioning if I was truly sentient, and not just a puppet for some higher power to control and manipulate, I knew there was little I could do about that. Thus, I pressed Yes and took a deep breath as the text shifted around.

Upgrade to the Interface confirmed.
The process will begin in:
5
.
4
.
3
.
2
.
1
.

… …

… …
I slumped forward, jolted awake, and blinked. My eyes scanned around, quickly finding HK and R2 standing not far away; HK's blaster was held comfortably in his grasp as he and R2 watched the area. My mouth opened to call out, to let them know I was awake, only for the sound to die in my throat.

Instead, a gasp slipped from me as my mind was submerged by… everything.

The world around me was alive, and while I'd known that before, now I could feel it, sense it, experience it. My hands came to the side of my skull as my mind was flooded with the voices(?) of everything around me, of the connection between the sparks of life – be they big or small, flora or fauna, and of every possible kind – held with the Force. And now with me.

Before I'd been able to faintly sense them through the Interface and the Force, but with the former gone, my mind was experiencing the true depth and scale of what an open connection to the Force brought. It was glorious and incredible. Even though I had known that my connection to the Force was muted in comparison to other Jedi or Sith, I had thought that I still understood what it meant to be connected, at least on an academic level.

I had no idea. It was as if I had been calling myself a painter and learning all of the best brush-strokes and techniques, but without being able to actually see any of it. Or as if I had been a musician who thought himself world-class, without realising that he was tone-deaf.

I could feel everything around me as if it was me. The rhythmic pulsing of life from a hundred million creatures, some so small I'd need a microscope to see them, some longer than Raven, was rushing into my mind, overwhelming my defences as I struggled not to become swept away by this rising tide of near-sensory overload.

They were there, I knew that, yet even though the memories of my lessons on the Force over the last decade were still present, whenever I tried to focus on one, the Force seemed to push it aside. Almost as if it wanted to take me over, to become one with me. To make me a part of it.

Somewhere to my left, I felt the exhilaration of moving in for the kill, and panic as I understood something was about to die. My head snapped to that side, wanting to understand where the sensations, the feelings, were coming from.

Instead of finding something to use as a lifeline, I found my thoughts surging outward in a hundred, possibly a thousand different directions. I could feel the wind race over feathers, even as I slid through the mud, my tongue flicking out to find food. I jumped high, clearing something in my way, and then crashed into the water at the same time I experienced my legs, all six of them, moving in sync as I worked with others to rip apart something. I pushed through something thick, almost solid, yet it felt as if I was built to do so. Every memory, every experience happened concurrently as I grasped my skull with my hand.

Rolling to one side, I dry heaved, the sensations slowly drowning me even as I understood I needed this to stop. I needed to regain control before I lost myself in the sensations I was experiencing through the Force.

The ground near me shook, and opening my eyes I saw HK standing over me. I knew he was speaking, and could make out the distinctive, sardonic tone of his vocal actuator, yet the words were lost in the chaotic symphony that was assaulting my senses. Yet, for all that I knew I needed this to stop, I wasn't sure how to do so. I was unable to bring forth the memories of closing myself from the Force to draw on the teachings.

A gasp rushed from me as I felt another presence crash against me within the Force. Yet this one was different and familiar. Locking onto it, using it as a lifeline, I understood in an instant that it was Anakin; the boy reaching out from orbit to help.

His attempt was rushed, unfocused, and unrefined, but incredibly powerful. Even as I used his presence to stabilise myself, I understood that this was what Anakin was. A storm slowly forming on the horizon, one that if unchecked, could bring about untold chaos and damage. Yet, as I slowly felt my mind return to some semblance of control, I saw a way to harness the Force storm that was Anakin. As if with the Interface no longer blocking my connection, I understood what I could help Anakin become, what I could mould him into.

That, however, would have to wait for later. For now, I needed control, and with my thoughts slowly returning to me, with my mind no longer being pulled in a myriad of directions and ways, I knew what I had to do. "E-enough," I growled through clenched teeth even as I sensed other presences with Anakin's; those of Raven and Fenrir.

The word had barely emerged from me before I felt everything dull down. Everything I'd been sensing and experiencing lessened, from the animals whose worlds I'd seen glimpses of through their eyes, the life flowing through the various fauna of the world, and even the lifelines that Anakin, Raven, and Fenrir had thrown me, slipped away. The Force, or at least my connection to it, was blunted and dulled once more and I sighed in relief as my mind was my own again.

I stayed where I was, looking up at the dull, overcast sky of Dagobah and taking long, slow, deep breaths, letting my body recover from what I'd just experienced. I'd known that removing the Interface from my connection with the Force was going to make things different, but what I'd just experienced… words failed to fully describe what it felt like to truly be connected to the Force. However, before I allowed that connection to resume as it should, I needed to train myself to limit the inflow of sensations. For now, the Force would remain distant while I locked myself off from it; held behind the barrier I'd managed to erect after Anakin's lifeline.

"Query: Master? Are you well?"

I turned to look up at the assassin droid, my heart rate returning to normal. "I," even saying the short word hurt and I gulped hard, trying to soothe my throat. I didn't think I'd been exposed to the full brunt of the Force for long, but perhaps it had been longer and more stressful than I'd realised. Not trusting my words for now, I nodded in response and using my arms, eased myself up to a seated position.

Once there, I saw the small flask I'd placed down before meditating, and after popping the cap, took a long but slow sip, soothing the rawness of my throat. "I'm fine, HK," I said once I felt ready to speak again. My voice was hoarse but at least it didn't hurt to speak. "It's just that when I emerged from my meditation, something had changed."

His optical receptors dulled, making clear he was curious or concerned, though the beeping from R2 was only the latter. HK was built to detect lies, so he'd know I wasn't being entirely truthful, but he also wouldn't push unless he felt it was important. Though that ability to sense falsehoods was one I planned to exploit heavily in the coming years, as if I could reach the point where I could convince HK that I truly believed the Republic was run by Ewoks – or something equally as insane – it would do wonders for my Charisma-based social skills, especially Deception. "I think I've overcome the block in my connection to the Force, but I can't say for sure."

"Analysis: I do hope you have done so, Master. While you are skilled, you lack the… flair one would expect of a Jedi. Especially for one descended from the Creator. Addendum: In many ways, the small meatbag designer has a better understanding of how to use the Force in non-mechanical ways than you do."

"Aye, he does. And thanks, I think," I replied slowly. The flask had been placed down while he spoke, and I'd moved around to begin to stand. "How long was I meditating?" I asked once back on my feet.

"Answer: Three days, twelve hours, Master."

"Bit longer than I expected but okay." As I spoke, I stretched my arms, mimicking what I should be doing but that, thanks to Player's Body, I didn't truly have to do so. At least not on a physical level. Three and a half days was around the mid-point of the time the Interface had said it would take to upgrade itself and free the Force from its filtering. "How much of the local fauna and flora have you reduced to atoms?"

"Statement: Not nearly as much as I would have preferred, Master. Most creatures kept their distance after a warning shot. A handful of the larger, more aggressive species failed to heed the caution, and I was most efficient in ensuring they learnt the error of their ways." R2 rocked from side to side and beeped wildly, the volume making me wince. "Amendment: The astromech also drove off several creatures, Master. Though he failed to ensure those creatures were removed permanently."

I chuckled at that and placed a hand on the assassin droid's shoulder. "Not everyone, be they organic or droid, can be as efficient as you, HK. Otherwise, the galaxy would be a far emptier and less enjoyable place."

"Affirmative: Yes, Master." HK looked past me and then R2 before continuing. "Assessment: While I would miss the chance to regularly remove meatbags, I believe those that remained would be a higher quality target. Perhaps sufficiently higher than the less regular combat would be acceptable. Addendum: I am, however, unsure if I would find the longer durations between combat tolerable."

"Speaking for myself, I wouldn't. I'd grow bored as shab with nothing to do."

Before HK could reply, my vambrace beeped. My arm came over instinctively to open the channel, only for me to pause when I saw the missing forearm. Sighing at making that mistake again, and wondering how long it would be until I could get a replacement limb – and if that might remove the phantom pains – I reached into my belt with my hand and pulled out a commlink. "Yes?" I said as I used the commlink, barely able to restrain my annoyance at myself for making the mistake again.

"Well, your response suggests you're at least awake," Simvyl replied, and while I'd limited my connection to nothing more than a trickle, I could faintly sense his amusement. "Anakin, Raven, and Fenrir all reacted badly about twenty minutes ago. Once I'd gotten them calmed down, or at least as much as I could, Anakin told me you were in trouble. Though before then, I'd not been able to stop Raven from descending no matter how much I tried to counter her behaviour."

I laughed softly at the idea my ship had disobeyed orders in an attempt to help. That was exactly the sort of thing I and Anakin would do, so it seemed more of my personality had merged with her than I'd realised. "Something did, and while it was a personal issue and might cause me problems in the short-term, in the long-term I feel it's the first step in overcoming several of my issues. As for Raven, it's fine. She, like Anakin and Fenrir, share a connection to me through the Force and would've sensed my confusion when I awoke." I looked up, knowing instinctively where Raven was, yet through the thick, grey fog that hung over this area of the planet – and possibly most of the surface – I couldn't see her. Before I'd had to actively think about using Detection to be certain where she or others were, but now, even with my connection to the Force restricted by choice, I knew with certainty where she was. Along with Anakin and Fenrir. "Should we remain here, or is there a clearing we should move toward?" I asked, pushing aside any thought of marvelling at the change in how the Force now worked, and how incredible it felt to simply know something without having to consider it.

"One moment," Simvyl said before the channel went silent for about half a minute. "There's a large enough clearing about five klicks southwest of your location. Sending coordinates now."

My vambrace beeped, confirming reception of the data. It then, on programming, displayed our location and our destination. "Got it. See you there. Oh, and tell Anakin I'm fine, and thanks." With that, I closed the channel and slipped the commlink back into its pouch. Simvyl would be confused about the thanks, but Anakin would understand, and it should reassure him that I was fine. Or as fine as I was going to be until I gained a handle on how to properly use and interact with the Force.

"Come on," I said to the droids. "While it shouldn't take us long to reach the RV, the sooner we leave, the sooner we can get off this world." I took a step before pausing and giving HK a wide smile. "If anything gets too close, feel free to respond without a need for a warning shot."

"Affirmative: That is most agreeable, Master. I have grown tired of having to warn such primitive meatbags about their purpose. Musing: I wonder if I might use some of my more advanced armaments. I was unable to use many upon Naboo due to your instructions to avoid civilian casualties and protection of the meatbag ruler."

"Again, so long as you don't level the area we're in, or risk giving way that we've been here, feel free to enjoy yourself."

"Exclamation: Oh, I will, Master, I will."

R2 gave out a long, low, sad beep and I reached over, patting his dome. "It's ok. I'm sure Anakin and HK can suggest modifications so you're better able to defend yourself and assist HK in future." R2 beeped happily at that.

"Agreement: Oh yes, Master. I have many ideas on how to enhance an astromech." I laughed at R2's reaction to HK's comment as it seemed the astromech was suddenly fearful of what the assassin had planned. Keeping the amusing thought in mind, I resumed walking, plotting out the quickest path to the rendezvous location.

As we walked, I started running through the change that had occurred. There were notices about the change flashing in the bottom corner of my vision, but I decided to leave them for a moment, focusing on how it felt as if things had changed. It was clear that with the Interface gone, I'd been blasted by the full, unfiltered connection with the Force that had held, which placed me in a unique position.

Everyone else in the galaxy was born with their connection unfiltered, be they someone with barely any connection right up to beings like Yoda, Sidious, and Anakin. They'd learnt before they could even understand what they were to accept and harness that connection. Sharing a connection with the Force was natural to everything in the galaxy, be they sentient, fauna or flora. Well, except for any race like the Vong, though they seemed to come from beyond the galaxy so perhaps that was why they weren't connected to the Force.

I, however, didn't have that natural, had always been there, connection with the Force. Or at least, I'd not had it until less than thirty minutes ago. That meant I was going to have to learn to process and accept this change, and while it would take time – something I'd expected by my research on Force sects I could visit with Anakin over the next few years – it might allow me a unique perspective and ability.

When we'd shown the Force suppression room aboard Mtael's Gift several years ago, Fay and Dooku had both reacted badly to the sudden suppression of their connections. Dooku had been unbalanced and unnerved – though he hid it well. Fay, however, had reacted as if having a limb torn from her body. Given she'd spent centuries relying on the Force, being in tune with it and having it help her slow her ageing – or so I assumed – the sudden loss of that connection had drawn a major reaction from her.

With me now being able to experience what the Force truly was, or at least have a proper connection to it, I could see how losing that connection would affect those with high Force sensitivity. I couldn't comprehend Fay's pain that day, and I hoped I never did, but I had an idea of what she'd have experienced. The difference was that I knew how to think and work without the Force, and thanks to Eidetic Memory would never forget it. In theory, if I was ever exposed to a field like that about the Lokella station again, then I'd be able to handle the sudden loss of what would feel like part of my soul. Or I would, I hoped, once I'd learnt to control and temper my connection, so it didn't overwhelm me.

I shivered as I realised that, and that with the filter provided by the Interface gone, being fully exposed to the Force – or at least the Living Force on Dagobah – I'd come very close to ending up comatose. It was only through the actions of Anakin, something I had to believe he either knew instinctively or the Force guided him to do, that I didn't and was able to retain just enough control to limit my connection to the Force.

Without knowing or understanding how, he'd reached out from orbit, to help. That spoke not just to how strong his connection was, but how deep my connection to the Force could become – or close to it anyway as I didn't have quite as high a Force Potential as him – how easily the Force came to him, and how strong, after only a few years of limited contact, that our bond had become. And it made me wonder how I'd react when I next saw Serra, as for everyone else that I would encounter, she was the one who I had the deepest connection with and was strong in the Force. However, my focus for now was on Anakin. The level of power he had to, without knowing what he was truly doing, reach out across thousands of kilometres to help me was frightening and possibly terrifying.

Now, differing species and sentients had differing definitions of what terrible meant, but even allowing for that Anakin had the potential for amazing things. Before this, I'd known he was powerful, both from what Observe revealed and from sources before my emergence into this universe, but knowing of it and experiencing it first-hand were two entirely different things. I had my first true glimpse of what he, and possibly I, could do, and the sort of power he held, and could potentially wield… I understood so much more clearly why Sidious was so interested in Anakin. Why the boy was the Chosen One.

While the gap between our midi-chlorian counts was small, at least compared to that of myself and many others, I felt the gap between us, and what we might be able to accomplish could be greater than any I might have with sentients like Yoda or Sidious. The difference there was, at least for now, those two and others like them – such as Fay, Dooku, and Plagueis – was that they had decades or centuries of training and experience to draw upon. All I could do was train Anakin to be what he should be, and at the same time learn from him how to fully understand, accept, and use the Force so that both of us could surpass everyone that had come before.

That realisation brought forth a rush of excitement, along with a hint of terror, as I understood that I had to ensure Anakin was ready for what awaited us. I also had to ensure I was ready as well, though I felt reasonably confident that I could regain my Force abilities over the next few years; training Anakin was going to push me to do so lest I fail him and by extension doom the galaxy to the rule of the Sith.

That was why I'd gone to the Celebratus Archive on Obroa-Skai before engaging the upgrade, not only to find this world but for the locations of possible Force sects and other groups that might be able to help with our training. Knowing now that I'd have to work almost from the ground up to rebuild my abilities, and ensure Anakin was trained, I'd re-examine the sects and determine which order to attend them in. All I'd need was time to do so, and while I felt I'd have that for a few years, I couldn't spend too long with the training otherwise I'd be out of the loop preparing for the wars to come.

"Query: Master, are you perhaps using the Force to ensure we are undisturbed?" I paused at HK's question and turned back to face him, curious what he was saying. "Observation: While we've only travelled one point-zero-two kilometres, the creatures nearby have all chosen to withdraw or remain further away since you awoke. Extrapolation: It appears as if they're afraid of approaching. Theory: Perhaps the change you spoke of has in some way affected the local fauna, persuading them to withdraw. Conjecture: It might also explain the marginal decrease in temperature of zero-point-three-one degrees that has occurred since you ended your meditation."

"I don't thin…" my words trailed off mid-sentence as I understood HK was onto something. "Um, yeah, that might be because of me," I said, changing tack as I worked out what the temperature change and the reason for the local animals withdrawing was.

Without the Interface, I'd lost Dark Side Masking, which meant my ability to hide my, for lack of a better word, taint from everything and everybody. While there were no other Force users around to sense it – at least bar Anakin though he was currently nearby – the beasts of Dagobah would. From what King Adas had spoken of, those strong in the Force and with some experience in bending it to their will could generate a dangerous aura. One that not only persuaded others to stay away but could alter the environment around them.

From what HK was saying, that was what was occurring, but I wasn't doing it consciously, and even with my connection to the Force heavily muted, enough of my power was radiating outward that it was having a marginal effect on the local area.

Closing my eyes, I searched inward, seeking out the Force that flowed through me. Adas had spoken of how to drop out or nullify this ability to project power, but I'd not taken it on fully back then; the Interface simply applied what he was teaching to the Force Powers of Dark Side Masking and Force Suppression. Now, with that all gone, I had to learn to use the ability properly, which with Eidetic Memory ensuring I remembered everything I'd ever seen, heard, or been taught, the lessons were quickly back at the forefront of my thoughts.

The ability to shield and cloak oneself from detection by others in the Force was something I felt Anakin – and possibly Palpatine – could do so naturally that if one didn't know the truth, or had a way to sense Force Potential as easily as I did, then they'd never realise how powerful the person they were speaking with could potentially be. I suspected with the Sith it was a taught ability, one that had evolved from lessons Adas and others had created back when the Sith were a species and not a Force sect as both Sidious and Plagueis could stand before Jedi High Council members and give no hint of the power they wielded.

Listening to Adas' words in my mind, I slowed my breathing, focusing ever deeper inward. Eventually, I felt what I was looking for: The point where it seemed as if I and the Force connected. This wasn't just a single point, but all and none of me as the Force was in everything, yet with the lessons from Adas, Dooku, and a few others to draw on, and knowing the strongest hint of the Force would be centred around my bond to Anakin, I was able to find what I needed.

The connections to the Force, and through it, others, were still there, but as I'd intended earlier, they'd dullened. I wasn't, however, fully cut off from the Force as I could faintly sense Anakin, Raven, Fenrir, and others, though bar the first three everything was far weaker, as they were far more distant or lacked the connection through the Force I shared with that trio. It was around the edges of those dullened connections that I found what I was looking for. I could sense my Force presence slipping out at those edges and permeating with the Living Force around me.

Knowing I was far from skilled enough to entirely shut off the seepage of my taint, I instead focused on dulling my connection to the Force further, though I tried my best to ensure that the link I held with Anakin wasn't affected. I didn't need him or others worrying that something else had happened to me. Concentrating on the Force as it flowed through me, the words Fay had used once to describe the sensation, I slowly sealed off the leakage of my taint into the Force around me. If another trained Force user appeared, they'd be able to sense the taint, but I hoped what I was doing would be enough to end the subtle effect I was having on my surroundings.

As the taint was slowly contained, I sensed a subtle shift through the Force. Though she was perhaps half a galaxy away, I sensed Serra and how her feelings had changed fractionally. That slight sensation was enough for my focus to jump to my bond with her, to the connection we shared that linked us through the Force. She should, from what I knew, be back at the Temple, and while I didn't know who would continue her training, Yoda had promised me that not only would a Jedi Master finish her training, but that she'd get help to deal with the emotions brought forth by Drallig's death.

Part of me longed to speak to her, to reach out through the Force and ease her burden or speak to her, but I knew I couldn't do that currently. Fear that my action would reveal the Dark Side within me to her and others, and that without understanding what I was doing I'd somehow hurt her, stopped me from doing so. Still, as gently as I could, I sent comforting thoughts to her.

While I wasn't going to return to Coruscant any time soon, as I felt her notice my lingering feelings and react, I knew I'd contact her before I left with Anakin to train him and refocus myself after the change in my connection with the Force. The issue was that just talking to her over the Holonet felt wrong, cheap even. As if I was doing her and the memory of Drallig a disservice by not speaking with her in person. However, I didn't want to step back on the Republic capital, never mind enter the Jedi Temple. Not while Anakin was with me.

I could, in theory, drop him with Bo for a week or so, but until I had a handle on the changes I'd undergone, going anywhere near the Jedi or Sith was off the table. That left me with communication through the Force. As Serra's happiness at knowing I was safe, along with confusion and curiosity – suggesting she sensed the change in my Force connection – and some fear travelled to me through the Force, I smiled. Knowing she was as well, or at least as well as she could be, was a relief, though I did note that even at the great distance between us, her feelings came through stronger and clearer. Another little hint at just what the Interface had been restricting.

"Observation: It appears whatever you are doing is working, Master. The local ambient temperature has risen by zero-point-two-seven degrees." That wasn't quite all the way back, but it was close enough for me to be satisfied.

"Hopefully that means you'll get some target practice before we're picked up," I replied as I opened my eyes and took in the dull, damp swamp around us. Nothing appeared different, but I knew I wasn't yet in tune with the Force and myself enough that I'd be able to sense anything amiss.

"Assurance: My accuracy is within acceptable levels, Master. However, one can never be too lax in ensuring quality is maintained."

"Just don't burn down the planet while we're still on it."

"Indignation: I would never do such a thing, Master! Unlike some so-called battledroids, I'm not as clumsily built or fundamentally flawed as to commit such a mistake. Appeasement: I would only burn a world under your orders, Master."

"While I don't want that today, I won't deny there are a few worlds that I wouldn't mind seeing scorched clean," I replied as I resumed walking toward the rendezvous location. "For now, you'll have to restrict yourself to whatever fails to understand that we, not it, are the apex predators of this world."

"Exclamation: I look forward to doing so, Master."

R2 gave out a long, worried beep as he shook slightly from side to side. "Don't worry," I said, stopping and placing my hand on his dome, "if anything somehow gets past HK, I'll ensure it doesn't get to you. You're far too useful to allow some giant snake or reptile to swallow or use as a chew toy. And once we're away from here, HK and Anakin can suggest modifications so the next time we come here you can be as effective as HK in achieving dominance over the locals."

A series of loud, happy beeps erupted from the astromech, which made me laugh. By the time of the Clone Wars, in the other timeline, Anakin had ensured R2 was far beyond a regular astromech. With HK and I here to help, when war finally erupted in this galaxy, R2 would be a match for almost anything the Trade Federation, The Republic, or anyone else could deploy.

Once my laughter had died down, I turned my attention to the notices from the Interface. While I could keep an eye out for local beasts that might be a problem, I felt that would restrict HK's fun and after spending three and a half days watching me meditate in this swamp, he deserved the chance to blow off some steam.

Interface Upgrade Complete!
Having chosen Natural Evolution as the final form of your Interface, the following changes have been made:
1: The Interface will no longer regulate your connection to the Force.
This means that neither your Force Powers nor your FP level will be tracked or displayed by the Interface.
FP will be replaced by a Force Exhaustion percentage so that you can monitor how close you are to hitting that barrier.
2: To use the Force, the Player must behave like any other Force user in the galaxy.
This includes all the benefits and drawbacks such behaviour brings with it.
3: The tracking of the strength and level of your Force Bonds has been removed from REPUTATION.
4: New perks specific to this upgrade have been added to the choices.
Perk Points remain available at every 4 levels.
5: New Player Powers specific to this upgrade have been added to the choices.
Player Power Points remain available every 5 levels.
6: The Player Power, Player's Mind, has been deactivated and removed.
Because of this, the Player Power Point for it has been refunded.
(Currently, you have 2 PPPs available.)
7: The Player is now susceptible to influence by the Force.
This will occur if, like many other Force users, they sink into the Force.
If they don't wish this, then they must influence the Force with their intentions and desires.
8: All skills have had a potential 7th tier (Legendary) added.
The Player still has to put in the training and effort to reach it though.
9: The quest Skill to the Max has been altered to be simply to reach the top of the 6th tier (Prodigy).
10: No training quests are possible for taking skills beyond Prodigy:100.
11: STAMINA is now calculated as Player Level *(Strength+Vitality+Agility).
This results in a boost to your STAMINA to 1950.
The Player has a STAMINA regeneration rate of (due to selected Perks) 39/min.
...
NOTE!
Bonuses for levelling, bar STAMINA, remain the same.
These are:
2+INT/20 Stat Points per level.
INT*1 Skill Points per level.
1 PP every 4 levels.
1 PPP every 5 levels.
...

That was what I'd expected, though the display of a percentage for Force Exhaustion was going to be useful in prolonged combat while the boost in STAMINA wasn't something to sniff at. I was sure Bo, Naz and others wouldn't complain about the increase, and that was before I learned how to properly use the Force to refresh and enhance myself. Being susceptible to the Force was a fear I'd had before choosing Natural Evolution, but given I needed the higher potential power levels for what was to come, I'd have to be cautious about how that went.

Waving away the notification of changes, I opened the next notice waiting for me, discovering it came from TPTB.

We must admit that we are surprised and impressed you chose to remove the protection the Interface grants you in regard to the Force.
Taking NATURAL EVOLUTION places you, and those around you, at far greater short-to-middle-term risk from threats than PLAYER+ would have.
It does, as you have surmised, grant a better chance to survive the coming chaos.
Because of you choosing to take the path of greater risk, and as we are feeling generous, we offer what shall be our final boon.
1 Perk Point has been added to your Interface.
Spend it wisely, or not.
The choice, as always, is up to you.
...

Unlike the previous message, this one was unexpected. At least regarding the free Perk Point. I'd expected something from TPTB, but they rarely if ever offered gifts, but I wasn't going to complain about it. While Perks weren't as powerful – or broken depending on how I was feeling on a given day – they were powerful and potentially offered me advantages few if any other sentient could achieve.

While I was curious about what new Perks were available to me, with 2 Player Power Points, seeing what was on offer there was my first port of call.

PLAYER POWERS
These are powers and skills that are unique to The Player and earned by spending Player Power Points [PPP].
Currently, you have 2 PPPs.
Many Player Powers have requirements that depend on the Player's level, or stat values and will remain hidden until their requirements are met.
Player Powers may grant abilities that mirror, or even surpass, what many consider to be 'Dark-Side Force powers' so be careful when using them around 'Light-Side Force users'.
Currently, you have the following Player Powers:
Heart of the Force [2/2]
Inventory
Player's Body
Observe
Silent Interface
Upgraded Minimap
…
Available Powers:
Colour Shift
Enhanced Inventory
Enlarge/Shrink
Glamours
Greater Minimap Mark 1
Level Boost
Reveal the Hidden
Superior Inventory
Upgraded Minimap Mark 2
…

My eyes were drawn instantly to the only one I'd not seen before or been altered to appearing: Reveal the Hidden. As I read its description, it instantly went to near the top of the pile for selections, though I wasn't going to make any decision until I'd gone through the Perks list as well.

Reveal the Hidden
This Player Power will allow the Player to see the bonus objectives of all quests granted to the Player by The Powers That Be, or generated in response to the Player's actions/decisions.
...

For simpler quests, such as training ones – though I'd not taken many over the last year or so as I'd focused on preparing for Naboo over random training of specific Skills or Force Powers – this wasn't a major thing. I'd already determined what the three or four bonus objectives were from having taken and completed – or not – so many training quests previously.

For other quests, such as Tremors of the Ancient Sith Empire, the Changing Fate quests, and quests linked to Bo, Pre Vizsla, Maul and others, it would be a major boon. Knowing what the additional targets were would, I suspect, change how I approached the quests, but it might also grant me insight into what I might have to do to complete the quests.

I wasn't sure how, if at all, it would affect The Promise of the Fallen quest given to me by Revan, as that quest didn't fit into the categories of quests Reveal the Hidden covered. If it didn't reveal anything there, then so be it, but there was a chance I was wrong on this.

Not wanting to dwell on one particular Player Power, I turned my attention to Level Boost, as along with Reveal the Hidden, it was the most likely Player Power to be taken. After reading the description, that feeling was only reinforced.

Level Boost
This Perk/Player Power allows the Player to raise the tier limits of their skills by 3 tiers.
This can either be used to raise 3 Skills 1 tier (to the Paragon tier) or 1 Skill 2 tiers (to the Mythic tier) and 1 Skill 1 tier.
NOTE!
No Skill can be raised more than 2 tiers.
A skill can only be raised once, though 2 tiers can be raised at a single time.
Level Boost tier lifts can be saved, though no more than 5 can be kept at any one time.
If Level Boost is selected again (which is possible once every 10 levels from level 30) as either a Perk or Player Power, and it results in more than 5 tier lifts, the excess tier lifts will be lost.
Level Boost can only be taken once per 10 levels regardless of which category it is taken from.
Therefore, if a Player Power Point is spent for it, it will disappear from both available Player Power and Perk lists.
...

I'd already known what Level Boost was going to be, but getting the full details made it clear that I'd be taking it. I wasn't yet sure which Skills I'd use it on, but I suspected I'd use it to lift one skill two tiers and then keep the last point back for consideration later.

The other Player Powers, bar Upgraded Minimap Mark 2, were the same as before. Upgraded Minimap Mark 2 extended the ability of the Minimap to locate hidden passageways and alcoves to places hidden by either the Force or other advanced methods. That was interesting, but given what was offered by Level Boost and Reveal the Hidden, it was unlikely I'd be taking it this time.

Before I made sure of my choices, I had to example the Perks available, and after dismissing the Player Powers that was what I examined.

PERKS
These are earned by spending perk points [which you earn at a rate of 1PP per 4 levels].
Currently, you have 1 PerkP.
Most perks have multiple levels, allowing the Player to take improved versions of a perk if they so wish.
Currently, you have the following perks:
Ambidextrous
Boosted Growth Mark 2
Eidetic Memory
Empathy
Enhanced Regeneration [1/3]
Force Prodigy
Heart of the Force [1/2]
…
Available Perks:
Bookworm
Brainiac Mark1
Cat's Grace Mark1
Cult of Personality Mark1
Dominant Mark1
Enhanced Regeneration Mark2
Giant's Strength Mark1
Healing Acclimatisation
Iron Skin Mark1
Level Boost
Luck of the Force Mark1
Medic Mark1
Mind Abilities Affinity
One with Beasts
One with Nature
Overdrive
Physical Regeneration Mark1
Psychometry Acclimatisation
Seer's Insight
Shatterpoint Acclimatisation
Stellar Ace
Stat Limit Boost Mark1
Style Mark1
Wisdom of the Ancients Mark1
…

Again, the list was a mix of old and new offerings. Level Boost was, as had been stated after the upgrade to Natural Evolution had been applied, listed as a Perk as well. That was much like Heart of the Force, but for that, I'd needed to spend one Perk Point and one Player Power Point to bring the increase in Force Potential to a level close, but not quite at, Anakin's. Overall, there was a larger percentage of new Perks than new Player Powers and curious about them, I worked my way through their descriptions.

Enhanced Regeneration Mark2 was a simple improvement on Enhanced Regeneration Mark1. It lifted the base regeneration for PP, STAMINA, and Force Regeneration – which was no longer tracked but I felt fed into Force Exhaustion – from two times to four times the base regeneration rates. Having the ability to delay Force Exhaustion, and then recover from it quicker was certainly appealing, but nothing ground-breaking.

Overdrive was something unexpected. It would, when activated, allow me to draw on more of the Force, however, that worked, to the extent I could push beyond the limits of Force Exhaustion. The downside of the perk was that for each minute it was active while I was Force Exhausted, I would damage my body. Any damage taken because of the perk would be immune to accelerated healing, be that from the Force or something like bacta, outside of permanent injury caused by the perk.

The ability to have a way to push far beyond my limits with the Force was interesting, and when fighting against someone on the level of the High Council or a Sith Lord, might well be useful. Though it would be, I hoped, a long time before I had to confront anyone on that level. Additionally, the perk had a time limit of an hour, and if it was active for that long, then without immediate attention, I would die from the damage taken.

It was certainly a perk to consider for the future, but as of now, was not one I was giving any serious consideration to taking. The same couldn't be said of Mind Abilities Affinity.

That perk was if I was reading the description correctly, something beyond a simple ability to use mental Force abilities. It would grant me a natural understanding of how to use the various Force powers that affected the minds of others, most of which, when I went by the old Interface listings, were Dark Side aligned. Since those powers were dangerous to use without proper training, the perk would be a massive boon, though I wasn't the sort of person inclined to manipulate the minds of others. At least not at present, and hopefully never would be.

Stellar Ace was another I'd not expected to see or had considered as possible. This perk would grant me double XP for any skill related to flying or piloting a machine. It didn't matter if the skill applied to starships in space, fighters in atmosphere, or vessels inside a liquid such as water, the XP gains would be doubled. The downside of the perk was that it would half my XP gain for any skill involved in riding a living beast. Since that wasn't something I'd done much, if at all, since emerging into this universe, it wasn't anything more than a minor inconvenience to the perk.

What did stand out about Stellar Ace, was that, if taken and then Level Boost was applied to piloting, I could, in theory, find it easier to match some of the better pilots in the Jedi Order. I didn't think I'd ever reach the level of Saesee Tiin, to say nothing of what Anakin was capable of, but it was an intriguing perk to consider. The same could be said of the Acclimatisation perks. Or at least Shatterpoint Acclimatisation.

Each Acclimatisation perk granted me the equivalent of a natural inclination toward using those powers: Force Healing, Psychometry, and Shatterpoint. It didn't, however, grant an affinity toward them, nor the ability to use the power on an almost instinctual level, such as what Master Windu was said to have with Shatterpoint.

What was interesting was that, from ten levels after taking an Acclimatisation perk, an Affinity perk would be available for it, and a further ten levels from there could offer a Naturalization perk for the power and all sub-forms of it. A further perk, which wasn't detailed or explained, would then come into play twenty more levels later that would make me one of only a handful of beings to ever truly understand the Force ability in question.

While that would be a very long road to travel, it did mean that, in theory, if I reached level 60, I could be as natural at Shatterpoint as someone like Windu. Of course, the chances of me reaching Level 60 were slim at best.

After going over the list of perks, and reviewing the older ones to see if they had changed, I found myself wondering why there weren't any for my more unusual or rare Force Powers like Phase, Teleport, and Inanimate Conversion.

That is because, in our infinite wisdom, we have chosen to be gracious.
At least regarding the majority of those powers.
For most, including Phase and Teleport, since you have shown continual effort to learn and grow those powers, we have granted you a natural affinity toward them equivalent to what you have with Battle Meditation.
Perks to make you a natural are not going to be offered because they are not needed.
With training, dedication, and perhaps a large helping of fortune, you can develop those powers to become one of the greatest to ever wield them.
Inanimate Conversion, however, is an entirely different issue.
That power, and a few like it, were not ones you were meant to discover or use.
In truth, their use aligns with a branch of Force powers commonly referred to as Force (or Sith) Alchemy.
Again, with training, effort, and the right teachers, you can learn to do what those powers once did.
And, perhaps, even more.
That, however, is something you will have to work very hard to achieve and might take you to places you will always be unwilling to go.
In the end, the choice, like it has always been, is up to you.

Not having to spend Perk Points for affinities for powers like Phase and Teleport was a relief, and the TPTB were right that I used them semi-regularly. Losing access to Inanimate Conversion was annoying as I'd hoped, at least before learning about and selecting Natural Evolution, that I could get the power to a point where I could create beskar by simply willing it. That dream was dead, though the pathway to it and other powers was there if I so chose.

Adas had spoken on the benefits of Force alchemy, and from the few records I'd found on him, it was said the axe he used in combat had been enhanced with the Force, so perhaps that was something to pursue at a later date. Oddly though, having to work to recover and reuse that power, and possibly Restore as it might fall under the same category, felt a better choice. Having to earn the right to manipulate objects at the atomic level was something that should be earned, and not simply gained for fun. Plus, as much as it now felt like a mistake, I'd stopped focusing on Inanimate Conversion in the lead-up to the invasion of Naboo.

That, however, was a matter for another time, as was making a final choice on which Perk to take, though I would admit I was leaning toward Shatterpoint Acclimatisation simply because, even at a low level, that power had game-changing potential.

Dismissing the Perks list, I saw that, in the time I'd been splitting my focus between the Player Powers and Perks and hiking, we'd almost reached our destination. I looked up as I felt the approach of a familiar and powerful presence grow stronger.

As I gazed upward, I saw Raven slip through the low-lying clouds and felt her relief at finally being able to sense me optically. Yet, my focus wasn't on that, but on how alive and vibrant she felt. I stopped walking, to avoid stumbling as I felt her relief flood my mind, and a wide smile spread over my face. I'd known that I shared a connection with Raven because of how she'd been created and my actions in saving her when Zonoma Sekot had left, but this was the first time I'd truly felt it and it was an incredible sensation.

Raven was, in a large way, a part of me, and the joy radiating from her had an almost familial sensation to it. While her thoughts weren't clear like those of a sentient, I understood her feelings with ease. Closing my eyes, I reached out through the faint opening to the wider Force that I retained, and let her know I was well and pleased to see her again.

I gasped as an almost overwhelming surge of delight came back. After recovering from the blast, I understood that she was happy not just because I was safe, but because the bond between us was stronger and more instinctual. Lifting my hand, I reached out through the Force – widening my connection to it fractionally – and truly sensed Raven for the first time.

Power flowed through her in ways that while I understood on a technical level, I'd not truly experienced in a metaphysical way. Even a few kilometres from her, I could sense how alive she was, how the power from her core flowed through her organic circuits to the various components – be they mechanical or organic – that composed her frame. How a slight shift in one section of her body shifted the flow of energy toward her anti-gravity generators to help her turn as she descended.

The feeling of the cool, damp air of Dagobah brushing over her skin, and how she enjoyed the moisture and newness of it, was easy to pick up on. As was how she saw the various airborne life on the planet, and how all of them avoided her; understanding that she was beyond them in ways they didn't fully comprehend. Yet under the pleasure of the new experience of the planet, and her joy that I was safe and soon to be reunited with her, the desire to surge between planets, to dance among the stars shone brightly. Raven was born to fly in space, and soon she would return to what she did best, and she couldn't wait to do so.

My smile widened as I opened my eyes, and took in Raven once again. Before this change, I'd known that if Raven had died, I'd have been hurt. Now, however, I understood that if something happened to her I'd burn the cosmos to make those who hurt her, who dared threaten my daughter – which in many ways she was – learn the error of their ways. Raven was something unique, something special that had to be nurtured, treasured, protected, and encouraged to grow. Deep in my soul, I knew that there was little I wouldn't do to protect her from others. A feeling I knew she held for me.

Watching happily, I observed the way she turned in the air, her engines shifting thrusts to ensure when she landed she was facing me. While Simvyl was at her helm, Raven was the one doing the flying. The landing struts, a mixture – like much of her – of organic and mechanical – slipped from her underbelly. The spots they'd emerged from were invisible before their emergence as they blended perfectly into her skin.

As I resumed my approach, I felt her change the flow of power through her frame, reducing thrust to the engines, and she touched down with a grace comparable to any dancer I'd ever seen. The ground gently sunk, accepting her presence without breaking, and as I nodded to Simvyl in the cockpit, I sensed before I heard her ramp descending.

Before it had reached the ground, two figures – one small, the other larger, and longer – emerged from the gap. I shuddered, experiencing Fenrir's delight as he bounded toward me. A delight that his pack wasn't damaged, that his family was safe pushing aside the desire to race off and assert his position as the apex predator of this new world.

"Fenrir!" I called out as I was knocked over by the giant tuk'ata, his tongue lathering my face. "Off!"

He didn't listen, continuing to lick my face and chest as his relief that I was well, and delight flowed around us. Rolling to the side to save myself, I laughed loudly at his behaviour, and at fully feeling the connection I held with him. While I didn't have the same natural connection to Fenrir that I held to Raven, I'd known the tuk'ata longer and he'd been a part of my family, or my pack, for several years.

Even as I enjoyed the increased connection, my remaining hand tried desperately to push him back. Though given his massive bulk – his shoulder stood at my neck, and I felt he still had growing to go – even with two hands I'd struggled to restrain him when he was this happy. Thankfully, after it felt as if he'd drenched every inch of my upper body in drool, he pulled back. My arm came up, wiping at my face just enough to clear my sight, though before I could growl at Fenrir, I was knocked over again.

"CAM!" I winced as Anakin, unintentionally shouted into my ear. A gasp slipped from me as his arms tightened around my neck, though the reaction also came from how powerful Anakin's relief was.

If it had been a river, I'd have drowned in the depth and strength of his presence, and even with my connection to the Force muted, because of our physical contact, I was unable to restrict the onslaught of emotions rushing forth from the boy. From my son.

The same joy and delight, mixed with relief, that Raven and Fenrir had radiated came from Anakin, though under it all, pushed down in the hopes I'd not sense it, I discovered fear. Pushing toward it even as I wrapped my arm around his back, I was assaulted by the source of that fear.

I'd known since Shmi had died, that Anakin had latched onto me, but until now I'd not realised how important I'd become to him. I was, thanks to the adoption, his father – though he saw me more as an older brother and mentor, which I was fine with – and alongside Lia, the only people that mattered to him. With Shmi's death having been so recent when I'd awoken in panic, his fear that he'd lose me had been what had driven him to reach out for my mind.

That decision had saved me, and holding him close, I understood just how powerful Anakin could be, and would be once I finished training him. Yet, under all that, I felt a tiny sliver of terror. Anakin's need, his desire, to help and protect those he cared for was what Sidious had exploited to turn him into Vader. While I'd known it was there, and could easily recall Dooku's words about the danger that Anakin would bring out that concerning tendency of mine to risk it all to help those I cared for, it was only now, with the Force unfiltered and Anakin in my arm, that I felt I fully comprehend just how powerful, and dangerous our shared need to help could be.

However, even though that was an issue, it was one for later. The more pressing one was that, with Anakin hugging me, and Fenrir and Raven close by, I was struggling to limit the emotional overflow coming from them. knowing I had to if I wanted to keep going, to say nothing of entering Raven, I closed my eyes and once more looked inward.

There I felt for the Force again, finding the connection I held with it, and the muffle I'd placed on everything bar the bonds I shared with others. Drawing on my lessons with Fay and others, I slowly followed those instructions to dampen the emotional feedback I was experiencing. I didn't want to entirely shut down the connection I held with others, but I had to dampen the sensations from them that I was experiencing.

It took time, though I couldn't say how much, but slowly I felt the emotional tidal waves coming from the trio lessen; the strength of their feelings sliding back to more manageable levels. Once I felt I'd dulled my connection to the point that I wasn't at risk of being disorientated by sharp, intense bursts of feelings, I opened my eyes and then slowly patted Anakin's head.

"I'm alright. There's no need to worry, An'ika." The word Bo had used to describe Anakin slipping easily from me. As I said it, I swore I felt a gentle, distant shift in the Force. As if it was reacting to my use of the word and, I thought, approving. "I'm here and I'm not going anywhere."

Anakin didn't pull back instantly, but after a short time he did, and I saw his face. His eyes were red, and I was sure his tears had mingled with Fenrir's drool as he'd hugged me. "I… I thought I'd lost you. L-like mum." His voice all but died out as he finished, but given he was still all but lying on my chest, it carried to my ears easily.

I lifted my hand from his back and brought it around. Since my fingers were cleanish – Fenrir's drool ending up on the back of Anakin's shirt – I gently wiped his eyes, clearing the tears and drool that had gotten stuck there when he'd hugged me. "I'm fine. I just… for a while now I've been having issues with the Force. As if I've had a block on what I can and should be able to do. During the fight with the Zabrak, just before it ended, I had an epiphany and understood what was wrong. However, to fix the issue I needed a quiet world that was strong in the Force where I could meditate without distraction. When I awoke, the barrier that I'd been experiencing was gone; however, the change caught me unawares, At least until you, Raven, and Fenrir reached out to help."

Anakin blinked; his eyes widening and a frown forming as if he understood something. "That's why you seem different," He muttered.

That comment had me frowning, though it was less that he could sense the change in me, but that he might sense the taint from my usage of the Dark Side over the years. "In what way?" I asked carefully, wondering if I could use him to gauge when I'd recovered the full ability to mask my presence – be it just the Dark Side, or the full breadth of my Force connection – from others.

His frown deepened. "I'm not sure," he began slowly, his face twisting as he thought on the matter, and I struggled to not chuckle at his expression. "It's like, before, even when you were nearby, it felt as if you were, I dunno, distant. What was there was powerful but in a good way. Now though," he paused, his eyes searching mine for something. "It's like I'm standing on a beach on Gaia, looking at an ocean." A flicker of a smile came to his face, as it always did when he thought of seeing oceans. "It's massive, stretching further than I can see but… there's clouds in the distance. A storm brewing maybe. And under the surface… there's something there. Something dangerous." He paused and his eyes widened again. "Not that, uh, you're, um, dangerous. It's, ah, like…"

I lifted my hand to stop his rambling, and as I chuckled at the attempt to pull back his words, ruffled his hair. "It's okay. I get what you're trying to say," I said with a smile, my concern that he could sense the darkness in me easing. Yes, it was still there, but it was distant and indistinct. That I could work with; at least until I fully learnt how to hide the rage buried deep inside. "As I said, I've overcome the block I felt I had. One that, as you and others have noted, kept me distant in the Force. While I've defeated that block, it seems I need to work on tempering my control." I looked around as if searching for something, before leaning forward. "The less others know of what you and I can do, and how I've changed, the less they'll ask about us and the more we can do without anyone watching," I added quietly, in a conspiratorial way that I knew would appeal to Anakin.

"Okay, I think."

I chuckled at Anakin's confusion, which I could see all over his face and sense in the Force. "I'm not sure you do," I said, my hand still ruffling his hair, "but I'll teach you." He nodded at that, and my smile grew as I removed my hand from his head. "Now, I think it's time we consider leaving this world," I added, and he slipped off my chest.

"C-cam," he began as I slowly moved to stand. I looked at him as I shifted to my knees, sensing the fear inside grow stronger. However, as I began to stand, the fear became clearer to sense, and I understood it wasn't centred on the change he could sense in me, but was a more generalised thing. "Idontwanttobeweak."

I blinked, processing what he'd said, and once I had, looked down at him. "What do you mean by weak?" My question was said softly, and while I hadn't expected that statement from him, I had a suspicion of why he'd said it.

He held my gaze for a moment before looking down at the ground. Finding a loose stone, he kicked it, sending it hurtling into a nearby bog. "I… I'm weak. I, I couldn't s-save my m-mu," he said quietly, unwilling, or unable to meet my eyes. "I… I n-need to be st-stronger."

I knelt and placed my hand on his shoulder, and when he finally decided to look at me, I spoke. "Everything dies, Anakin. That's the way of the universe." His shoulders slumped, not liking what I was saying. "However, that doesn't mean we should just roll over and accept our fate; accept that death is coming for us. If we want to do anything or have anything, in this universe, we have to be willing to fight for it, to fight to defend it. No matter what anyone says, be they a Jedi, a politician, or some random sentient you meet on some unimportant planet in the middle of nowhere, everyone seeks to be stronger. However, for those of us able to draw upon and use the Force, we must be careful with how we channel that and other desires. The Force grants us the ability to do wondrous things, but it can also be used to do terrible things. The key is in deciding how and when we wield the Force. Do we use it for personal gain, to enrich and empower ourselves? Or do we use it to protect others, to help them grow strong enough they can defend themselves and those they care about?"

"I don't want to be weak," he repeated, seemingly not getting what I was trying to say.

My hand came to his chin and lifted it so I could meet his eyes. "You're not weak, Anakin. Your mother's death wasn't because you were weak, nor are you in any way responsible for it. The fault, if it lies with anyone, should lie with me as…"

"It's not your fault!" Anakin jumped in aggressively, the Force reacting to the massive, enraged burst of anger. "Me and Mum would've still been slaves if not for you!" I blinked, struggling to comprehend the power behind the voice. While he wasn't doing it intentionally, I could feel the Force in him shifting. As if a storm of unimaginable strength was forming not far from me. Yet, for all I could feel at the beginning, the first true inklings of what that storm might bring, I knew it wasn't ready to be unleashed; that it could still be tempered and focused.

"That is a possibility," I said to Anakin, ignoring the sensations in the Force as best I could. "However, what is certain is that, in my desire to help others, I made a mistake. One that, in the end, cost the lives of many including your mother. I thought," I continued before he could cut me off again, "that because they'd grown strong enough to protect themselves, the Lokella could help protect others. My mistake, and it was one, was not considering how important I am to many of their people. Because of that, they overcommitted to help, and left themselves vulnerable to an attack."

"That wasn't your fault!" Anakin shot back, the brewing storm I felt in the Force slowly shifting around as if changing directions. "It was the Hutts who attacked us! I want them dead!"

I stayed quiet, wanting to see if a moment of silence might settle the rapidly growing fury that radiated from Anakin. Everything about his rage was, in my opinion, justified. The Hutts, specifically Decca, had chosen to attack the Lokella when they were distracted, to strike back at losing control over those he had no right to consider his property. Yet, once more, it wasn't the cause of Anakin's rage, but the raw power that surged from the boy that caught me off guard and, as much as I knew it was wrong, impressed me.

Even now, as a nine-year-old boy, Anakin was powerful, but he was a wild beast, unable or unwilling to harness, to focus that power. He needed to refine and direct it while gaining the disciple to be the one in control, otherwise, it was easy to see what would become of him. Even with his connection to Palpatine unformed, if left as he was, it wouldn't take much to turn Anakin into Vader. Though the Vader I could see in the darkest elements of the growing storm wasn't the cold, calculated one I knew, but instead a wild, untamed monster.

In the corners of my mind, I heard whispers. Faint at first, but growing stronger as Anakin continued to rage. They were louder than before, though because I'd dampened my connection to the Force they should've been weaker, yet it wasn't hard to hear their words, the offer the Dark Side was giving. All I had to do was harness Anakin's rage, to focus it toward my goals, and when combined with my power the galaxy would cower under our weight. If I moulded him to use that anger, to harness it while remaining in control, he would become a dragon of death: He would wield a power few, if any, in the galaxy could stand against.

I blinked, realising the voices in my head, the whispers of the Dark Side were distracting me, tempting me more than I needed. The loss of the Interface now meant those offers of power would be stronger, and while I'd felt muting myself to the Force would hide them, it seemed they were even stronger and louder than before. Looking at Anakin, under the rage toward the Hutts, I saw a faint hint of fear, though I knew it wasn't for himself. No, this fear was for me. Almost as if he had some inkling of understanding of what dwelled within him.

"I know you want them dead, Anakin," I said slowly, being careful of my words. "Yet, while the Jedi would tell you to simply let go of your anger, and your feelings toward your mother, I won't. Nor will I tell you to give in to that anger as a Sith might. What I will do is promise you that, with time and dedication, you can learn to control that rage, to control yourself." That, I could admit, was a bit hypocritical as I struggled with that, but I also knew I had to learn this lesson, so what better reason to have to do so than to protect and help my son? "That day, however, is far from today."

"How long will it take?" He asked; firmness in his voice and certainty in his stance.

"I don't know, but when you've finally learnt to control yourself; when I, HK, Simvyl, Bo and others have finished training you, then know that all of us will stand with you. We will be with you when it's time for you to show the galaxy that the small, scared former slave is gone, and his place stands a warrior ready to do what he must."

Anakin blinked as I spoke, his anger shifting away, though not disappearing. "Isn't that what a Jedi's meant to be?"

"No, it's not," I replied with a chuckle. "At least according to many of the senior members of the Order. However, to me it is what a Jedi should be, what everyone should strive to be. Then again, I'm far from what most of the Order would consider a good Jedi." Fenrir growled in amusement and even though he was further away, I heard Simvyl's snort of agreement.

"Commentary: The Creator wasn't considered a good Jedi in his time, Master, nor would he be seen as one now. However, I believe he would consider you a true Jedi. Musing: Perhaps that is why he so enjoyed educating other Jedi on their inaccurate views."

I bit my tongue, not wanting to comment on the fact that Revan likely carried out those education sessions while a Sith Lord. Still, it was amusing to hear HK believe that Revan would consider me a true Jedi. He had been both Jedi and Sith and while I hoped that wouldn't be my fate, I would accept the compliment HK was offering on his creator's behalf.

Imagining how others in the Order would respond if they ever heard that comment from HK was something I'd enjoy thinking about, though I had no intention of ever sharing it with them. Bo, perhaps, might like to hear it though, as would Naz and a handful of others.

I saw that Anakin was smiling, seemingly happy with HK's remark. He'd read the first of my Knights of the Old Republic series and had asked me questions about Revan and his fate. I'd answered them as best I could without spoiling the story or putting the wrong ideas in the boy's head, but I'd avoided spoiling the surprise that was due to appear in the second book, Shadow of the Sith: that the hero of the story, the one working to save the Republic, was Revan.

Padmé, Serra, and others had asked me for spoilers about the stories as well, but I'd refused to ruin the surprise, and when the book dropped – which should be early next year – I knew I'd been getting a lot of calls about the reveal. Hopefully not from the Jedi Council or the Sith, but I expected Dooku at least to reach out.

I stood, planning to walk toward Raven only to stop as I remembered a promise I'd made. "HK, Fenrir," I said to the assassin and war beast, "we'll be leaving soon, but until then feel free to go hunting. Just don't go too far."

Fenrir howled in delight and raced away, seeking out the first challenger to his position at the top of the food chain. "Affirmative: Yes, Master. I will not take too long. Exclamation: I shall, however, enjoy removing as many detestable bestial meatbags as I can."

I laughed as he turned and raced away in the general direction of Fenrir. While the droid disliked organics, he was impressed with Fenrir's combat efficiency, considering him a useful, if not ideal, combat partner.

Once the droid was a decent distance away, I turned back to Anakin and clasped his shoulder. "Now, while we wait for those two to have their fun, perhaps we might begin your training in earnest?"

"Okay," the boy replied with a wide smile, and we moved toward Raven, R2 at our heels.

As we walked, I opened a new notice, one that had appeared while I'd been speaking with Anakin.

Quest Alert! [¤] [ɸ]
Te Ad's Skira
Rating: A
Train your son to the point where he is ready and capable of gaining revenge for the death of his mother.
Objectives:
:a: Help Anakin reach level 20 before the death of Decca Besadii Diori.
:b: Ensure that Anakin is the one to end the life of Decca Besadii Diori.
:c: Make sure Decca Besadii Diori dies before the outbreak of galactic war.
:d: [?]
:e: [?]
:f: [?]
Rewards:
:a: 2000XP
A decent increase in Reputation with Anakin Skywalker.
Decent Reputation increases with Ferox and Lia Skywalker.
Small increases in Reputation with anyone in the Lokella before you took Anakin Skywalker as your Padawan.
:b: 3500XP
Pass 2 Tests of Friendship with Anakin Skywalker.
A large increase in Reputation with Anakin Skywalker.
Decent Reputation increases with Ferox and Lia Skywalker.
Decent increases in Reputation with anyone in the Lokella before you took Anakin Skywalker as your Padawan.
:c: 2500XP
Variable changes in Reputation depending on how Decca Besadii Diori dies and who kills him.
Potential to pass a Test of Friendship with Anakin Skywalker.
Failure:
:a: -1000XP
The likely death of Anakin Skywalker.
Variable losses in Reputation with members of the Lokella.
:b: -1750XP
A decent loss of Reputation with Anakin Skywalker.
Variable losses in Reputation with members of the Lokella.
:c: -1250XP
A small loss of Reputation with Anakin Skywalker.
Variable losses in Reputation with members of the Lokella.
Accept?
Yes/No
...
WARNING!
It is possible to complete one of the base three conditions of the Quest without completing the others.
In that event, Rewards and Failures will be applied accordingly.
Thus, depending on which objectives are completed, you could complete the quest but end up worse for it.
...

While the title of the quest and its description were unexpected, and a little concerning, given what I'd said to Anakin, the objectives made sense. And it would be the first of many quests I suspected that revolved around preparing Anakin for the future, and all the chaos it would bring. What was interesting was how the quest spoke of a galactic war without directly calling it the Clone Wars. That suggested that my actions had already altered the course of the galaxy and that the war wouldn't be fought by the same factions as in the other timeline.

However, before accepting it, I wanted to see where Anakin stood and used Observe on him.

Anakin Skywalker
Race: Human
Level: 12
Health: 100%
Age: 9
Force Potential: Extreme
Threat Potential: Low
Reputation: Trusted Confidant
Affiliation Loyalty: Cameron Shan (86%), Clan Shan (86%), Lokella (84%)
Emotional State: Relieved/hopeful/angry
Young Anakin is glad that not only are you safe, but that you will help him become strong.
He hopes that, over the next few years, he can get closer to being strong enough to protect those he loves.
Though his rage toward the Hutts, specifically Decca, colours much of his thinking.
...

Everything there was about what I'd expected, though seeing his loyalty to me was already beyond that of the Lokella was a little surprising. That there was no mention of the Jedi or Republic in his loyalties was fine, though I wondered where Bo and the Mandalorians ranked in his loyalty scale. Sadly, the Interface only ever provided the top three choices for Affiliation Loyalty; at least where they were over 50%.

Still, the targets for the Te Ad's Skira quests were achievable. Or at least the two of them were. Eight levels of growth wasn't going to be too hard to manage, not when both Anakin and I were focused on making him better and stronger. Therefore, the first objective of the quest wasn't a major issue. Ensuring Decca died before the outbreak of galactic war would also, I felt, be achievable, which left only the one to ensure Anakin was the one to remove the Hutt as a challenge.

On the overall balance, it was a worthwhile quest to take, but as it wasn't time-limited for me to accept, I wasn't going to accept it now. After the mistakes I'd made early on, which I'd paid for with the death of Master Micah Giiett and his linked quest, I'd learnt my lesson.

"Give them an hour to hunt before calling them back," I said to Simvyl as I reached the ramp. He nodded accepting my order as I headed into Raven with Anakin and R2.

Even without taking the quest, I'd be training Anakin to be capable of taking on a Jedi Master before galactic war erupted. The only questions that ran through my head were, with the changes I'd brought forth already, and those I'd cause with training Anakin, what sort of chaos would be unleashed, and how they would affect the galaxy as a whole.

All I could do was work to ensure that whatever happened, it helped with my overall goal of ensuring I didn't die when the Republic fell, and Sidious assumed control of what remained. Preferably without letting the Empire be born as anything more than a state bound to fail before it even emerged.

… …

… …
A/N: Before anyone decides to suggest it, Cam has not been nerfed. While he will have to retrain himself to use the Force, his potential is fully unlocked and, with time, he'll become capable of doing what is needed to not only survive, but potentially defeat the oncoming storm of the Banite Sith and their Grand Plan.
... ...

For that are interested, the possible Perks and Player Powers Can had to choose from at level 30.
Level 30 Perks Descriptions
Level 30 Player Power Descriptions

This story is crossposted on Fanfiction.net, Archive of our Own, and Royal Road.

If you're interested, then feel free to join the Discord server for the story, (link below). There, discussions about the story and canon ASOIAF elements take place. Also, if one is active enough to reach a suitable rank (which isn't that high) they can view the story a week or so before it is released publicly here and on other sites.
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And of course;

May the Force be with you. Always.

USSExplorer · Apr 30, 2024

A/N: Thanks to those helping me write and plan out this story and checking it for continuality and logical errors.

This chapter was released as an Early Bird on the story's Discord server (link at the end of the chapter) several weeks ago to those who are active on the server.
It has been available to those who support my writing (via links that are again at the end of the chapter) anywhere from the beginning of the month to 3 months in advance. For those who support my writing, and join the server, then it is possible to be 4 to 5 chapters ahead of public chapters.
Links for supporting my writing, or joining the Discord server, are at the end of the chapter.

3.02 Replacements and Invitations
... ...

The swirling, twisting vortex of hyperspace was the only view from Raven's cockpit, and while it could be maddening to stare at it for hours or days, today I didn't care. And not just because my eyes were currently closed.

I didn't know how long it had been since we'd left Dagobah, but I was still on cloud nine. I knew that I had to relearn or refocus literally every Force Power I had, but sitting in Raven, being able to fully experience the bond we shared, and her delight at racing between the stars made everything worth it.

Haran, just rising through the damp, cloudy atmosphere of the planet had been incredible. Before I'd known she felt every shift in air current, temperature and humidity over her skin, but now, with the Interface no longer filtering the Force, I could experience it as if it was my skin covering the vessel. That had been amazing, as had the incredible, all-encompassing warmth that came as we broke through the ozone layer and the full might of the solar winds from the system's star brushed against her hull. To be able to feel the shifting magnetic fields of the planets and stars as we moved through the system was beyond incredible. Even if I spent a thousand years searching, I knew I'd never find the words to describe it, nor the sheer, unmitigated joy we shared as I pushed Raven through a series of increasingly complex manoeuvres.

Before the change, Raven had been able to sense what I wanted her to do and react accordingly. Now, with the Interface filtering gone, it was as if, at times, our minds were one. Given how she'd been born, and what I'd then done to save her when Zonama Sekot had departed, there was logic behind why that was. Yet, logic barely entered my mind as Raven twisted, turned, dove, and strafed through the system. Dancing with her as we soared through an asteroid field was an experience that, like much of the short trip so far, was going to remain with me forever.

However, for all the new and incredible sensations I'd experienced as Raven and I worked as one even as she fell through space, it paled in comparison to what she, and by extension I, was feeling now. The twisting, insanely energetic vortex of hyperspace was incredible. Every little spark of energy that touched her skin felt as if it was me the energies were touching. Waves of delight rushed through her and me as the wild, untamed power of faster-than-light travel brushed and caressed her body, bringing her indescribable delight. If not for the fact my connection to her, and the Force in general, was as muted as I could currently make it, I suspected I'd have been lost to the universe: riding on a high that few other sentient beings could ever expect to experience.

Yet, even with the connection muted, I knew beyond doubt that Raven was, in every sense that the Republic classified it, sentient. She might've been grown uniquely – certainly now when any other ship built by Sekot had likely died when the planet had departed – but she was alive and aware. Indeed, more so than some beings I'd have the misfortune to encounter in my travels. However, as much as I was marvelling at this experience, I knew I couldn't spend the entire voyage doing so. Thus, with a reluctant sigh, I opened my eyes.

Looking around the cockpit, I saw I was alone, which I hadn't been when I'd closed them. It seemed that Anakin and Fenrir had grown bored with my unresponsive nature and decided to amuse themselves elsewhere. Before I even understood how, I knew where they, Simvyl, HK and R2 were; Raven supplied the information before the thought was fully formed. That made me smile, though when I glanced at the chronometer, I cringed.

What I thought had been a few hours had been most of the day. Haran, that explained why Anakin and Fenrir were so calm in the boy's cabin. the pair would be sleeping, as likely was Simvyl. The droids were in the main area; both, from what Raven provided, were recharging in their alcoves. That said, I knew HK would be alert. The assassin droid was ever mindful of danger, and after me having gotten lost in Raven's sensations for the day, I was even more glad for that than normal.

Turning my thoughts to Dagobah, I once more marvelled at the changes brought on by Natural Selection. No longer was the Force filtered or monitored by the Interface, now it was free. While I knew it was going to take time to refocus and relearn much of what I knew, or at least how to draw upon the Force to use it in the ways I had before, I already knew I'd made the right choice.

I could feel the Force all around me, flowing through everything. Many of the teachings I'd received in the Temple, or from Fay suddenly made more sense. As if with the Interface gone, the fog that was blocking me from beginning my journey into and with the Force could finally begin. While Dooku had taught such lessons at times, he was a much more practically-minded person, and with those lessons, I'd never had issues understanding and realising his motives and concepts. Which was perhaps why I was closer to the man who'd, in the other timeline, turned to the Banite Sith seeking a clearer path forward.

For how to relearn and refocus my Force Powers, I already had a few ideas, and we were enroute to the first stop on that journey. Or at least we would be after stopping in the Core and refuelling. I knew Raven disliked a lot of the fuelling options in the more remote world in the Mid and Outer Rim, and as our final destination lay along one of the major hyperspace routes, I was willing to pay the extra cost for high-quality fuel. Especially now, with my connection to her so much clearer and stronger, I didn't want to experience her distaste or fury at having to consume low-quality fuel.

As my hand moved over the controls, making sure everything was running smoothly – even if I knew that they were, the action brought an odd sense of comfort – I turned my attention to the other changes that had happened after taking Natural Selection. That being the new Player Powers and Perk I'd taken.

While it could only be applied to two current skills I'd taken Level Boost. The potential it offered was something I wasn't going to turn down, nor that the sooner I took it once, the sooner I could take it again. Getting 10 levels was going to take effort to gain, especially as the required XP was equal to every point of XP I'd needed to get to Level 30, including the XP I'd started with when I'd been inserted into this universe.

I had four skills Maxed out, at least to the base standard now I guessed, but only two, Lightsaber: Form 2 [Makashi], and Lightsaber [Standard], could have the Level Boost applied to them. That was fine as, while I wasn't going to do so now, they were two of the more likely skills to get the increased tiers. The other two skills that were Maxed were Concentration and Meditation, though they didn't have tiers, instead, like a handful of other Skills, they had one hundred total levels.

I was considering using the spare Skill points I had, which stood at 179, and getting an instant boost in Makashi to Tier 8, yet I was reluctant to do so. While using the Skill Points like that was something I'd done – with a focus on making sure I completed a few quests that I wished I'd never taken – doing it for a skill that I used regularly felt like cheating. The increased skill with Form 2 of lightsaber combat would be great, but I wanted to earn that skill, not simply have the knowledge seemingly appear in my mind. It would make the day I finally defeated Dooku in a spar all the more rewarding. Plus, having those Skill Points around meant I could use them to boost skills I either didn't have the time to focus on or to top up any Training Quests I might take in the future. Though dropping them in a skill that would allow me to understand and bond with Anakin better – such as Astrogation or Mechanics – was another option.

While a few of the other optional Player Powers had potential, the clear choice for spending the second Player Point on was Reveal The Hidden. Knowing the hidden objectives of every quest I had was something that seemed insanely useful. However, after taking the Player Power and then reading through the quests where I wanted to use it, I realised it'd made me more apprehensive about certain quests.

The Promise of the Fallen, the quest from Revan, had, as expected, revealed no new details. From the wording of Reveal The Hidden, that was what I'd expected, but I had hoped to be wrong. Sadly, it seemed I was going to have to continue fluttering around aimlessly to complete every part of that quest; waiting for my ancestor to appear again and explain what he wanted. Of course, given he hadn't done so since I'd met him in the Crystal Caves on Ilum, I suspected that wasn't going to ever happen. All I could do was hope that, by doing things like finding the Vault he'd created with Canderous Ordo, and rebuilding HK, I was at least on a path he approved of.

At least with the other quests where it could be applied, Reveal The Hidden showed its use, though for some I wished it hadn't as now I was even more concerned, and curious, about how the quest would go.

Cash in Hand was the clearest and easiest of the quests that had revealed hidden objectives. The initial objective of having a million credits in my name by the time I turned eighteen was already achieved. However, I didn't know if the quest saying 'having the money in my name' meant the money in the account under my pseudonym I used for writing – which was my name from before I'd been reborn in this universe – an account under my real name, or in my Inventory. Because of that, and as the Sith knew of my writing, I was slowly shifting my finances around. While some went to an account with a Mandalorian financial guild under my name and that of my Clan, which I knew Damask would be tracking, most was slowly heading via my Inventory into various dummy accounts.

The amounts in those dummy accounts didn't match the withdrawals from my writing account, nor were they opening in the same system as where I made the withdrawals. I knew that eventually, the Sith would discover those accounts were tied to me, but the longer it took them to find them, the better. Force, they might think it another sign that I wasn't a typical Jedi, and even a potential Sith Lord in the making, that I moved my credits around so cautiously. What they wouldn't know was that the majority of the credits I'd withdrawn, which currently sat at over fifteen million, were in my Inventory.

At the time that seemed enough to complete the bonus objective, but with Reveal The Hidden showing the uppermost objective was for fifty million in my name by the time I was eighteen, I knew I'd have to accelerate the movement of my funds. With around three-quarters of a year until I reached the cut-off, every objective was achievable, and I intend to complete them and get the XP that came with that.

For the other quests, the one that I was closest to completing the bonus objectives was for Changing Fate [Dooku]. I already knew two of those even before taking Reveal The Hidden and the final one, was to have become his Padawan. I didn't know when that quest would be considered complete – perhaps when a replacement Darth Tyrannus rose – but along with Cash in Hand, I'd be within touching distance of Level 31.

Changing Fate [Anakin] was another quest where I'd already completed the bonus objectives. However, here I'd failed one that involved keeping Shmi alive until the outbreak of galactic war. The other two bonuses, which had been to rescue Anakin from Tatooine before the Invasion of Naboo, and taking him as my Padawan or Trainee were both completed. I didn't think the main objective, of preventing him from becoming Darth Vader was at risk of being failed, but given it was one of two S*** quests, I wouldn't be considering it safe until the quest ended.

The other quest linked to Anakin, and my most recently taken quest, Te Ad's Skira, would, I felt, help ensure Darth Vader never rose. I wasn't saying that I could stop Anakin from using and controlling the Dark Side, as it would be massively hypocritical since I'd done so before and suspected I'd do so again. What the quest could do was forge the bond between us so that he'd never be tempted to turn to the Banite Sith.

Te Ad's Skira had three bonus conditions, and the first two revolved around getting Anakin to higher levels – 25 and 30 – before Decca the Hutt was killed. Those should be doable, especially if I focused heavily on pushing him and myself over the next few years. The last bonus objective, however, was going to be a challenge.

Ensuring that Gardulla the Hutt, Decca's mother, and the leader of one of the largest Hutt kajidics – clans – didn't link either Anakin or myself to Decca's death would take careful planning. Now, that bonus only came into effect if one of us killed the giant slug, but since I wanted Decca dead – though nowhere near as much as Anakin – I was reasonably certain one of us would ensure he met the end he deserved. Preferably knowing the face of the one who'd killed him.

If Gardulla learnt that we were involved in her son's death, then hell would be coming for us. It was unlikely the other Hutt kajidics would get involved, at least so long as they didn't see our actions as an assault on the entire Hutt race, but even if it was just Gardulla's clan, we'd be in trouble. She'd throw everything, including the proverbial kitchen sink, at us in an attempt to avenge her son and prove she was still powerful enough to lead the kajidic.

Now, if I had the chance, I wouldn't turn down the opportunity to remove every stinking Hutt from the galaxy, much as with Trandoshans, but I doubted I'd be able to do that. Not unless I had the firepower to rival the GAR and CIS at my full command.

Changing Fate [Miraj], which was my most recent Changing Fate quest, had a single bonus objective. That was, when galactic war broke out, that she and Zygerria aligned with whichever faction I was a part of. Just like with Anakin's quest, the fact it referred to galactic war and not The Clone Wars was interesting. As was the fact the quests seemed to think I would not side with the Jedi and the GAR. While I'd been leaning heavily against standing with the Republic for some time, I knew that, in the form it had taken in the other timeline, I'd not work with the CIS.

If a true alternative to the Republic could be formed, as was hinted at with Senator Bonteri and the Separatist Senate, then perhaps I might stand with them. However, that was something a long way off and not something to concern myself with for at least a few more years. Still, I would reach out when I could and keep in contact. That should let me gain some insight into her intentions for her people, and if I could, direct her toward a change in path.

Changing Fate [Sifo-Dyas] was the last of those quests, at least currently active, and perhaps the one closest to completion. Sifo-Dyas was dead before the Clone Wars had begun, so he was due to meet that fate sometime in the next decade. The bonuses, however, were a little odd. Without even meaning to, I'd completed the first bonus which was to learn who financed the Clone Army. The reward there was to discover Sidious' Master, which I had when meeting Hego Damask, aka Darth Plagueis.

Given his public placement as head of Damask Holdings, moving around the credits to pay for the Clone Army would be trivial for Plagueis. I just hadn't realised that whatever chain of events had resulted in our meeting had meant that even if Sifo-Dyas died and I failed the quest, I'd still complete that bonus objective. What I had determined was that the pair both hoped to, at the very least, use me to bring about the fall of the Jedi, if not make into a new apprentice in the order of Banite Sith.

The other objective involved keeping the Jedi Master alive until the outbreak of galactic war. While that would be useful, I was more concerned that failure to complete the quest would result in the death of someone close to me. As Darihd was Sifo-Dyas' Padawan, that meant he was the likely candidate to die for my failure. The problem was, as things stood I simply couldn't step in and warn Darihd or Sifo-Dyas, or indeed do much to help them.

With me needing to relearn how to use the Force and hide the change in my Force presence, I couldn't risk going anywhere near a Jedi, never mind the Temple and the Senate. As bad as it might sound, I understood that to protect Anakin and have any chance of defeating the Sith, I might have to sacrifice a friend.

The last quest with bonus objectives was, in every way, the single most terrifying quest I had. And that was before I knew of the bonus objectives that awaited me. Tremors of the Ancient Sith Empire was the first true quest I received, and had sat on my quest list for nearly a decade now without any hint of how to complete it. The warnings that had come with it, about not attempting it until I was at least Level 20 and had three other Force users with me, had stuck with me ever since the Quest had appeared and, in a moment of insanity, I'd accepted it.

I couldn't not do the quest, as if I didn't finish it before the Clone Wars – or whatever might replace those – occurred, then whatever was on Dromond Kaas would belong to Sidious. That would only serve to make the future Emperor even more powerful, which was something that would give me nightmares for a long while. Yet, after reading the bonus objectives, I wasn't sure that I'd be able to complete the quest at Level 40 with a dozen Force users at my side.

The first bonus dealt with a group called The Prophets of the Darkside. They, whoever they were, had to be found and then either destroyed or forced to serve me. The latter option, perhaps worryingly, carried twice as much XP for completion than simply murdering every member of the group. I didn't even know who these people were, or what they could do, but the fact that even killing them would bring me 4000XP, without considering combat XP, was a hint that it wasn't going to be easy.

The next bonus had me and my party exploring the Palace of the Emperor and each of the Inner Sanctums of the Dark Council. The simple fact that doing just one of those awarded more than subjugating the Prophets made clear how insanely dangerous that was going to be. Add in the fact that there wasn't a clear indication of how many Inner Sanctums there were, and that objective alone could take months, if not years, to complete.

The other two extra goals were, by comparison, a cakewalk. The first had me having to hide the expedition from Sidious and Plagueis, or rather insanely, reveal it to one or both. I wasn't sure what sort of insanity the Interface, and by extension, TPTB were suffering when they came up with that, though I knew I didn't want to know.

The last extra was to complete the quest before the outbreak of galactic war, which was one I'd be making even if I hadn't known about it. What was interesting was that completing this objective would double all XP gains from the quest. I wasn't sure if that extended beyond the actual objectives, and included combat XP from the planet, then it could be insanely useful. Kriff, even if it was only the other objectives it covered, then I was looking at a minimum of 27000XP for just the two base objectives, up to – assuming four members of this Dark Council – over 120000XP.

That was an insane amount of XP for a single quest, but given the insane difficulty of it – S*** – then it wasn't a huge surprise. Still, 27000 was a little under three-quarters of the full XP needed for Level 31, whereas 120000XP was almost three full levels. And all of that was before any combat XP that the planet would undoubtedly bring.

Dromond Kaas, as the capital of a Sith Empire that had lasted for at least a thousand years, would be littered with other challenges. Anything and everything from simple creatures corrupted by the Force to Sithspawn and Darkside Nexuses would likely cover the planet. That, I expected, would mean anything from two to, potentially, five or more levels was on offer from this one planet.

As insanely tempting as that amount of XP was, the whole quest was beyond insane to attempt. And that was before I'd taken Natural Selection. Now that I had, it would be some time before I dealt with that quest, as both I and Anakin, who I knew would be with me for that, needed to train and prepare for a challenge that, I felt, would show me how ready I was to take on the Banite Sith.

Still, while Tremors of the Ancient Sith Empire was going to haunt my dreams for some time, I was glad to have taken Reveal The Hidden. At least now, for that quest and the others, I knew more, if not all, of what I could expect to complete them, or at least partially complete them. However, I wasn't sure if my choice for my new Perk was the correct one.

While there were more choices for Perks, in the end, I'd gone for Shatterpoint Acclimatisation. From the description, I knew it wouldn't lift me to the point where I could sense shatterpoints in people or events as Windu could, but it was the first step along that road. If I understood it correctly, I should now be capable of getting Shatterpoint back to where it had been before. Then, at its max of Professional:1 allowed me to see weak points in walls and designs, though it took time. While not immediately useful, this Perk was a long-term investment. With time and continual purchase of the next upgrade in the series for the Force Power, then by the time I approached Sidious, Fay, Plagueis, and Yoda in Level, I should hopefully be capable of seeing shatterpoints as Windu did. Hells, even if I only took it to the point where I could spot flaws and weaknesses in plans or defences that others had missed and I could exploit, it would be a worthwhile purchase.

The other Perk I'd considered, and one I was likely to take at Level 32, was Stat Boost. That would, when I took it, lift the combined limit of my Physical Stats – Strength, Agility, and Vitality – to 75 from the current 65. Given that the Human baseline was 55 for those Stats, even without the Force I was above my species, which was a good thing. Humans were, by and large, at the lower end of the spectrum for physical abilities of the races for their approximate size. With the Force, I could likely match a Wookie in a test of strength. Or at least before I'd taken Natural Selection that was possible, now I didn't know, which was why Stat Boost held an appeal.

While thinking about my Stats, I decided that it was time to spend my stored Stat Points. Intelligence was lifted to 45, Wisdom to 35, and Charisma to 40. Each of those was far above the average values of 20 for Humans, and many other species, but it was the extra boosts they'd provided to levelling up skills, which were dominated by one Stat each, and in the case of Intelligence, the increased number of Skill Points each level up brought, that made spending Stat Points worth it.

After those moves, I had 5 Stat Points left over, and figuring I should show it some love, I placed them in Luck. That lifted that score to 5, along with a bonus 10 that came from being Force Sensitive. It was unlikely those points would be useful, but given the luck I'd had with running into dangerous situations that pushed me in ways I wasn't always ready for, I'd take any help I could get. Perhaps it might not be enough to avoid such situations, but it should, I hoped, increase my chances of getting out of them unharmed.

A gentle, warm, comforting presence pushed against my senses, and I knew Raven wanted my attention. Focusing on the controls, I understood that I'd spent longer going over my choices and spending Stat Points than I'd realised as we were now close to exiting hyperspace.

The system we were emerging into was a, relatively speaking, minor one, and not where I planned to refuel or end up, but we had to exit here. It was the intersection with another Hyperspace lane we had to travel, one that would take us closer to our destination.

I supposed I could've headed to one of the various Force Sects I'd learnt about in the Celebratus Archive, but I wanted to head to Kuat first. The Mandalorian engineers and designers who'd examined Raven had been clear they lacked the understanding to add weapons to her without hurting, and potentially damaging her. Instead, they'd given me a list of a handful of companies and individuals that might be capable of helping. While it was unlikely that anyone on Kuat could help, it was worth the visit for Raven and Anakin.

The boy loved starships, even more so than designing droids, and it was an interest I wanted to encourage. I remembered seeing Centerpoint Station in the Corellia system, and the shipyards at Fondor when I'd studied there. Kuat, with a shipyard ring that encircled the planet, was meant to make both look simple by comparison, and I was looking forward to Anakin's face when he saw that, and the myriad of giant warships that Kuat had built over the centuries.

The Ruusan Reformation meant that they lacked the armaments and engines their size meant they should have, but the mighty Procurator-class and Praetor-class star-battlecruisers and the Mandator-class star-dreadnoughts were still considered some, if not the, most powerful warships in the history of the galaxy. Seeing those in the flesh was something I wanted to experience, as much as I wanted Anakin to see them.

A small part of me also wondered if those starships were the precursors of the mighty Executor and the class of Super Star Destroyers. That same part also wondered if, perhaps, learning how such vessels were built, might in some way be useful to me in the future with the war that sat just over the horizon, watching everything like a hungry dragon ready to devour everything that lay before it.

… …

… …
The small holo-display in Raven's cockpit flickered to life, revealing Chancellor Palpatine. "Cameron, my boy, how are you?" he asked with a gentle, grandfatherly smile. The robes he wore weren't easy to make out through the call, but I suspected they were some of the finest in the galaxy: as one would expect of the Chancellor of the Republic.

"Chancellor, what a welcome surprise," I replied, playing with his words during the invasion of Naboo. The slight shifting of his lips suggested he'd caught the reference. "I'm as well as I can be, thank you for asking." When I'd been informed there was a call coming in from Coruscant, I'd had Simvyl make sure Anakin stayed clear of the cockpit. Through Raven, I knew my Padawan was playing with Fenrir in the training hold, so he'd be occupied until after I'd finished speaking with the Sith Lord that led the supposedly free galaxy. "The Force hasn't yet offered me an insight into where my next adventure awaits, so I'm enjoying the freedom of simply travelling and exploring the galaxy."

Palpatine chuckled. "Ah, to be young and with the freedom to move as one likes, how I miss those days. I enjoyed racing speeders in my youth you know, but alas both that and freedom have long since deserted me. Even more so since my elevation to the Chancellorship."

"I wouldn't agree entirely, Chancellor. Anyone willing to take on the responsibility for the Republic must have the energy, and patience, to deal with every sort of person in the Senate and elsewhere. That the person who now holds the office is as trustworthy and patient as you is a relief. After decades, if not centuries, of neglect, it offers me hope for the future." Yes, I was laying it on thick, but the longer Sidious believed I was an ally, or potentially one, the longer I had to prepare for the war between us.

The Chancellor laughed gently. "I'm grateful for the compliment, and the support of the Hero of Naboo, however, I'm struggling to gain any traction to sanction the Trade Federation. They, and the various Senators they either outright or privately control, are fighting hard to ensure their overlords escape justice."

"I would offer my services to help, but I fear I would be censored by the Council, if not imprisoned, for the methods I'd use." Namely that I'd threaten those fools and sycophants with a lightsaber and Force Lightning. As much fun as it would be to fry or execute a large number of the Senators whose only focus was their pockets and not the people they served, spending the next decade or two in a Jedi prison wasn't something I wanted.

"Yes, I fear you would, though I won't deny that the thought of seeing how certain Senators reacted to being faced with an angered Jedi would amuse me greatly." He paused and looked around as if looking for someone attempting to listen in. "Preferably in ways similar to how you handled matters on Naboo."

"How is your home faring?" I asked, changing the topic slightly after a burst of laughter. While the idea of forcing the Senate to act as they should was appealing, it was the road that led Anakin to become Vader. Plus, it would only have Sidious and Plagueis believing that I was on the verge of turning, which wasn't what I wanted.

"The rebuild is progressing, though slower than either I or Queen Amidala wish." The mention of Padmé was deliberate, as it drew my thoughts to her, but it made sense as there was no chance he, and the Jedi Council, hadn't seen the way she acted around me. Especially after Naboo was liberated. "The Federation is fighting with everything they can to avoid paying for the damages, something those allied with them in the Senate are supporting. Still, the credits generated from the salvage of the Federation ship left disabled in orbit are so far sufficient to pay for everything." We shared a look of amusement at the idea the Federation had not just lost three vessels, but the one that had lost its engines was now being stripped apart for salvage. The other two vessels had, officially, vanished though both I and Palpatine knew where they were.

One of the massive ships was with the Lokella who were more likely to simply sell the vessel back to the Federation. At least so long as they were paid in full for it. If not, then it would be stripped for parts that could be used to help the Lokella grow and improve their defences. While not the best fighters around, the remaining Vulture droids added a new element to the system's defence.

The other massive vessel was taken as a war trophy by the Mandalorians, and the last I saw it was orbiting Mandalore. Many were inclined to scrap the vessel, but there was, the last I was on the planet, a growing voice to turn the vessel into a defence platform and training facility. That was my preferred option, and using my position as War Leader, I had expressed that. However, I wasn't pushing the matter as I felt it was a choice for the Mandalorians to make, not me. No matter how useful a defence platform over Mandalore would be with the coming war.

"Queen Amidala has asked me to again relay her thanks for your help in freeing our world, and ask that you might visit when you have time." There was a hint of something in Palpatine's smile. As if he suspected Padmé had ulterior motives for the invitation. "I've been informed that your villa is ready whenever you arrive."

I'd tried to get the pair to not offer me the villa, but they insisted I deserved it. Beyond being officially made a citizen of Naboo, as the Hero of Naboo, I needed an official residence. Palpatine had suggested a villa in the Lake District, somewhere close to where he and Padmé's family had residences. Padmé had agreed instantly with the idea, ignoring my concerns about a Jedi owning property. Thankfully, Palpatine hadn't mentioned the apartment Damask had granted me in Kaldani Spires, but I knew that if I'd protested too much, he'd have found a way to hint at me already having property to my name.

"I will keep the offer in mind, Chancellor. For now, I will simply wait for the Force to offer a hint of where my next adventure lies." I continued to be vague about my location and intentions to not tip my hand. He'd be able to determine which sector I was in by having someone analyse where this communication ended. Amusingly, if he'd called me a few days ago, then I'd have been able to swing over to Naboo. Dagobah was located close, relatively speaking, to the planet, but even if the call had come in then, I'd have likely not stopped by. I didn't want Padmé, or Sabé for that matter, getting the wrong idea.

"On the subject of Naboo and the Federation, I assume you've heard of the accident?" he asked, his smile falling.

"No. I've not spent much time on the Holonet, and mentions of the Federation often have me changing the signal," I replied having been out of the loop for the last few weeks.

"Entirely understandable. However, there has been an important, and unexpected development. Viceroy Gunray is missing and presumed dead along with the security escort."

"What? How?" I asked, curious to learn how HK had pulled the assassination off. Since I didn't know when or how it would happen, keeping my reactions genuine was easy. I'd even gone so far as to insist neither HK nor R2 mention anything about the plan until after it had succeeded. It now seemed that whatever plan, or series of plans as I suspected HK would've had redundancies in place, had worked.

"Can you secure your channel?" Palpatine asked. As much as I didn't want to, as it would grant him my exact location, I did as asked. What I was about to be told was obviously restricted information, and not doing as asked would lead to questions I didn't want to develop currently. After I nodded to confirm the channel was secured on my end, the Chancellor continued. "The details, as you can imagine, are under heavy security restrictions. Publicly, it's known that neither the Viceroy nor his escort and the ship he was travelling on, arrived at Coruscant. That is something my office was forced to confirm was the case. However, what I'm about to tell you cannot be repeated to anyone, not even the Jedi Council." There was the faintest of flickers of his lips, that if I didn't know the truth, might be dismissed as an issue with the Council.

"I don't think that'll be an issue," I replied, knowing full well I had no intention of speaking to any member of the Council for some time.

"The Senate Guard, working with Jedi, have concluded that the Viceroy was assassinated, however without proof of the fate of the vessel carrying him, or testimony from those escorting him, it cannot be confirmed."

"While I can't say I'm surprised that there was an attempt on his life," I said slowly, seeing no need to not be honest, "I'm shocked that it happened so suddenly. Was the ship destroyed in hyperspace?" I asked, postulating an obvious idea for why the security transport was missing and presumed lost.

"As I said, there is no proof currently, but it is the most likely outcome." He paused and looked down as if viewing a datapad or something similar. "About a day after the transport left Naboo, the ship made an unscheduled drop out of hyperspace. It was relayed to my office that the Viceroy had suffered a heart attack. The Jedi assigned to the mission were able to save him, but the preliminary report suggested the attack was the result of poison: one made from plants local to Naboo."

"I assume you've spoken with Queen Amidala and Captain Panaka about this?"

"Yes, and investigators have arrived there to search for a trail to the perpetrators. However, as I noted, the attack failed, and the ship re-entered hyperspace. That was the last time we had contact with the vessel. The working theory is that a secondary method, one that would cause an accident with the hyperspace engines, was activated when the Viceroy survived the first attempt."

I leaned back in my chair, considering the matter. "That seems likely, but that an assassin, one with a clear grudge against the Viceroy, moving from targeting him only to innocent members of the Senate Guard and Jedi Order is a rather large leap." I paused, and after realising what I was doing, pulled my hand from my chin in disgust. "Have the Council offered any insight into the matter?" I was curious as to which Jedi had been assigned to escort the Viceroy. I knew it wasn't Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, but I wondered if perhaps, this incident had resulted in the death of a senior Jedi, if not a Council Member. Regardless of which Jedi had died, I knew HK would be proud that he managed to defeat another member of the Order, though I was sure he'd have preferred to do so directly.

"Beyond being as annoyingly vague as ever," Palpatine started, making me smirk in agreement, "All they have confirmed is that the Jedi Knight assigned to the mission has become one with the Force. Given the difficulty there is in killing a Jedi, that has led me to accept the Viceroy, and the men I assigned to guard him, are already dead."

"I won't comment on the Council's thinking, nor that, as much as they might not like admitting it, Jedi have been dying at a higher rate than normal the last few years," something I knew he was well aware of and was enjoying, "but I'd agree with your logic. If the assassin could kill a Jedi, then the Viceroy and the Senate Guard would be child's play in comparison."

My mind was already playing over what HK had done, and while it seemed easy to consider I knew it wouldn't have been. The poison would've required anonymous contacts with a supplier, along with a dead drop. He'd then have had to find a way to have the poison added to the Viceroy's food; probably by reprogramming the food preparation droids to ensure it passed checks. From there, he'd have had other steps to consider, but a backup to the poison was logical. Haran, I suspected he had several in place, and the destruction of the transport was just the one that had worked.

"Yes, which is why the investigators believe the ship is destroyed and everyone onboard dead. However, without proof, I cannot reveal details to the Senate, the Republic, or the people of my homeworld."

"As a Jedi, I can't find enjoyment in the Viceroy's death," I began slowly, figuring I could use this moment to improve my standing with Sidious. "However, given the suffering he caused on Naboo, and no doubt on other worlds through the Outer Rim, I find it hard to mourn his passing. That said, the loss of innocents to ensure his removal is unacceptable."

"As a son of Naboo, I agree wholeheartedly," Palpatine replied with a nod. "However, as Chancellor, I'm concerned by the impression this gives of the Republic's ability to bring criminals to justice. And of how it weakens my government when we were planning for the Viceroy's trial to be the first sign that we would move to clean up the corruption in the Senate and beyond."

"That's easy to fix," I said with a small smile. "The invasion of Naboo happened under the watch of Chancellor Valorum, as did the Senate not moving to help a sovereign world of the Republic. It is a simple matter to subtly shift the blame to him."

Palpatine nodded. "My advisors had already suggested that approach, though I was reluctant to do so. For all his flaws, Finis did the best he could with the situation in the Senate." He shook his head, a small chuckle slipping from him. "Again, for all your distaste of politics, you show skill for playing the game."

"Less an interest in the game, than the simple offer of advice for a friend," I countered. "I'll leave the screaming masses of self-interested fools to you, Chancellor. I have neither the patience nor way with words to stomach such an audience."

"I suspect you undersell yourself," Palpatine replied with a kind smile. "Still, I'm thankful for the suggestion. On other, happier matters, it might amuse you to know that I have introduced legislation to appoint a co-Chancellor so I might have support for handling the Senate."

I blinked, caught out by the announcement. "Oh? Really?" I gulped hard as a horrid idea came to mind. "Please, tell me you're not going to offer that to me?"

Palpatine's head snapped back as deep, highly amused laughter rushed from him. "Heavens no!" He replied once he'd recovered. "Beyond knowing you would want nothing to do with the position, Republic law forbids any Jedi from holding public office. While it would be amusing to see your daily reaction to the Senate, I have another in mind for the role." As he paused, I felt a shift in the Force and a sudden well of concern formed within me. "There is much that I must deal with each day that any changes I wish to bring forth are already drowning under other minor, inconsequential matters. That is why I wish to split the role between two individuals and appoint someone with the gravitas and strength of will to join me in leading the Republic."

"That makes sense," I replied slowly, the well of concern slowly growing into a pit of despair as the Force continued to shift awkwardly around me. Something was happening that would change the course of history, and while I didn't know what that was, I knew it wasn't going to be good for me.

"It does indeed. And I believe you will approve of my selection: Magister Hego Damask."

My mouth opened, yet no sound emerged as I processed that Plagueis was going to join his Apprentice as the leaders of the Republic. everything I'd been working toward, and planning for had just grown a thousand times harder as now there were two Banite Sith Lords in control of the Republic.

My mind rushed through every interaction I'd had with the Banite Sith. From posing to Palpatine's nephew during a mission, through the seemingly random meeting with Plagueis on Mandalore to our discussions on the threat posed by the Vong. Somewhere along the way, things had altered so that Sidious didn't kill his Master, and now both Banite Sith Lords sat atop the very galactic government they planned to overthrow.

"How… unexpected?" I managed to get out, struggling to comprehend just how fucked I was.

Palpatine laughed loudly again, enjoying my confusion and shock. "It is, and your reaction has won me a very expensive, and very enjoyable casket of wine from the Magister." I blinked as he lowered his head in thanks, shocked that they'd bet on my reaction. That Sidious had predicted my reaction best wasn't a surprise as I'd had more interaction with him over the years. However, that they'd been willing to make such a bet in their public personas – I dreaded to think what they might've bet in their true forms – was unexpected, and perhaps, deeply troubling.

"W-well I'm glad to have helped you there, uncle, though I'm still struggling to understand this change."

"That is very apparent," the Chancellor replied with mirth. "However, thinking about the problems I was facing as Chancellor, and then remembering our discussions about several private matters," that was a clear reference to the Vong, "I felt I could kill two kath hounds with a single shot." He leaned closer and his volume dropped slightly. "When everything has settled down, perhaps we might all gather to discuss our shared concerns and how, with the changes I'm bringing forth, we might address them."

"Of course, uncle."

I would be willing to speak with them, but things for me were unlikely to settle down. At least not for several years as I had every intention of staying as far away from the pair, the Order, and Coruscant, as I could. The plans for myself and Anakin weren't set, but they would keep me busy enough that a trip to the Chancellor's office could be delayed for long enough that, by the time I knew I had to speak with them, I'd be able to hide the changes I'd undergone. Or at least play them off as improvements I'd made while taking my sojourn.

There was the chance that the Force would have plans of its own for me as well, but I felt I could work my current plans around them. Well, unless I somehow got dragged into a quagmire of a war somewhere that I'd never heard of.

Palpatine nodded, pleased at my agreement, and the reference to our faux-status as distant family. "Good. Now, onto other matters, and the primary reason I called." The console for the holo-display beeped, indicating an incoming datapacket. "The designs for your new limb have been finished," Palpatine said as I opened the file and saw four designs appear. "Since I wanted you to have some choice, there are options and for most, various sections are interchangeable. Every design has significant sections internally that have been left empty as I suspect you'll want to add features that weren't suggested for the designs. Much as you have for the Mandalorian gauntlets you wear."

"These… these are impressive," I said as I explained the first two designs. The circuitry, at least what was shown in designs sent over the Holonet, was arranged in ways that I didn't have much hope of understanding. Still, I could see that each design was state-of-the-art. So much so that Palpatine would've had to reach out to some very important and isolated people to have the designs commissioned.

The exact material the designs used for outer shells wasn't clear, but that was fine. I had plans to have those constructed of beskar or phrik; the choice depended on what I could get my hands on. As for the internal spaces, I had some ideas.

"Please, pass along my thanks to whoever you contacted to design these, and accept mine for doing so. I know you are extremely busy installing your people and ideals on the Senate and Chancellor's office." Palpatine bowed, accepting the praise.

"I'm pleased that you're accepting the designs without complaint. The designers are some of the more eccentric individuals I've ever had the pleasure of meeting." It was clear from his tone that he didn't think dealing with the designers was a pleasure, but he'd done so anyway. "Once you've selected your preference, shall I have the designer arrive on Coruscant to help oversee the construction and fitting of the arm?"

"So long as it wouldn't cause you issues, I'd prefer to have the arm built elsewhere," I replied.

"No, there wouldn't be. The designers were informed of this when they received the order, however, each expressed interest in being present for its development. Might I inquire as to where you plan to have the limb built?"

"Mandalore. I hope to convince the ruling figures to allow me to have beskar used in its construction." There was little need to hide that as the moment I asked for further help, or needed to speak to the creator, Palpatine would know where I was. Haran, he probably already expected me to choose Mandalore.

"I had already stated that as the intended destination for the full designs," Palpatine said with a smile. "Once you have chosen the design, I'll inform the creator of your location. I expect they will contact you or Duke Kryze so that they might oversee the creation of their masterpiece."

"Once I decide, I'll alert the Duke to prepare for the creator's arrival," I replied with a nod of thanks. "And again, my thanks."

"As I and Queen Amidala have said several times already, it is we and our people who have and will continue to, thank you for your actions, Cameron. Without them, and the sacrifice you personally made, our people would have remained enslaved and at the mercy of the Federation." I could tell he wanted to ask about Maul, but he couldn't. The matter, while he was aware I fought a Sith, the Jedi Council had, with him present, forbade me from discussing the matter with anyone. While I intended to obey that with most, others – including the Mandalorians and a handful of Lokella who had access to the full Battlenet – were already aware of my duel with Maul. Haran, Osto and others had taken the defeated Sith from the planet before the Council and Chancellor had arrived. "All I ask is that, once the limb is constructed and designed, you allow me to view it. I, and Queen Amidala, will be relieved to know you've been at least partially compensated for your sacrifice."

"Of course, uncle, and again, thank you."

He smiled, and then, understanding the time was up, ended the call. Once the link was closed, I leaned back in my seat and sighed deeply. While the designs for the replacement arm were amazing, and likely far beyond what either Anakin or Luke had used – a part of me was reluctant to accept any gift from Sidious. Or Plagueis for that matter.

Now, the replacement forearm and hand were going to be built by engineers chosen by Adonai and Dred Yomaget from Mandalmotors, but I had no way of knowing if Sidious hadn't instructed the designers to insert some form of tracker. Or possibly a section of code to allow remote access. I didn't think Sidious would stoop to something so simple as a method to track me, but just in case, if it could be wrangled, I was going to have two arms built. The second model would have its wiring and coding, if I could find someone skilled enough to do so, entirely replaced. That way, if the original model was corrupted or infected, I'd have a spare.

Before I could do that though, I had to head to Mandalore. My hand moved over the controls, determining where we'd have to change hyperspace lanes. Once the changes were made, I leaned back, letting my thoughts return to the surprise of Palpatine's call.

Hego Damask becoming Co-Chancellor was, in simplest terms, a fucking nightmare. I'd never know if this had happened, or would've happened if Sidious hadn't killed Plagueis, in the other timeline, but I had to deal with it now. No matter how I looked at it, things had gotten exponentially harder for me to survive what was coming. The future, as people loved to say, wasn't written and always in motion, but having two Banite Sith ruling the Republic was not how I'd ever wanted things to go.

My only hope, which was a slim one at best, was that it would take the pair longer to begin the war that would bring about the destruction of the Republic. That and the fact that I had the Chosen One at my side. It was going to take a fucking miracle to get us both ready for what awaited us on the horizon, and I knew I couldn't slack off in our training. Haar'chak, I'd probably have to find a way to tip over the board before the game began if I wanted any chance to win. The question, and it was going to sit in my thoughts for some time, was how to do that.

… …

… …
I watched as the mechanical fingers responded to my mental commands and slowly clenched and then unclenched. The wrist then moved, rolling around in a fluid imitation of what flesh and blood should do. As with the forearm I'd lost, I couldn't see the joints in the replacement moving, though the surface wasn't solid or covered in synthflesh. Instead, small scales of beskar shifted around. There was a faint sound from them as they rubbed against each other, but not the screeching of metal I'd expected.

The entire surface was covered in beskar, blackened during the forging to give it a colour that matched my armour, though it retained the distinctive patterns of the alloy. For the joints like the wrist, the surface wasn't solid, instead, it was made up of smaller sections that shifted around each other as the hand and fingers moved. As far as I could tell, no matter which way the limb moved – and in theory it could move in unnatural ways but I'd yet to test that – the internal circuitry and servos remained covered and protected.

"How does it feel?"

I turned and looked at the Arkanian designer of the limb, Hakan Ron. The male was an egotistical shebs'palon, yet his blueprint was a masterwork in the field of high-end cybernetic replacement limbs. Even when compared to the designs submitted by other designers. So much so that, from what I'd read on the man, many approached him for replacement limbs even when they didn't need one.

"It itches," I replied as I turned to face the Arkanian, the limb reacting to my thoughts and shifting around to present itself to him.

"That is to be expected," Ron replied with a half-sneer. "While the design is flawless, and the Mandalorian technicians have done an acceptable job of constructing my creation, the phantom, imaginary belief that something is wrong is a flaw of most sentients."

I ignored the insult, aware that Arkanians saw themselves as better than everyone else. Given the race's history of genetic engineering, that was hardly a surprise as through science they'd pushed their genome to its pinnacle. While there were many sub-species of Arkanians, even the lowest of their caste system was superior to the baseline Human in almost every way.

"If I might?" a Mandalorian asked as he stepped forward, medical scanner in hand.

Ron lowered his head and moved to allow the medic, one loyal to Duke Adonai and had been the one to oversee the fitting of Adonai's replacement leg, to come closer.

The scanner ran over my elbow, where the bone had been altered to allow the limb to be attached. I could, if I so wished, remove the limb with my other hand, however, the programming of this limb meant that others couldn't. It needed me to concentrate on commanding the levers that attached the metallic replacement to my elbow, and the beskar covers there, to slide back. Of course, if anyone wanted to remove it without my permission, they could slice through the flesh just above, but given that my armour was being altered to cover the connection area, they'd need to remove the armour to get at the flesh.

"No signs of rejection or infection," the medic said as they examined their scanner, drawing a sneer of contempt from Ron. Thankfully, the Arkanian bit his tongue on whatever insult he had ready for someone questioning his work. The medic looked up at me and smiled. "I'll have some medicine sent to your quarters, with dosages to take over the next week, but with your age, health, and the Force, I suspect I won't have to see you again."

"As much as I'm happy about that doc, thanks for your help."

The medic chuckled and nodded, before turning and walking away. That allowed Ron to step closer, his eyes examining his masterwork. "From what I'd heard about beskar, I didn't think it would be suitable for my creation, but it seems even I can occasionally make a mis-determination."

"I don't think they're going to let you take any of the alloy," I said quietly, a small smirk creeping onto my face.

"Yes, I'm aware of the cultural importance they place on it. Still, it was an interesting experiment to see how it, and our rare materials such as phrik, work for such limbs. It has granted me new insights into my future projects." He paused, his eyes scanning the limb carefully, looking for any flaw in the design. I knew his gaze would focus on the sections of the forearm where a hidden compartment was, but the edges were seamless from the outside.

While those had been in the initial designs because of Palpatine's specifications to the various designers, I'd chosen Ron's not just because it was a masterpiece, but because it had the greatest internal storage. Once the choice had been made, and I'd been placed in contact with the Arkanian, I'd asked what it would take to ensure the various servos and motors could generate enough force to crush durasteel. Ron had taken only an hour to alter the design and resubmit the revised plans to the Mandalorians.

It had delayed the construction of the limb for several days as we waited for the components needed. Several of them were extremely high-end or restricted, but a call to Palpatine ensured they were released for me. Because of those new components, and the beskar casing, Ron believed the limb could remove a blast door from its hinge. The issue, as he was more than willing to point out, was that the rest of my arm lacked the necessary strength to achieve such a goal.

With the Force boosting me, it would be possible for me to duplicate that feat with ease, but I wasn't at that point yet in my retraining. Nor, once I had regained my training with the Force, would I need to use such a crude method of entry. Still, the idea that I could rip such a door from its hinges was not something to ignore. The terror factor for whoever was on the other side of seeing me do that would probably be more frightening than learning I was a Jedi.

The internal circuitry was just as advanced as the servos and overall design. However, I only knew that because Anakin and the Mandalorian designers, once they'd signed agreements to not reproduce Ron's work without his permission, had gone over the design with awe and reverence. Still, even without the experience of the Arkanian, Anakin had seen a few small tweaks that Ron had missed. The Arkanian hadn't enjoyed having a Human child discover the minor – insanely minor in most cases – improvements, though his reluctance had lessened when he learnt Anakin was training to be a Jedi.

The beskar coating ensured that beyond the destructive power the limb possessed, I could use it to deflect blaster bolts and even if needed, grasp a lightsaber blade. And that was just the beginning of the limb's extra features.

A micro-laser capable of burning through anything short of beskar and blast doors, explosive rockets of either micro or super-micro size though they had to be reloaded after one or three shots for each finger, and a data-jack to allow the arm, and the interface built into the upper section of the forearm that connected to my armour's HUD, access to any system were all in the fingers. Hidden inside the palm was a sonic generator that while not capable of killing could disrupt the balance of almost any sentient and could be transmitted through the palm or the back of the hand, along with other, less combat-orientated uses.

The forearm had fewer extras, but that was by design. The underside of the forearm was largely empty to hide whatever I wanted to place there. The section was large enough for even a standard lightsaber hilt, though not for a curved hilt. Once my main blade was rebuilt, I'd be keeping the shoto blade there in case it was ever needed. The upper side of the forearm, apart from having a similar control interface to those found on Mandalorian vambraces, held a small shield projector. The generator in the arm could power that for ten minutes before needing a recharge. Depending on how much of my armour I was wearing, that could be recharged in anything from thirty minutes to just five.

While the additional features of the limb were impressive, they wouldn't have helped greatly against Maul. There, I'd gone in with more intention of taking him down than outright killing him. While that had cost me my arm, I'd managed, just barely, to achieve that.

Maul was currently secured somewhere in the Mandalore sector, though I'd yet to ask Adonai, Torrhen, or Osto where that was. All I'd been assured of was that the location was extremely isolated, had been designed for the detention of any Jedi or Sith prisoners the Mandalorians had taken over the millennia – and from what they claimed, no Force user had ever escaped – and was isolated enough that if Maul did breach containment, the entire facility and everything with a hundred kilometres would be vaporised by the defence systems.

All that had relieved me as I didn't want Maul escaping. Not only would that return him to Sidious' side – at least if he and Plagueis hadn't officially taken on the replacement for the Zabrak and Dooku – but it would make the Banite Sith suspect I knew more about them than they'd currently thought I did. Which was to say nothing whatsoever.

Of course, with Plagueis, via his public persona, about to become Co-Chancellor – the Senate had narrowly voted to accept the change in leadership – I wasn't sure that if he did escape Maul would return to Plagueis' side. Since the Banite Sith worked on the Rule of Two, there was every chance Maul wasn't aware of Plagueis' existence or was promised by Sidious that Plagueis would be killed before Sidious became Chancellor.

It would be some time before I met with Maul, as I had to train myself and Anakin first, but that would be one of the first pieces of information I'd reveal to the Zabrak. I wasn't sure how, if it was even possible, to turn Maul against Sidious, never mind working with me, but if Dooku felt Vosa could be useful, then I was willing to attempt the same with Maul.

"I believe you are free to depart."

I looked at Ron and realised I'd become lost in my thoughts again. "Right, thanks for this," I replied as I lifted my new limb. "Not sure how I'll ever repay you."

"Beyond the considerable payment from the Chancellor's office, seeing the design built, and in the hands of a Jedi, is all the payment I require. Still, perhaps we might keep in semi-regular contact? It is unlikely that the design suffers issues, or that improvements are possible, but I would be remiss to outright reject the possibility."

"Certainly." I reached forward with the limb and gently shook his hand.

"Based on your grip, I would suggest training to determine the required strength needed for various actions." The faintest of smiles came to Ron's face as he spoke. "Though I suspect you and your companions are eager to place the limb through its paces."

"Aye, you could say that," I answered as we stopped shaking hands. Bo, Naz, and Fenrir were all waiting for me outside the clinic/mechanical centre I was currently in. While there was little issue with them being present normally, Anakin's need to ask questions, along with Fenrir's sheer bulk, had resulted in them being asked to wait outside. Anakin had left at some point while I'd been here, HK heading off with him to make sure the boy didn't get into trouble. Or perhaps it was Anakin trying to make sure HK didn't cause issues. Either way, my Padawan – and son – wasn't present, meaning I'd have to hunt him down once I left.

Moving past the Arkanian, I saw an empty cup resting on a surface. Figuring I could test both my control of the Force and grip strength at the same time, I reached out with the limb. Using the Force through the replacement felt odd, with a strange cold sensation. As if the Force disliked the artificial joints demanding it work with them.

The cup lifted from the bench after a moment's delay, something I'd noted was common ever since I'd taken Natural Selection, and moved across the space between the table and me. Unlike the first few times I'd done this – which had taken place in private aboard Raven – the cup didn't approach too fast, or deform when I tried to grasp it with the Force. While that slight delay was something I was still getting used to, it was something all Force users were meant to experience and would lessen with training, and the power I could apply with the Force now felt so much greater. Fine-tuning how much intent I had to use while using Telekinesis was something I was still working on, but as the cup reached my hand I felt I was slowly getting that understanding back. Which, given applying the Force this way was one of the most basic methods of using the Force, was understandable, and a relief that it had recovered as quickly as it had.

The limb grasped the cup, and I could sense in my mind how much pressure was being applied. My grasp was firm, but I stopped before I felt the sensors in the limb suggest the cup was struggling under the strength of the grip. Ron was right that it would take time and effort to find the limits of what a flesh and blood limb could do, and how to safely go past them, but it was just another form of training for me to master over the next two or so years.

Turning the limb around, I examined the cup, checking for any hint of damage from my grip. Finding none, I tossed it into the air and then reached out to grasp the Force with the limb. Again, it felt strange, even more so than how my connection to the Force was since taking Natural Selection, but the cup stopped in the air. It was a little later than I'd have liked, and it wobbled for a few moments until I stabilised, and then floated back to the table it'd come from.

I grunted as the cup clipped the edge of the table, my grasp wavering slightly and the cup drooping low enough to not slide onto the table as I'd intended. That was annoying, but it was another little sign that I had to keep practising my close control with this Force ability.

Once the cup was back on the table I walked toward the door, and the second it opened, a large black mass rushed in. "Fenrir!" I called out, getting my arms up to stop the tuk'ata from launching himself at me, or before he could slobber all over my face. One foot slid back, stabilising me against the mass that slammed into me, yet I was relieved and overjoyed, as for the first time in over two months I was able to keep my face safe from Fenrir's attention.

I pushed him down, using both hands to scratch him, and thus distract him from his attempt to lick me, and then to see Bo and Naz standing in the doorway.

"He wasn't the only one worried about you," Naz commented, a gentle smile on her face. Her eyes, like Bo's, were on my arms, trying to get a good look at my new appendage.

I lifted the limb from Fenrir, who whined about the loss of attention, and held it out for the ladies to inspect. "Almost as good as before," I said, then smirked as I remembered the sonic ability for the hand and thought of an interesting way to apply that. "Perhaps, in some ways, better."

They moved closer, their eyes locked on the patterns in the beskar. "Not many have such a thing made of beskar," Naz said as her fingers came out, tracing the faint lines in the metal. Her eyes darted to mine, and the spark of desire there - which radiated like an open fire in the Force and was mirrored by Bo – made it hard to look away.

"Not many can afford it," Bo countered, forcing me to turn my head to the red-haired warrior that I knew would be sharing my bed tonight. Osik, even if I tried to stop them, I knew there was nothing that would keep both from sharing my sheets or much that would stop me from letting them do so.

What did catch my attention, ever since I'd returned to Mandalore, was that while I'd spent more time with Bo than with Naz, in every way, I felt a stronger draw to the blonde. I could sense her feelings and desires easier than I could from Bo. I put that down to Pre Vizsla's daughter having enough Force potential to at least be considered for training by the Jedi if they'd have discovered her at a young age. Still, I'd have expected a deeper connection with Bo simply because of the time, in combat and elsewhere, we'd spent together. Of course, another part of it could be that Naz was far more emotive than Bo, with the redhead not, in any way, a fan of public displays of affection.

The same was true when we were in private, at least to a degree. Naz was more submissive than Bo, and because of that, seemed more willing to express herself in the bedroom, or any other room for that matter, than our shared lover. Bo had to be beaten, but once that was done she was as pliable as Naz.

Initially, I'd kept the pair away, worried how Serra might react to sensing that I was enjoying myself while she continued to mourn her dead Master. I'd not yet reached out to her but planned to do so soon. Yet, after three days of the pair making it clear I could have them if and when I wanted when they walked onto Raven on my fourth day here – which was the night before – I'd given in and enjoyed an evening with the pair. I might've had to limit what I could do with the Force helping me, but neither had seemed to mind, and both had risen late this morning.

"What does it do?" Naz asked, a curious smirk on her face as her fingers traced along the back of mine.

"I'll keep that a surprise until we get to the training ground," I replied, turning the hand to grasp her fingers between mine. "Where'd Anakin go?" I knew he was with HK, but where in the sprawling Clan Kryze complex we were staying in I wasn't sure of as much of the location I'd not yet explored.

"An'ika?" Bo shot back, her lips twitching. "He got bored of waiting and headed off to a hanger to inspect some of the clan fighters. Don't worry, your war-droid should keep him from trouble."

"More likely HK is going to encourage him to find trouble," I replied, making the redhead chuckle.

"Aye, you're probably right." She moved closer, placing a hand on my flesh-and-blood forearm. "But enough about him. We're more interested in what your new limb can do," she added, whispering into my ear. "On and off the battlefield."

… …

… …
(Anakin's POV)
He was struggling to contain his excitement as he sat in Raven's co-pilot seat. The stars were swirling around as they raced through hyperspace, something Raven enjoyed, yet Anakin couldn't wait for them to emerge. Cam had told him about Kuat, and the shipyards there, and ever since reading up on the system and company, Anakin had been struggling to contain his anticipation.

The slightest amused grunts came from his side, where Cam was flying Raven. While he wore a glove to hide the wizard new arm he'd gotten, Anakin knew it was there. He'd seen the design and still enjoyed going over it, seeing how that strange white-skinned-and-haired alien had created it.

While that alien had been smart, he'd reminded Anakin of many people on Tatooine, before Cam had freed him and his mother. The alien - Cam had said the species was Arkanian - felt himself better than everyone else, and while Anakin understood the alien was smarter than most, the way he behaved wasn't right.

There was a brief moment when, thinking about Tatooine and his mother, where Anakin felt sad. He missed her and wished she could see him now. There was also that flicker of anger to find the Hutt responsible and kill them, but he didn't dwell on that. It wasn't the way a warrior, a Jedi, should think. However, he knew that, once he'd completed his training, and Cam felt he was ready to be a proper Jedi, then he'd help free others. Cam would be with him, as would Bo, Fenrir, and others and they'd make sure that slavery could be driven from the galaxy. Something the Republic, for all its seeming power, couldn't do.

Anakin understood that the Republic had its flaws; Cam's recent mission to Naboo where he'd lost his arm was proof of that. Yet, Anakin still had hope. Not just because he was being trained to be a Jedi, but because Cam had promised him that once he was ready, they'd move against the ones responsible for the death of his mother and others. Bo and some other Mandalorians had even promised to help.

They'd only left Mandalore a few days ago, and Anakin could admit he missed the planet. Or at least time spent with Bo. Unlike many others, she'd never treated him as a child. Instead, she'd shown him how to use blasters, including how to clean and maintain them. The other Mandalorians he'd met on their world, had done likewise, and he'd enjoyed spending time with those his age. They weren't like the children of the Lokella, or the friends he just about remembered from Tatooine. No, they, like him, were training for battle. To fight for themselves, their families – though they called them clans – and others.

It was still odd to hear others call Cam his father, and he knew Cam felt the same. Yet, at the same time, it made sense. From what Anakin had learnt about the Jedi, the Knights and Masters of their Order took younglings as trainees, and helped guide and raise them into becoming full Jedi. Anakin felt that was what a father should – help their child grow powerful enough that they could protect others.

To the Mandalorians, Anakin was one of them, which before Cam had freed him from slavery, Anakin would've found strange. How could someone not born to a planet or species be considered one of the people? Yet, after years with the Lokella, and the mix of races there, he understood the idea now. He knew he wasn't a full Mandalorian, that wouldn't come until he was thirteen and he completed his hunt, but Anakin already knew he would do everything he could to pass that test. Especially as it would force Bo to stop calling him An'ika! He disliked that term, even if he understood she used it because she cared about him.

He wasn't sure if he'd be able to match Cam's kill, but he was going to try. Already he had a list of beasts that, from what the Holonet said, were comparable in danger to a greater krayt dragon, though he'd not shown the list to Cam. He knew his friend… his father, wouldn't approve. The droids did though.

HK-47 was a wizard of a droid. He knew more about combat than even Bo and was happy to teach Anakin, when Cam wasn't around, how to fight against various races and groups. Even mentioning ways that a Jedi could be killed. Anakin had thought that impossible, but Bo had revealed that the Jedi Battlemaster – one of their greatest warriors – had fallen to the Sith that Cam had defeated. While learning that a Jedi could die was shocking, Anakin was proud to be Cam's Padawan. He was learning from one of the greatest Jedi ever!

Now, Anakin disliked being called a little meatbag by HK, but he knew the old droid didn't mean anything by it. It was how he referred to everyone except Cam and the droid's creator. Anakin was amazed that HK had been built by Cam's great-grandfather, and one of the most famous Jedi to ever live. Kriff, Cam had let Anakin read the full Knights of the Old Republic series of holonovels he'd written. According to Cam and HK, who'd been there, the accounts were generally accurate, and Anakin was still struggling to process that Revan, one of the most famous Jedi of all time, had been a Sith.

From what he knew, the Sith were evil, though Cam had warned him not to think in such absolute terms. While Cam was keeping things from him, which Anakin both hated and understood, he had explained the core difference between the Jedi and Sith. The Jedi worked with the Force, accepting its judgement and guidance. The Sith bent the Force to their will and made it do what they wanted.

At the time, Anakin had thought that meant the Jedi served good and Sith evil, but the more he'd thought about it, the less certain he was. The Force, as it had been explained to him by Cam and Master Dooku – one of the few people Anakin willingly called 'Master' without any concern of the term – didn't always want to do what many would consider right. That had Anakin questioning if the Jedi did all they should to protect the galaxy, or if they didn't because the Force didn't want them to.

A faint, but familiar shift in Raven's behaviour, along with a gentle shift in the flow of power through her frame, brought Anakin's mind back to the present. That change in Raven meant they were about to drop from hyperspace.

"Not just yet," Cam said, amusement radiating from his tone and through the Force.

"But we're close," Anakin said as he looked at his father, "I can sense Raven's excitement."

As he spoke, his eyes were drawn to the glove on his left hand. The glove meant those who didn't know wouldn't see it and thus wouldn't ask about it. With the various features the limb had, Anakin understood that applying synthflesh was a mistake as the moment one of those features was activated, the synthflesh would rip.

Anakin had seen Cam practising with the limb before they'd left Mandalore, and while he didn't want to lose an arm, he could see the use of the replacement Cam had. It was like he was wearing part of the Mandalorian armour even when in nothing but Jedi robes! Of course, even under his robes Cam wore much of the armour, but Anakin was happy that even without his lightsaber, though he did have his shorter backup one, Cam wasn't unarmed.

"Fair enough," Cam replied after a moment staring at Anakin before turning his full attention to the controls.

Anakin watched as Cam's fingers moved over the controls. While Raven responded instinctively to Cam's requests, the reverse wasn't quite true. Cam had always been off in the Force, though Anakin was only now beginning to understand that. That he, a child only just beginning to understand and use the Force could sense Raven and Fenrir's feelings better than Cam had always been an odd thing.

However, ever since they stopped on that swamp world, Cam had changed. Or at least how he appeared in the Force had changed. Cam, even with him seemingly closing himself off to the Force – not that Anakin understood how that worked yet – to Anakin, it was as if whatever was blocking him from sensing Cam was gone. Like someone had suddenly thrown open the blinds of the only lit room on the darkest of nights.

Within that light, even now as muted as it was, Anakin could sense something different about Cam. There was danger there, a threat. Yet, for all that he didn't understand where that had come from – either it had always been there, or was only a recent change – Anakin wasn't scared. He knew that the danger radiating from Cam would never be directed at him. That, whatever it took, Cam would protect him, and their odd, extended family.

If Anakin told anyone about those he considered family, they'd think him crazy. While Ferox, Lia, and Cam made sense, the others wouldn't. Yet to Anakin, they were all one giant, if odd, family. From Masters Dooku and Fay down, through Bo, Simvyl, HK and R2, to Fenrir and Raven, Anakin considered them all family. While the first two came from him the rest, even him, were centred around Cam.

Master Fay, before she'd left on whatever adventure she was still on, had explained that Cam had some sort of destiny. That the Force had a plan for him, more so than it did for other Jedi. She'd also hinted that the Force had plans for him, but Anakin wasn't sure if he liked that idea. He'd been under the control of another once before, been forced to do as Watto demanded, and he didn't like nor miss it. Now, he knew the Force wasn't like Watto, but the idea that someone controlled him, and decided what he'd do and where he'd go didn't sit right. And when he considered his mother, and what had happened to her, he found himself unsure about the Force, as if it was guiding him to where it wanted him to go, why had it let her die?

Shifts in Raven's sensations confirmed they were about to exit hyperspace, and Anakin pushed thoughts of his mother and the Force aside. He leaned forward, his hands gripping the top edge of the consoles at his station – not that he used them while Raven was in hyperspace – and felt his excitement growing. An amused chuckle slipped from Cam, meaning he could sense Anakin's joy, but his father didn't say anything, and a moment later, they slipped out of hyperspace.

Anakin felt his eyes widen, trying to take in everything he was seeing. "Whoa," he muttered as their view was taken up by thousands if not hundreds of thousands of starships moving around. They varied in size, shape, colour, and every other way under a sun; almost to the point that the distant star of the system risked being blotted out by the sheer number of vessels moving around. "So many."

"Coruscant's worse," Cam commented, "and more organised."

Anakin ignored the comment. As much as he longed to see the capital of the Republic, to walk through the halls of the Jedi Temple, Anakin knew they wouldn't be going there for a while. Cam was adamant they weren't heading there anytime soon, and while he didn't understand why, Anakin felt he understood Cam's reluctance to be there.

Lines of freighters, ranging in size from about the size of Raven up to massive bulk hauliers, moved to and from the main planet of the system, as if spokes on a wheel extending out into the heavens. A pair of YT2000s broke from one line, heading toward them. No, toward the jump point. Anakin, in a flash of understanding, realised the system would have assigned jump areas for ships to come and go. Otherwise, if they dropped from hyperspace closer to the planet, or one of the long lines stretching out from it, they might cause an accident.

The freighters moved closer, a flight of four escorts moving in behind, as other smaller patrol craft buzzed around the various lines of ships. looking, when seen against the giant bulk freighters, to be little more than flies on a bantha's back.

Anakin's eyes shifted down the spears of ships that extended outward, his gaze turning to the massive metal ring that encircled the planet. "Wizard." He'd read about it on the Holonet, even seen images, but laying eyes upon it was another matter entirely.

Near the ring, rising as if moving to see its domain, the frame of a ship so massive that it dwarfed everything nearby emerged. Anakin strained, trying to see which ship that was, and the Force helped. The lines of the distant vessel became clearer and sharper, and he thrust a finger forward. "T-that's a Praetor-Class!" He called out excitedly, struggling to not jump about in his seat.

The Praetors were massive ships, at one point the largest warships ever built in the Republic at four kilometres in length. Now, centuries after their initial design, they'd been surpassed by others, but that ship dwarfed even Mtael's Gift and the giant ringed ship that was now orbiting Gaia in the ShaDo system.

"Yes, and if you look to the right and further back, that appears to be a Mandator."

Cam's statement had Anakin's gaze jumping around, trying to find the even larger vessel. If not for the belt Cam insisted he wear whenever he was in the cockpit, Anakin felt he'd have jammed his face against the transparisteel viewport to get a better look at the pride of Kuat's designs. "Wizard!" he shouted as he laid his eyes upon the shadow slowly rising over the Kuat ring.

It didn't take him long to see as at eight kilometres long, the Mandator was, according to Kuat Drive Yards, the largest warship in the Republic. It dwarfed even the Praetor as it rose, reminding Anakin of stories where a king stepped onto his throne to survey their domain. Yet, for all its size, the Mandator and those that came before were wrong.

When reading the files on the massive Star Dreadnoughts, Anakin had noted that every one of them was under-armed and underpowered for a ship their size. He'd learnt that this was because of the Ruusan Reformation, and could see the reasons for that law, but it felt stupid to Anakin. What was the point of building something that powerful, and making it unable to do its job?

A beep from the communication console broke Anakin from his thoughts on the mighty vessel, and when he turned, he saw Cam had opened the channel.

"Yes?"

The image of a Human man, older than Cam but younger than Master Dooku appeared. The uniform made clear he was some form of security officer. "This is Kuat Yards Fleet Defence. Your ship is an unscheduled arrival in our system. Please state your name, that of your vessel, and the purpose for your visit to the Kuat system." The man paused for a moment. "Failure to comply will result in penalties ranging from expulsion from the system to imprisonment for you and the impounding of your vessel."

Anakin frowned, not liking the tone the man was using toward Cam. Didn't he know he was speaking to a Jedi?

Cam, however, found the greeting amusing and chuckled before answering. "In order, I'm Jedi Knight Cameron Shan. My vessel is named the Jade Raven, and I'm here with my Padawan to explore the system, and if possible, to speak to someone of skill and importance about upgrades and repairs to my rather unusual vessel."

Anakin smirked at the reaction of the man in the holocall. "Ah, I see," he blustered, trying to recover from threatening a Jedi. "My apologies Master Jedi, for my bluntness." Anakin snorted, not buying the change in attitude for a second. "We weren't expecting a member of your Order to arrive. Certainly not on a private vessel." The man paused and turned his attention to something at his end. "Your ship… It fails to match any record we have. Might I request, for our records, where the vessel was constructed?"

"Raven is a unique starship," Anakin agreed happily with that assessment, "so it's not a surprise she's not listed in your records. She was built on Zonama Sekot by the ship creators there." A confused look flashed over the man's face, meaning he didn't know the world. Anakin didn't either, only being aware of its connection to Raven. "I doubt you've heard of it as it's a small, out-of-the-way shipbuilder deep in the Outer Rim." While Cam maintained a calm tone when speaking, Anakin could sense his amusement about some private joke.

"Very well," the officer replied slowly, as if not buying Cam's words. "I'll have your details added to our records and will arrange a flight vector to a Republic hangar for you. When you land, someone will greet you to learn more about your needs. Fleet Defence out."

The channel closed before Cam could reply, and Anakin blinked at the behaviour. "That was rude," he muttered.

Cam started laughing at that, which had Anakin frowning. He disliked private jokes, especially when they were directed against him. As much as he was happy to be a Jedi and Mandalorian, there were times when Cam, Bo, Master Dooku, and others found something amusing, but he didn't know why. It annoyed him, especially when it was a reference to his training with Cam, but he hoped that, when he was older, he'd understand the jokes he was missing out on. Though perhaps not the ones that Bo often made toward Cam and that blonde woman.

"You'll find that, for many, after weeks, months, or even years doing the same thing, politeness is often lost. Too much repetitive work, and not enough satisfaction with their job means that they can barely be bothered to go through the motions." As Cam spoke, one of Raven's consoles beeped, which Anakin knew meant she'd received new flight data. Before Cam could look at the new path, Anakin felt Raven turning, moving toward their new destination.

He'd never spoken to Cam about it, but Anakin had mentioned to Bo that he was jealous of Cam's connection to Raven, and of how the pair seemed to be of one mind at times. Bo had laughed and ruffled his hair – which he normally hated, but didn't mind from Bo or her friend – before explaining that the ship was born with a connection to Cam and Master Fay. She'd not gone into details, but the bond had shifted to Cam and grown stronger due to something that happened. That didn't help Anakin much, but when Bo said she was jealous of Raven as well, Anakin did feel better. Even if he felt she wasn't jealous in the same way he was.

"Still, he could be nicer. We're Jedi," Anakin muttered as he sat back in his seat. The annoyance at the man's behaviour faded quickly as he returned to gazing out of the viewport. While the flight path wasn't anything impressive, Anakin couldn't help but get excited as he realised they were moving closer to the Mandator.

A glance at the display meant he knew they weren't landing on the mighty starship, but they'd fly close enough that he'd be able to make out details. Which, a few minutes later, he would. Still, he understood that without the Force helping him, he'd not be able to make out the details he saw.

The lines along the hull, the various turbolaser, missile hatches, laser cannons, and other emplacements were definable. Anakin also saw slots where he felt there should be more weaponry. That there was nothing there was because of the stupid Reformation, and made the ship, at least to him, feel unfinished. As if it was going outside without all its clothes on.

Smaller ships, perhaps as big as Raven, slipped in and out of the various hangars in the Mandator, though what drew his attention was the massive bulge that rose from the top and sunk beneath the bow. It was large, though less than a quarter of the ship's length and Anakin knew that was the power core of the massive starship. That core was larger than almost all the other vessels in the system and generated enough power to keep a megacity powered for centuries. Or it would, if the core was ever fully powered as there was no need for it to ever be so. It lacked the weaponry and engines to require anything more than half power from the reactor.

Even if the Mandator, the Praetor and the other mighty vessels Kuat had built felt undressed, Anakin longed to get inside them. He wanted, no, he needed to learn how they worked, to see how the various features of such mammoth vessels were configured to work together. Perhaps if they were here long enough, Cam could arrange a tour for them.

The communication console beeped again, and Anakin wondered if the annoying officer was calling them back. Yet when the channel opened, there was a young woman there. She wore some form of uniform, but it was clear to Anakin that she didn't work from the same group as the previous caller.

"Hello there," Cam said with a friendly smile. "How can I be of assistance to a lovely young lady such as yourself?"

Anakin rolled his eyes, not liking Cam's tone. He talked that way with Bo and Naz, and while the blonde Mandalorian liked it, Bo seemed to get annoyed by it. At least that's why he thought they were busy fighting in Cam's quarters most nights. Or he hoped they were fighting as Anakin didn't want another sibling: at least not for a while.

The woman smiled back, one hand coming up to push back some hair. "Master Shan, I'm…"

"I'm not a Jedi Master," Cam cut in, giving her another smile, one that he'd used with Bo, Naz, and others. "Just a simple Jedi Knight, making my way through the galaxy." Anakin knew enough to know Cam did that to make the women happy, but only Bo seemed to not react to it. At least not immediately, but the longer he could go without thinking about what Cam was doing with Bo and Naz, the happier he'd be. All that adult stuff was gross.

"Ah, my mistake," the woman resumed, and while he didn't like seeing Cam behave this way with some random woman, Anakin could enjoy how easily his father could disrupt the woman's thinking. "Just to confirm, you're the same Cameron Shan who recently led the forces that liberated Naboo from the clutches of the Trade Federation? The same man that is friends with the Chancellor?"

"Possibly." Cam's tone was relaxed, yet Anakin could sense amusement rushing from him. As if this was all another joke that only Cam was aware of. Underneath that though, when the Chancellor was mentioned, Anakin swore he sensed something different. Not fear, but concern perhaps. Given the Chancellor was Cam's friend, was new to the job, and Cam held a clear dislike for the Senate, Anakin believed that was simply Cam showing concern for a friend. And if he was a friend of Cam's, then he was a friend of Anakin's.

"If you could manage it I require a more definitive response." The woman's tone had changed, matching the jovial one Cam was using, which meant Cam's approach was working. Anakin might not enjoy seeing this, but it was interesting to see how easily Cam could make the lady like him, and he wondered if it might work for him the next time he wanted Bo or Naz to show him some advanced weapons or technology.

"Then yes, as much as it pains me to be recognized, I'm that Cameron Shan. Though if there's someone out there pretending to be me, I'd like a word or two with them."

The woman smiled widely at the joke. "Then on behalf of my employer, I wish to extend an invitation to you and your crew to have dinner with him. He is most eager to meet the Republic's latest hero."

"If I might know who your employer is?" Anakin leaned forward, curious about that as well. That they'd want to meet Cam wasn't a surprise, as news of what had happened on Naboo was all over the Holonet. And with the changes to allow Co-Chancellors, it had returned, meaning Cam's name was back in the news. Cam disliked the attention, claiming it made it harder to do his job, but Anakin liked it. It meant he was getting trained not just by a friend, but by a hero.

"I represent the president of Sienar Design Systems, Raith Sienar." Anakin gasped, which drew a side glance from Cam. Anakin knew that name! Raith Sienar was regarded as one of the foremost names in shipbuilding, famed for several of the many innovations brought to the market by the parent company Santhe/Sienar Technologies. While SDS, and Sienar Fleet Systems – the company that produced SDS designs – mainly focused on smaller craft, the reactor cores of the Mandator and its predecessors were SFS designs. Anakin had always wondered what someone like Raith Sienar was like, and how he came up with his designs and innovations, and now the man was reaching out to meet Cam!

"I'm honoured that someone as important and respected as Raith Sienar wishes to meet me," Cam replied, keeping remarkably calm for someone learning they were meeting one of the most powerful, and in Anakin's mind impressive, people in the galaxy. "However, I'm curious as to why he wishes to meet a simple Jedi. At least beyond the reasons you mentioned when confirming my identity."

The woman smiled. "It would be better if Mister Sienar explained that to you personally." That was a non-answer, and Anakin hated those. However, if he was going to get to meet Raith Sienar, he could live with it.

Cam glanced at him, and Anakin nodded as slowly as he could, trying to hide his enthusiasm. He knew he'd fail as Cam would sense his excitement in the force, but he still tried to maintain as laid-back an appearance as possible. "Then, on behalf of myself and my Padawan, I accept," Cam said once he turned back to the woman.

"Excellent. I shall speak with Kuat flight control and have your flight vectors updated. While Santhe/Sienar Technologies doesn't maintain a permanent location in the Kuat System, Mister Sienar has rented a private section of the ring. One clear of the prying eyes of others."

"Provided I'm not about to step into a dispute between your boss and KDY, I'm happy to accept the altered flight plans."

The woman nodded, and Anakin sensed, even if she didn't show it, that she was impressed by Cam's response. "I assure you that there is nothing nefarious nor political about the invitation, Master Jedi. Mister Sienar simply wishes to meet not only a member of your Order but the Hero of Naboo."

"And someone he thinks might have the ear of the Chancellor, well one of the Co-Chancellors."

"Yes, that as well," the woman's respect for Cam ticked up slightly at him, displaying more understanding of the situation. Anakin didn't care about politics, but he knew that Cam having connections with Chancellor Palpatine would mean people knew him. He'd just not expected that friendship to result in the chance to meet Raith Sienar!

"Then I look forward to meeting your employer. I await the new flight details, though I hope Mister Sienar won't find my presence, and my lack of understanding about starships, or galactic politics disappointing."

"I assure you that Mister Sienar finds politics as distasteful as you, Master Jedi. He simply wishes to enjoy the company of a famous member of your Order." The console pinged, indicating it had received the new data. "You should have the new coordinates?" Cam nodded. "Then I, and my employer, await your arrival."

The signal cut out, and Anakin leapt. "Woo-hoo!"

"I take it you're excited about this?"

Anakin stared at Cam in disbelief. "Yes! Raith Sienar is one the greatest designers of starships alive today! And he wants to meet us!"

"Yes, he does. And by a chance of fate, SDS is one of the companies I have on my list for speaking to about upgrading Raven. Or at least seeing if it was possible to do so without hurting her." The lights in the cockpit flickered and Anakin sensed Raven's concern. "Don't worry," Cam said, placing his hand – the flesh and blood one – on a section of organic panelling. "I…" He glanced at Anakin. "We won't let anyone hurt you."

"Yeah, that's right," Anakin added, and the lights pulsed as Raven relaxed.

"Now, before we meet Sienar, I need you to be mindful of your words and actions," Cam continued now that Raven's concern was soothed. "As I said, his name, and that of SDS, were on the list given to me by Alor Dred. However, he was meant to be on Coruscant. While his presence here shouldn't suggest something is wrong, I want you to behave when we meet him."

"Yes sir," Anakin replied, even snapping off a joking salute.

Cam rolled his eyes at the action. "If we have time, which I doubt, then you can ask him a few questions about starships. But only if I allow it."

Anakin nodded rapidly. He'd behave. He would. Otherwise, Cam wouldn't let him ask his questions. The problem was he had so many questions he wanted to ask Raith kriffing Sienar that it would be hard to settle on just two or three.

… …

… …
(Cam's POV)
"Now, remember, best behaviour," I reminded Anakin as we walked down the corridor toward our meeting with Raith Sienar. However, unlike what I'd expected when his assistant had called us, we hadn't landed in a private dock, but aboard Sienar's personal cruiser, The Pride of Tion.

From the outside, the ships seemed relatively nondescript. The framework was one designed by Sienar Fleet Systems and appeared unimportant, bar the paint job which marked the ship as very clearly belonging to Santhe/Sienar Technologies. Near the bridge, under the logo for the main company, a smaller logo for Sienar Design Systems, the cutting-edge research branch that Raith had headed up until assuming full control of the company after his father's death six years ago, at the age of just twenty-two.

"I know," Anakin replied with a touch of annoyance. That was entirely unsurprising as I'd made the point to him nearly a dozen times since we'd first spoken to Sienar's assistant. She had met us when we docked with The Pride of Tion, and I'd learnt her name without the need to use Observe. I still had, of course, to see if it gave me any insight into Arle Keer, but nothing stood out beyond a faint hint of attraction. However, I didn't need Observe to sense that, and while there was little outward sign of that attraction, I still played into it while she gave us a tour of the Sienar flagship.

Well, she gave one to me and Anakin. Simvyl remained with Raven, while I'd insisted that HK and Fenrir stay behind lest they cause a scene either through an unadvised comment or action. R2 was given the chance to come with, but the astromech decided to remain on Raven as well.

The tour of the ship was, after a little over forty minutes, finally over and Keer was escorting us to the formal reception and dining section of the cruiser to meet Sienar.

What stood out, as we moved through the corridors, was that while the ship was decorated to an exceptionally high standard, nothing felt extravagant or over-the-top. Yes, the carpets we were treading on were, according to Keer, Wrodian carpets, with each section taking generations to produce. While sections of the corridors held displays of wealth, not every surface was covered with or held a podium for a work of art. Some even held models of vessels that Santhe/Sienar had a hand in developing.

Anakin had loved those, seemingly knowing every model, much to Keer's amusement, and happily answered any question the boy had, though, for a few, she had to turn to a datapad that was constantly in her arms.

The doors of the cruiser were made of chromium, with platinum edging and finishes, which I didn't particularly like as it made them seem like giant mirrors which blinded you if the bright overhead lighting caught them at the wrong angle. They did, however, have the effect of making each corridor seem larger than it was, which I had to believe was intended.

As we neared the meeting, my mind once more played over the chances of meeting one of the names at the top of Alor Dred's list. I understood that the Force tended to place me where it felt I needed to be, but this might be the first time it had – if it had been involved – ensured that I got what I wanted. Still, even accounting for the slight increase in my LUCK, I found it odd that the head of Santhe/Sienar Technologies, which was based in the Tion Cluster, would be met at Kuat. Even if they often collaborated on ship construction and design, SST and KDY were competitors in many of the same fields, so the chances of the head of SST being at Kuat when arrived were slim enough to have not been considered by me when I'd plotted our course for KDY.

As we rounded a corner, I glanced down at Anakin. His eyes were still wide, taking in everything around him, which made sense. Not only was Sienar something of an idol for my Ad, but this was his first official meeting as my Padawan. I'd gone over the rules of what was permissible before we'd left Raven and even reminded him gently at times during our tour. So far, bar his need to point things out and ask questions, he was doing well.

Keer stooped as we reached a set of doors. Unlike many of the others we'd come across, these were considerably larger, and decorated with engravings and inlaid with gems. The display was a touch gaudy to me, but if this was a room used for high-level meetings with VVIPs, then the display made sense.

"Mister Sienar will meet you inside once he has concluded his business," Keer said as he tapped a button on her datapad. The door slid open, exposing a large, almost cavernous room. "If you have any requests, be it for some food and drink or otherwise, please don't hesitate to ask one of the service droids."

"We will," I replied, placing a hand on Anakin's shoulder to stop him from racing into the room to examine the droids. "Thank you for the pleasure of your company," I added with a nod and wide smile.

Keer smiled back and returned the nod. Her outward response was otherwise calm but even with my connection to the Force dulled, I could feel her small interest. I wasn't planning to bed her, but there was no harm in being polite with the help, especially when it was as attractive as Keer.

Anakin raced into the room the moment I released my hold on him, and I chuckled. "Children these days," I said with a shrug before following him into the room. Keer remained behind, but I could feel her eyes upon me as the doors closed between us.

The room was large, with the ceiling two decks, perhaps three, above us. Murals of starships in motion, several of which I recognized as being made, or at least partially made, were dotted around sufficiently to make clear the importance of who we were about to meet. The walls themselves were dark blue, though they didn't appear to be painted but instead, some sort of decoration, while the floor was covered in a dark green carpet that, when combined with the walls, reminded me of an ocean.

In the centre of the room was a large circular table made of wood that reminded me of mahogany. Seats of the same wood, but with cushions of a similar shade to the carpet ringed the table, with each space – which was wide enough for three people to eat comfortably – having plates and cutlery made of either silver or platinum, while in the middle a large crystal starship dominated proceedings, though it wasn't of a size that it would prevent those on opposite sides of the table from seeing and speaking with each other.

"This place is wizard!" Anakin called out, his voice echoing around the room. He turned to me, his arms and with a wide smile, only to stop as I stared at him.

"What did I just say?" I asked as I walked toward him.

"Ah, right," his arms fell to his side while the smile shrunk. "Sorry. It's just that this place is amazing!"

"Yes it is," I said as I placed my artificial hand on his shoulder. "However, you need to remember that not only are you representing the Jedi Order, but our clan. As it's Alor, your failures reflect on me and may make others question our right to be in places such as this."

Perhaps it was a little underhanded to emphasise both roles we currently filled, as Jedi and Mandalorians, but I knew that Anakin had started placing more importance on the latter. Especially now that he was, to any Mando'ade we met, my son. I wasn't comfortable with thinking of him in that way, at least not often, but I expected that would change over the next few years.

"Yes sir, sorry." He looked down at the carpet and lightly shuffled his feet.

"I understand your excitement, but you need to learn to control it, not let it control you." I removed my hand and looked toward the table, wondering what ship the crystal was meant to represent. "Emotions aren't a bad thing, but you need to think before you act. Particularly when around powerful figures such as Raith Sienar."

"That is a title that could apply to you as well, Master Jedi." I turned at the voice, not having caught the faint sound of a door opening, to see a man entering. He'd come into the room from one of a half-dozen smaller doors that dotted the room, and I knew this was our host.

Raith Sienar moved closer, extending a hand as I noted his clothing. While it was of high quality, much like the decorations of this cruiser, it wasn't over-the-top or gaudy. "I'm sorry if I kept you waiting," he said as he extended his hand, "but an important matter of business ran longer than I'd anticipated."

"We've only just arrived," I replied as we shook hands. "That you're willing to meet us at all means waiting is a trivial matter. Someone in your position would, I imagine, find a hundred little matters daily that weren't intended but require your presence." As I spoke, I used Observe to get an understanding of the man, having to trust it alone for now until I felt comfortable using the Force in a complementary manner.

Raith Sienar
Race: Human
Level: 31
Health: 96% (Lack of sleep)
Age: 28
Force Potential: Low
Threat Potential: Low
Reputation: Neutral
Affiliation Loyalty: Raith Sienar (100%)
Emotional State: Curious
Raith is interested in meeting Jedi: particularly the one behind the recent liberation of Naboo and who has a direct connection to the co-Chancellors.
However, that interest is overridden by his desire to examine your starship.
He believed that all Sekotan vessels had failed several years ago and that yours is still working has greatly intrigued him.
...

Nothing there stood out, bar perhaps him knowing of my connection to Damask. Though that might just be him thinking my friendship with Palpatine would allow access to the Munn as well. A starship designer such as him being interested in Raven wasn't a surprise, and should, in theory, make it easier to discover what, if any upgrades were possible for her.

"Yes, that is sadly true. And while many of those issues require a personal touch, most can be delegated to my assistants or others beneath me," Raith replied, keeping an open, friendly smile on his face as we stopped shaking hands. "Something the Jedi are also known to do."

I chuckled at the comment. "I'm not sure many Jedi would phrase it that way, but you're not wrong. Many, if not most of the Order focus their attention inward on the connection we share with the Force than on the day-to-day activities of those living in the galaxy."

"While I know little about the workings of the Jedi, I do feel that many in the Republic have turned against the Jedi because of their apparent disinterest in others. Though that doesn't apply to you, does it?" he stepped back and seemed to take a second look at me. "The Hero of Naboo; a man whose name is on the lips of figures of power throughout the galaxy, including, from what I understand, that of our new co-Chancellors. One of whom hails from the very world you liberated." He smiled and shook his head. "If you were anyone but a Jedi, many would suspect your actions of having political intentions behind them," he added, gesturing toward the table.

"As I've told others, including Chancellor Palpatine, I have no interest nor patience for politics and would prefer to face off against armies of battledroids than the Senate."

"A wise choice. I personally cannot stand dealing with those who say one thing yet mean entirely another." He turned at that and looked at Anakin. "And who might you be?"

"Anakin Skywalker, nice to meet you!" Anakin blurted out as he took and shook Sienar's hand before it was fully extended.

"You'll have to forgive my Padawan," I began as Sienar smiled at the boy's exuberance. "He has an interest in starship and droid design and so greatly admires you."

"Oh, is that so?" Sienar looked back at Anakin and laughed. "I never thought I'd meet a Jedi who was a fan of my work. I'd have thought you spent more time thinking about the Force than caring about how a starship works."

"I only recently became a Jedi," Anakin said quickly as he released Sienar's hand, a slightly sheepish look my way coming before he continued. "Before that, I helped my mo… others repair and improve the various starships we had. And I helped with Cam's arm!"

Sienar turned to me, an eyebrow rising in curiosity. After giving Anakin a look, suggesting I'd be talking with him about giving away such information so freely, I pulled the glove over the limb, exposing the now black beskar that covered the replacement.

"Hmm, interesting." Sienar took a step closer, his hands moving toward mine, only for him to stop. "May I?" He asked, to which I nodded and as he lifted my hand, I used the other to pull back my robe, exposing the rest of the device. "This appears to be of Adasca design, though I believe I see hints of Xi Char philosophy in the way the sections flow together." Sienar was talking more to himself than us as his fingers moved over the surface of the limb. I knew where he was touching based on sensors in the limb, but only the hand provided more than a general sense of where I was being touched. After spending some time examining the arm with his hands and eyes, he looked at me. "An impressive piece of technology. One that, if I am correct, was rumoured to have been commissioned by Chancellor Palpatine less than two weeks after the liberation of Naboo."

"It was. While I didn't ask or expect it, I'd be a fool to turn down a work of art such as this design, which came from Hakan Ron of Adasca," I added, confirming Sienar's suspicion. "The beskar was a personal touch I arranged through contacts I have in the sector."

"Impressive that they allowed it. The Mandalorians are famously jealous of allowing anyone outside their cultures access to beskar, let alone to use it." He looked me over, wondering what I'd done to earn that right. "I'm sure there is a story there, as to how you became such a respected friend of the Chancellor. Still, I admit I'm more curious about how a Jedi lost an arm. While not invincible, I've been led to believe that defeating a member of your Order is extremely difficult."

"While Jedi aren't as they're often portrayed in the media," that drew a chuckle from Raith, "and we are highly skilled, we are still mortal and can be overwhelmed."

"Yes, I suspect that's true." Sienar returned his focus to Anakin. "Now, young one, might I ask where you studied and what sort of vessels you've worked on?"

"I, um, I learnt from my m-mother." The stutter when mentioning Shmi was understandable, though Sienar wouldn't catch the meaning behind it. "After Cam freed us from slavery, we joined the Lokella, and I got to work with them on their starships. Those varied from freighters to corvettes and even a few larger vessels."

"The Lokella?" Sienar glanced at me. "I don't believe I've heard of them before."

"It's a group of former slaves who formed a community and work to free other slaves." I kept my reply short, not wanting to dwell on the Lokella. While it was unlikely Sienar had connections with the Hutts, I couldn't discount it as those grubby slugs had their hands in many pots.

"Cam founded the Lokella!" Anakin blurted out, wanting to make me sound grander to one of his idols, and in the process, ruining my intentions of keeping the Lokella far from Sienar's thoughts. "It's because of him that they have so many ships and weapons."

"I just gave them the means to remain free," I added quickly, not wanting Sienar to probe much further. "What they've done since then is entirely on them, and I'm reasonably certain Raith Sienar didn't invite me here to discuss the actions of a minor group of former slaves."

Anakin frowned at my blunt dismissal of the Lokella, and I knew I'd have to explain my logic here to him later. For now, I kept my focus on Sienar, and his on me. Our time here was going to be limited, and I needed to get down to my reason for wanting to meet him; something he shared. At least according to Observe.

"While I admit I'd love to hear more, you are correct." Sienar again gestured to the table, and we began the short walk toward it. "I admit that while I, like many, am curious about your Order, and had hoped to speak to one of your Order for some time now. At least outside an official capacity. That I get that chance with the Jedi that dominates the airwaves, the Hero of Naboo, is an unexpected pleasure." An amused smile spread on his face. "Especially when, while reviewing the Holonet, I saw images of the Mandalorian dreadnought in orbit over Naboo along with three captured Lucrehulks." I reached the table, but I waited until Sienar was at his seat as it was bad manners to sit without the host's permission. "While the design lacks grace and style, it more than makes up for in function. At least given the number and variety of weapons that appear to be on its hull. Something that, unless I miss my guess, violates the Ruusan Reformation."

He reached his seat at that point and gestured for us to sit, and after I'd done so, I replied, "The Ne'tra Tal'ade is a relic of the New Sith Wars. Or it was," I chuckled, as did Sienar. "I can't comment on its payload, but I suspect that many in the Senate are concerned to see it combat-ready and violating a ruling that the Mandalorians never agreed to."

"Indeed, the mere presence of such a vessel likely stirs concerns of a Mandalorian resurgence across the galaxy," He acknowledged.

"The Mandalorians of today differ greatly from those of the ancient Crusades," I interjected, a hint of defensiveness creeping into my tone as I spoke on behalf of my people. "While many still yearn for war, our society is fragmented. It has been centuries since a new Mand'alor, a true leader, emerged. The galaxy has little to fear from us, at least for now."

"I meant no offence to your people or their traditions," Sienar quickly clarified, his hand raised in a conciliatory gesture. "I was merely agreeing with your assessment of how various groups, like the Cathar, might react to a Mandalorian warship near a Republic planet. Chancellor Palpatine has addressed such concerns by publicly expressing gratitude for Mandalorian assistance in liberating Naboo. I've heard rumours that he's even granted Mandalorians safe passage in their system. And with Magister Damask now co-Chancellor, I suspect this issue will fade from the forefront, except for the most ardent supporters of the Reformation."

"While the Reformation may have been a necessary political manoeuvre, I believe it was overly restrictive in its scope. The Mandator class, for instance, seems crippled compared to what it should be."

Sienar's smile in response to my critique was unexpected. "It's not often I encounter a Jedi with such views, but I've heard you're anything but typical. But enough about politics and my reasons for inviting you aboard my starship; shall we dine as we continue our discussion?"

"It would be our pleasure, Mr. Sienar," I replied graciously.

"Please, call me Raith," he insisted, his hands coming together in a light clap. "I dislike formal titles; they make me feel older than I am." I couldn't help but smirk at that. It echoed my sentiments about being addressed as a Master Jedi, especially since I hadn't truly earned that title.

"In that case, Raith, please call me Cam, and my Padawan here is Anakin," I suggested, nodding towards my apprentice as a few droids approached. Initially, they seemed like standard service droids, but upon closer inspection, it was clear they'd been customized to serve as waiters and mobile trolleys.

"Care for a drink, sir?" A droid with a copper hue, resembling C-3PO, inquired in a feminine voice as it approached, bearing a tray with three bottles. "Today's selections include Domaine de la Maison sur le Lac, Chandrilan Honey-Rose, or Hapan Gold."

"As much as I've developed a taste for Maison sur le Lac, I wouldn't mind trying something different. How about the Honey-Rose?" I mused aloud.

Maison sur le Lac was a prestigious wine from Naboo, one I'd often enjoyed in conversations with Palpatine. At two thousand credits per bottle, or so it was priced before the invasion, it stood firmly in the upper echelons of Republic wines. I recalled indulging in the fruity libation during Naboo's liberation celebration, seated beside Padmé and Palpatine at the heart of the festivities.

The Council hadn't been thrilled about that, but apart from fulfilling my duties as a focal point, I relished the meal and the company. Palpatine might be my adversary in the grand scheme, but he was a captivating conversationalist, and I considered him a friend—so long as I harboured no doubts about his true intentions and plans.

"An excellent choice," Raith commended as the droid poured the Honey-Rose into my glass. "I prefer the Hapan Gold. And what of your Padawan?"

Anakin shrunk into his chair when I looked at him. "Perhaps one glass," I said with a smile. He might be young, but he was a Jedi and Mando'ade, and I didn't want him to feel left out. "Though he'll sip it slowly and if he doesn't enjoy the taste, ask for something else."

Anakin looked at the droid as it moved closer. "Um, could I try the Domaine?"

I watched in amusement as Anakin watched the wine enter his glass while taking a sniff of my wine. It had a stronger scent than the Naboo wine and was a deep burgundy whereas the Maison sur le Lac was purple.

"Now, while we wait for my chefs to create something for us," I suspected they already had the meal planned out to a T. "Perhaps I might know more about you and your Padawan? Starting, if I might, with your unusual vessel."

I took a sip of the wine, savouring the sweet taste that it brought forth. After swallowing, and getting a slightly flowery aftertaste, I responded to Raith's statement. "You may, but I can't say how much detail my answer will contain."

Raith laughed and raised his glass to me. "A wise and intelligent answer. I see your friendship with Chancellor Palpatine has taught you at least the basics of the game?" I raised my glass to confirm his suspicion. "Such behaviour adds fuel to the rumours I've heard of your position in the corridors of power. While you're young, your name and recent feats – I'm aware you were part of the diplomatic team that negotiated on Zygerria – have many I know wondering if you might seek political office."

"Rules forbid a Jedi from being Chancellor."

"Yes, but only the Chancellor. Not, from what my lawyers have told me, from other positions of importance in the Republic. Perhaps not even from becoming co-Chancellor."

"I've often told Chancellor Palpatine that I'd rather face a rancor in combat than wade into politics," I remarked with a wry grin.

Raith chuckled in agreement. "Indeed! Rancors can be more agreeable than some Senators." Anakin's sudden cough into his glass drew our attention, and he visibly shrank in his seat.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

Raith waved off the apology. "No need to apologize. Might I inquire about the rumours regarding your familial ties to Chancellor Palpatine?"

I chuckled at the question, taking another sip of the Chandrilan wine before responding. Though different from Naboo's offering, it was a delightful beverage. I entertained the idea of acquiring a few bottles for storage aboard the Raven if I could find a suitable broker. Personally, I preferred ne'tra gal or a robust ale or lager, but I understood that not everyone shared my tastes.

"I was born on Talravin, but the records of my birth were altered for a mission where I had to pose as a distant nephew of the then Senator Palpatine. I'm surprised the records weren't changed back, but I suspect that the new Chancellor has likely used that connection to curry some favour with Senators predisposed toward the Jedi."

"I would be shocked if he hasn't. Just as I, if you'll permit it, might mention that we're acquainted with each other."

"I see no issues with you doing so. So long as I might do likewise when your name might open a door that would otherwise remain closed."

Raith stared at me for a moment before shaking his head and laughing gently. "You claim to not wish to play the game, yet understand how it works, and at such a young age as well. You are quite unlike anything I expected from a Jedi."

"Why be like everyone else when I can simply be me," I said in response, which drew a round of applause.

"Yes! Exactly!" Raith took a sip of his wine before he spoke again. "Now, dropping politics and such discussions, at least for now, your vessel has intrigued me ever since I saw it dock." He leaned forward, placing his glass on the table. "Unless I'm grossly mistaken, it was designed and built by the shipbuilders of Zonama Sekot.

"She was," I replied slowly, making it seem I was uncertain how he knew that. While Observe had told me he was interested in her, that he knew of Sekot, at least concerning starship design, made sense. That said, there was a faint sense in the Force that his interest went beyond the professional.

"Then I must ask how exactly it… sorry, she is still flying. I know of several individuals who possessed a ship built by the Sekotans, but around two years ago, if the rumours and snippets of information I've collected are accurate, every single vessel they'd built stopped working. The vessels, as incredible as it sounds, seemed to wither and die."

"I can't go into full details, as the Jedi Council have instructed me to not do so, but I'll reveal what I can." I knew I had Raith's interest, and was quickly determining the best way to use that to my advantage. "There was an incident on the planet as you say about two years ago. The incident was handled, but as we were leaving the planet aboard Raven, something unexpected happened. I don't know exactly what caused the issue, which you're saying happened to every vessel the Sekotan had built, but I felt Raven dying. Due to luck, perhaps some skill, and doing something my Master disapproved of with the Force, I was able to save her, and in the process, save the life of myself, my Master, and those with us."

Raith held my gaze for a while as if searching for what I wasn't saying. "Then it seems the rumours I've heard are true. The Jade Raven is, like other Sekotan vessels, partially organic."

"She is."

Raith leaned back, one hand coming up to rub his chin. "I can't claim to be an expert about the Force, but I understand that it exists in all living things." I nodded, confirming that. "Hmm, then you using the Force to save her makes, from what little I understand, sense. Something that, because they weren't trained as Jedi, none of the other owners of a Sekotan ship could achieve."

"That would be my assumption as well," I said, enjoying talking with Raith. He wasn't what I expected, at least not from the head of one of the largest companies in the galaxy. His interest in Raven made more sense now, and I didn't need the Force or Observe to know his interest in Raven was genuine, and based on a need to understand something unique in his field of interest. "The planet held some form of connection to every ship built there, and when whatever it was that happened, those vessels, for lack of a better term, died."

I'd continue to dance around what had happened on Sekot, but Raith had a far clearer understanding of everything that resulted because of the Vong attacking and then Sekot leaving than I'd expect anyone without official knowledge to have. Perhaps, with his position, he could be brought in on the truth regarding the Vong. The only downside of that would be bringing the man to the full attention of Palpatine and Damask.

He should already be on their radar for the buildup of forces they'd need for the Clone Wars, but I couldn't be sure if it was Raith, and through him, Santhe/Sienar Technologies, that much of the GAR or CIS technology came from. Or if he was a minor player in their plans, and by bringing him to their attention regarding the Vong I'd alter things in ways that would make my mission that much harder. Such as Damask becoming co-Chancellor.

That risk lay with every name Dred had given me, but Raith was one of the more powerful and prominent on that list. Which made this conversation, as oddly enjoyable as it was, far riskier than I'd expected.

"Then, with the Sekotans no longer producing vessels, and all other ships they have manufactured, for lack of a better term, dead, the Jade Raven is one-of-a-kind. There are many, both public figures and those working in the underworld, who would want such a vessel for themselves. Not that I'm one of those, I assure you," he added quickly as Anakin tensed.

"That is a wise decision," I said calmly, having used Observe to confirm he was honest in his assessment. If he hadn't been, then I'd be forced to see just what happened when I used the Force without much ability to control it. "And one I believe to be true."

"I'm relieved to hear you say that. Truly I am. However, while I have no interest in attempting to take the vessel from you, lest I anger both the Jedi and the Chancellor, I wish to ask if, perhaps, I might be allowed to examine your vessel more closely."

Even without the Force and Observe I could see the interest he held toward Raven. "Amusingly," I began as I smirked, "I had planned to seek out those with an interest in examining Raven. Your name was on that list, though I had little expectation of meeting you, it seems the Force felt that we should meet." Raith's brow rose, curiosity easy to see. "While Raven is an exceptional vessel, one I would, if you're interested, be willing to allow you a flight upon, her builders had a strict no-weapons policy. While for most of my work, that is fine, I seemed to encounter hostile situations at a higher rate than even other members of my Order. I'm unsure if weaponry can be added to her without hurting her, I hope to examine my options to increase her survivability."

"Yes, I see what you mean by the Force bringing us together. Most serendipitous but exhilarating." He laughed gently and then lifted his glass. "I eagerly accept your offer of a flight aboard the Raven and offer both myself and the minds at my company's most advanced research laboratories to examine if your wonderous ship might be improved upon."

I lifted my glass, and we clinked them together, confirming the deal, or at least the framework of one. We both knew there was more to be sorted out, but for now, we had an accord.

Just after that, the doors on one side of the room opened, and a trio of droids rolled in. Each carried several plates and behind them came another three models of protocol droids. The aromas from the plates reached us, and Anakin's stomach grumbled loudly, making Raith and me laugh.

"Perhaps," he started as the food reached us, "while we eat, I might ask some questions of a technical nature. That way I can get an inclination toward what Raven is capable of and what you're looking to improve upon."

"Of course. And once we're finished, provided your stomach can take it, I'd be happy to show you just what Raven is capable of when pushed." If things went well, that would be the first of several flights Raith Sienar would take aboard Raven, and I was sure that Raven would want to show off. She might not be sentient in a way many could understand, but she had a sense of pride and proving herself to others was something I felt she'd enjoy doing. Particularly if it led to her being improved without being hurt.

The hyperdrive and various other components the Sekotans had used in her construction were some of the most expensive units on the market, but someone like Raith Sienar would have, in theory, access to parts that weren't currently publicly available. Nor might they ever be so. However, if I could get one or two of those added or swapped into Raven, without hurting her that is, then I'd be more than willing to do so. And if the cost for that was acting as a personal pilot for Raith for a few weeks, and letting him experience Raven's full capabilities, it would be a price worth paying.

Even if, I suspected, I could afford some, if not most, of the parts.

… …

… …
A/N: Sometimes, even when you don't intend to alter events, you do.
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This story is cross-posted on Fanfiction.net, Archive of our Own, and Royal Road.
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USSExplorer · May 31, 2024

/N: Thanks to those helping me write and plan out this story and checking it for continuality and logical errors.

This chapter was released as an Early Bird on the story's Discord server (link at the end of the chapter) several weeks ago to those who are active on the server.
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NOTICE: This chapter was delayed due first to real-life issues, and then someone complaining about false information in the story on another site where I post. I thus had to discuss the matter with their moderators and alter significant sections of Book 2 to align with the rules of their site. Frankly, said rules are pedantic at best, but it is what it is.

3.03: Upgrades and Training
… …

The day following our dinner with Raith Sienar, I was sitting in the cockpit of Raven, accessing the Holonet communication system. We'd just returned to the Pride of Tion after I'd given Raith a short flight aboard Raven. To say he'd enjoyed it would be an understatement, and he'd marvelled at how responsive she was to my commands as I had her ducking, dodging, and weaving around his cruiser and a few other nearby vessels.

There'd been a complaint from Kuat Fleet Defence, and while Raith had calmed their nerves about my rather eccentric flying, we'd still had to cut the flight short. However, before Raith had departed, he'd asked – though I'd have classed it as begging if he had less refinement – for another flight once we left the Kuat system.

I'd agreed, and he'd been quick to promise both his expertise and the most cutting-edge researchers and designers under his command – who worked for a sub-company called Sienar Advanced Projects Laboratory – would analyse Raven and see what advances could be applied to her without causing her harm. Haran, before he'd left, he'd spoken to Raven directly to make that clear, and she'd responded positively to his vow.

We wouldn't be leaving immediately, as Raith had formal business to attend to with Kuat Drive Yards and a few other companies with operations in the Kuat system. Until we did leave, Anakin and I had almost free reign of the cruiser, with Arle Keer assigned to help us settle in. The assistant was with Anakin, taking him to a private room on the Tion where my Padawan could examine the design specs of several older models of vessels built by SST.

While that gave me some private time aboard Raven, I felt Raith was doing it as a test. I'd caught him being impressed by Anakin's knowledge and understanding of technical matters that he'd spoken of. I understood some of it, but Anakin was a savant when it came to technology, and it appeared that Raith had noticed this. While I hoped he didn't think he could poach Anakin from me, I was more than willing to allow the man the chance to push Anakin in a way I never could.

With this private time available, and suspecting that where we were going would have restricted access to the Holonet, I wanted to check in with Serra. It'd been about a month and a half since Naboo, and while I'd spoken with her a few times after the death of Drallig while we'd both still been on the planet, I'd been reluctant to reach out since.

While most of that came from taking Natural Selection, and fearing that, even at this distance, she'd sense the change in me just as Anakin had, much came from knowing she'd need time to grieve privately. She might be more emotional than many Jedi our age, but she was still a member of the Order and I know most people preferred quiet solitude to mourn the death of a family member, which, while not official, was what Drallig was to Serra.

A beep from the communication console indicated the signal had connected with the Temple and I waited for someone to answer my call.

"Knight Shan," a Rodian I'd never met before said after appearing as a hologram at the console, "how may I be of assistance?"

The computer terminal the Rodian was using would have noted the unique identifier code I'd sent with my signal, and with the holograms active, confirmed that I matched visual records. However, since he wasn't in robes, I suspected he was one of the myriad of sentients that worked in the Temple as staff, most having jobs that the Jedi either couldn't or didn't want.

"I was hoping to speak with Padawan Serra Keto."

"One moment." The Rodian looked down, accessing their terminal to locate where Serra was. "I'm sorry," he continued after looking up, "but Padawan Keto is currently unavailable. Not only do the records state she's in a training session, but her Master has requested that she not be contacted by any outside the Temple until he is comfortable that she has properly processed the death of Master Drallig, and released her burden into the Force."

I frowned, as even if I'd half-expected something like this, I didn't like it. The decision to prevent contact with any outside the Temple was, in my mind, a clear attempt to cut her off from me and others she might speak with, such as Padmé or Bo. Now, Padmé could, in theory, push the matter, but I doubted she would, thus Serra would be isolated from 'outside influences' allowing whoever her new Master was to reaffirm her commitment to the Order. "Understandable, but might I ask who her new Master is?" The odds were it was some random Jedi I knew only by name as I had a list in my head of about thousands, perhaps up to half, of Jedi, but at least that would give me someone to contact later if I wished to speak with my friend.

"Padawan Keto's training is to be completed by Master Windu."

"Oh." The response slipped from me before I could hide my shock and surprise. While Serra learning from one of the best in the Order was a relief, that it was the Master of the Order, and thus head of the Council, was something I was unsure about. While, in recent years Windu had been more supportive of my choices and actions, such as approving of my actions to help protect a member world of the Republic, my methods weren't choices he agreed with. "That's, um, unexpected. I hadn't thought a member of the Council would move to finish her training."

The Rodian nodded. "Yes, from what I've heard through the grapevine," I smirked at the reference to even the Jedi Temple having a rumour mill, "many are surprised by the choice. Master Windu hasn't taken a Padawan since Master Billaba, and many felt he'd not take another. Yet, he was a friend of Master Drallig, so perhaps he took over Padawan Keto's training to finish Master Drallig's final legacy."

"That makes sense," I replied, keeping my internal thoughts regarding Mace Windu finishing Serra's training to myself. When Drallig had arrived on Naboo, I'd been concerned that Serra's actions would see her reprimanded, if not sanctioned, by either the High Council or the Council of First Knowledge. I'd thought Drallig's death might mitigate that issue, but it seemed I'd been wrong, and now Master Windu was taking a personal interest in Serra's education.

While there were a lot of negatives to draw from that, the one major positive was that alongside Dooku, and the recently killed Master Bondara, Windu was regarded as one of the finest Jedi blade masters of their generation, perhaps even of the last millennium. Serra's training would be far more focused and advanced than what she'd have gotten from Drallig, who had to split her training alongside that of every Initiate, Youngling, Padawan, and even some Knights.

"Would you like me to connect you with Master Windu?" the Rodian asked.

"No, that won't be necessary," I replied without making it too obvious I didn't want to speak to a member of the Council. Beyond his concerns that I was too close to the various figures of power on and from Naboo – something that the gifting of a villa in Naboo's Lake District would only increase if he learnt of it – there was the change I'd undergone. It was possible that, at the distance between us, and with our weaker connection than what I shared with Serra, he'd not sense the shift in my Force presence. However, I felt it was unwise to test that theory.

"Could you connect me with Padawan Zill instead?" I asked, figuring I could check in with Tedra while also getting a connection to Serra via someone in the Temple. I could've chosen to speak with someone like Aayla or Sia-Lan, but neither was as loyal to me as Tedra was. So much so, that the last time I met her and used Observe – which was about three months before Naboo – her loyalty to me easily trumped that toward the Jedi or Lokella by significant margins.

"One moment." Again, I waited for the Rodian to check on a location. "Padawan Zill is currently not, according to my records, occupied. She is, however, located with her Master in one of the various training rooms. Would you like me to connect you with them?"

I considered the matter for a moment. "Please." While Tedra's Master was a highly skilled Jedi, she wasn't on the level of a Council member, at least not yet. The only concern was that my bond with this Master was higher than that of Windu, so she might sense the change. Still, I felt better about successfully lying to her than Windu.

The hologram of the Rodian disappeared, and I was left waiting until, perhaps a minute later, two figures replaced the Rodian in the holographic display.

"Cam!" Tedra called out excitedly, only to calm herself when her Master, Shaak Ti, placed a hand on her shoulder. "I… I mean Knight Shan, it's good to see you again."

"You as well, Tedra, though I see you still have to work on tempering your emotions."

She scoffed. "Look who's talking," she muttered, though with a small smile. One shared by Shaak Ti. "We've all heard about your actions rushing into the fray on Naboo."

"Yes, that choice, and the allies you brought, caused quite a stir among certain elements of the Order," Shaak Ti added in a friendly, unchallenging tone. "Though given the hurried nature of the need for support, and the Council determining the matter wasn't one to concern the Order, I cannot fault your choices. Nor their effectiveness."

"Thank you, Master," I said, dropping my head slightly to accept the praise. Shaak Ti might've been a dedicated Jedi, but she did favour unconventional methods. Something I'd experienced firsthand during my brief time working and training with her. Dooku had even commented that, if not for her peculiar desire to insult the Form with the erratic add-on of Ataru, he would consider her one of the foremost practitioners of Makashi in the Order.

"While we are both pleased you survived those battles relatively unharmed, I can sense something has changed within you. Beyond the wound you suffered."

I grinned at Shaak Ti's way of getting to the heart of the matter without directly doing so. "My injury is one I gladly paid to ensure people would remain free, and I have already procured a replacement," I replied, lifting my artificial hand into sight. "However," I continued, not letting the matter dwell on that, or where it came from, "you are correct in that I'd changed. Thanks to events in that battle, I have seen how to overcome my shortcomings."

I stayed vague as I wasn't sure if she knew about my battle with Maul, though I was certain Tedra wouldn't have spoken of it. Serra might know that Maul was there and believed that I'd killed him, but the Council had instructed us to not speak on the matter with anyone. Of course, that ruling didn't cover others, and through Padmé, and his position as Chancellor, Palpatine had become aware. At least in the official cover story. No doubt the hidden Banite Sith would think that would grant him another 'in' for turning me toward the Sith.

There was also a good chance Shaak reported what I said, and what she sensed to the Council. However, second-hand words, even from a trusted Jedi Master, were less concerning to me than having the head of the Council know directly how I'd changed.

"I don't think I'm even close to the middle of this journey, to say nothing of the end, but I feel I've taken the first steps toward overcoming my flaws," I added, making clear I wasn't arrogant enough to think I'd instantly reached the level many felt I could achieve.

Shaak's smile grew. "I'm pleased to hear that. Your technical skill is second to none, but as you're well aware, you lack faith in yourself and the Force to truly master your abilities. Perhaps when next we meet, if you've moved further down this path you now find yourself on, you might provide more of a challenge."

"I accept the offer, Master, and hope I'm able to be a worthy opponent." I'd already wondered how I could use my new limb against a Force user. I didn't think it would enable me to defeat a Jedi of Shaak's skill, never mind one who sat on the Council, but I felt it had the potential to offer me chances against others. The offer of a spar was a good one, and a challenge I looked forward to. "However, as much as I look forward to that spar, it wasn't why I contacted you and Tedra." I paused, taking a moment to consider my words. "I had hoped to speak with Padawan Keto. I haven't seen her since Naboo, and I'm concerned about how she's recovering from the death of Master Drallig."

"And with Master Windu limiting her contact with others, you weren't able to, and thus turned to common friends in the hope of receiving an update?" Shaak responded. I nodded, taking in the information that the ban on contact wasn't aimed at just those outside the Temple, and thus, in my mind, directly toward me. "Then I shall enquire with Master Windu as to her status and forward a report to you if able."

"Thank you."

"Since I am otherwise unoccupied, I shall handle it now, though I believe my Padawan would enjoy speaking with you while I make my inquiries." I nodded in thanks as Shaak turned to Tedra. "I will, however, remind you that you have a class with Master Gaant in thirty minutes regarding philosophy. I hope you won't be late for it again."

"Yes, Master," Tedra replied a little sheepishly. I remembered Master Gaant's classes, though I wished I didn't. Those had been extremely dull and boring sessions, even if, in theory, the topic matter might stimulate young minds. Or at least the minds of those indoctrinated in the Jedi beliefs and still happy guzzlers of the Kool-Aid.

"Until we next meet, may the Force be with you, Cameron."

"And with you, Master."

Shaak nodded and left the range of the receiver that she and Tedra were using. While I wanted to ask Tedra about Serra, and a few other matters that might be going on at the Temple, I felt it wiser to leave those for a little while, simply to ensure Shaak had left. "So, how's your training going?"

… …

… …
After deactivating my mother's holocron, I leaned back and sighed as I looked at the now-inert object. I'd spent the last week studying and interacting with it in the hopes it might offer me some form of insight into training with the Force. However, apart from a few minor hints – most of which I'd already deduced – I'd gotten nowhere in that regard. This holocron, unlike the vast majority of those I'd interacted with before, wasn't set up to be a study aid or research tool, but more of a personal log of Ressa Shan's life.

While the holocron hadn't helped me in the ways I'd wanted, learning of my mother's life had been illuminating. Getting some gaps regarding how the Jedi Order, the Republic, and the wider galaxy were set up and behaving thousands of years ago, barely a century after the Jedi Civil War, had been fascinating. However, it wasn't what I'd wanted to learn from the holocron.

I raised my hand, lifting the holocron gently with the Force. Of all my powers, Telekinesis came back easiest, which made sense as it was the most commonly used external power and one of the most versatile. Everything from lifting and moving an object to powers like Wave and Crush derived from Telekinesis. While I was far from getting the power back to where it'd been before, the fact I could – thanks to the intense lessons I'd endured with Dooku regarding fine control and focus – still use it for such menial tasks was a relief.

The holocron floated back to the small alcove in my cabin where I kept it stored. Once there, another small use of the Force had the alcove's front seal close, hiding the holocron behind a section of Raven's skin that ensured none who entered the room could see the alcove.

With that done, I leaned back on my bed and looked at the ceiling. It'd been a few days since the dinner with Raith Sienar had taken place, and we were now travelling aboard the Pride of Tion to a private research facility he controlled. There, according to Raith, the best engineers and researchers in the galaxy would examine Raven, without hurting her, to see what, if anything, could be done to improve and enhance her. My focus was on defensive and offensive capabilities, but I'd consider any suggestion that made her better than she already was.

We'd not left right after meeting Raith, as he'd had business to attend to in the Kuat system, but we were underway now. Plus, since the location where we were heading was a secured one, with restricted hyperspace access, Raith had offered to allow us to travel aboard his cruiser to the system. Raven disliked not being able to experience the wonders of hyperspace against her skin, nor did I as I missed being at the controls as we danced between the stars, but Anakin was happy with the change. The boy was currently off somewhere, looking over files of starship and droid design that Raith had provided to him.

The morning after that first dinner, I'd kept my word and taken Raith out for a short flight aboard Raven around the Kuat system. To say he'd been enthralled by the wonder that was Raven would be like saying a star brought light to a planet; accurate but vastly understating the importance and majesty of the event. Raith had bombarded me with questions about Raven, but I could only explain them through my connection with Raven, not in the technical way that he wanted.

Anakin had managed to answer some of the questions, but for every question that we answered, a dozen remained open. I'd been surprised at how well Anakin knew Raven's mechanical systems and learnt after that flight that he'd spent time studying her. That, given his proclivities toward technology, wasn't unexpected and I'd told him he was free to keep doing so, as long as he didn't try and take any of the components apart without first clearing it with me and Raven.

Anakin's ability to answer Raith's questions had been what led to the man developing a curiosity about Anakin, and why my Padawan was currently elsewhere studying datafiles provided by the head of SST. If I didn't know better and hadn't used Observe to confirm it, I'd fear Raith was trying to poach Anakin. He wasn't, but he saw the spark in the boy that he had, and wanted to help nurture it. So much so that the files Anakin was browsing contained proprietary technology of SST. R2 was with Anakin, helping the boy examine the files, and unless I missed my guess, suggest improvements to the designs he was examining.

That, I felt, was Raith's intention with giving the boy those files, though I'd have to see how it all played out in the coming weeks. However, it was helping Anakin improve a skill that I knew I couldn't help with, and the better trained he was – as Force use, warrior, and technician – the safer he'd be from falling into the clutches of the Banite Sith.

Fenrir was, as normal, resting and since Anakin and I were occupied, he'd taken over – again – the main sofa in the central area. Simvyl was in his quarters resting while HK had withdrawn to a private chamber. The assassin droid had enjoyed boasting of his prowess and history to Raith, at least until the man had wanted to examine HK more carefully. Since then, thanks to not wanting anyone outside my group, or his Creator, to do so, HK had kept his distance from Raith; mainly as a way to ensure he didn't choose to end the man's life.

Raith, thankfully, hadn't been upset by HK's comments, or gruff manner, and with him busy with other business most days, hadn't followed up his interest in HK. I was sure he'd had the droid scanned, but given the various jamming and distortion components in HK's frame, the internal workings of the droid would remain a mystery to Raith, along with knowledge of what HK carried in the way of hidden ordinance. Which was exactly how it should be for an assassin droid.

While it was taking longer than I'd like to reach our destination, with Anakin busy, it allowed me time to shift my focus to the various holocrons I had. So far I was finding little use for them, with my mother's holocron being the latest example of that. Sighing again, I opened my Inventory and pulled one of the various sacks stored there. It was a cheat to be able to place sacks into the slots with the sacks containing different, un-stackable objects, but it was one I was going to keep exploiting as it hadn't been removed in the last Interface update.

Placing the sack on a table, I pulled out the six holocrons that were inside it. Five of them I'd already used to see what I could do to enhance my re-learning of the Force. Four of those had been Jedi ones taken from underneath the Temple during the Cleansing the Temple quest that I'd completed years ago with Fay and Dooku. The last was one of the first holocron I'd ever gotten, having come from the Sith Apprentice I'd killed to escape my grandfather's house back, technically, nearly three thousand eight-hundred years ago.

None had offered any help in my learning, nor hinted at powers I'd not considered before the Interface had removed itself from interfering with my connection to the Force. Indeed, apart from their potential value as holocrons, and a continual curiosity as to how such things were built, they served no purpose. That logic couldn't be applied to the last holocron, and the one I was, reluctantly, going to use now.

This was King Adas' holocron, and while it looked similar to the Sith training holocron, it was something else entirely. It radiated power in a way that only the Great Holocron at the Jedi Temple could match, and even then, I'd say this holocron was older and more powerful.

The moment I took the sack out of my Inventory, I'd started hearing the whispered promises of power that the holocron wished to tempt me with. Those whispers grew into voices as I lifted the holocron with the Force, separating it from the other holocrons. The promises of answers to whatever I wanted to know were strong enough that I had to lean back once the holocron was separated from the others and collect my thoughts. The voices had always been strong, but without the Interface, I'd lost any protection it had offered against the worst elements of the Dark Side.

I took a few moments to re-centre myself, pushing aside the veiled promises of domination that the Dark Side offered. I knew this was a dangerous choice, but I needed to regain as much of my training and connection as quickly as possible. At the same time, as I focused on Adas' holocron, I understood fully just how little I truly knew of the Force, both Light and Dark and how great the protection the Interface had offered me had been. I shivered, wondering how long I'd have lasted with the Bando Gora if not for the Interface, or if I'd have made it through the war with the Vong without falling completely.

I gasped as, even with my connection limited by choice, the Force pushed images into my mind. Scenes similar to those I'd experienced in the crystal cave of Ilum rushed into my thoughts. Of seeing everyone I cared for kneeling, accepting me as their leader and master. Skulls of fallen opponents – Yoda, Windu, Sidious, Plagueis, and others – lined walls in an elaborate room as I moved toward the throne, my warriors, slaves, and concubines saluting or kneeling as I stepped toward my rightful place. I was Master of the g…

Shaking my head, I pushed the images aside, and reached inward, searching for my inner strength to settle my thoughts and guard my mind against the ravages of the Dark Side. I wasn't a conqueror or emperor. I would never be.

Once I felt calmer, the images and voices pushed back as far as I could get them, I opened my eyes and looked at Adas' holocron again. Those visions of a possible future hadn't come from it but from the swirling maelstrom of the Dark Side that radiated around it.

Reaching out with my mechanical hand, I grasped the holocron, shivering as I felt the faint tremors of the Dark Side. If I had used my organic hand, I knew I'd have either dropped the holocron, or been lost to its temptations, but the machinery and metal of the false limb offered me protection as it diluted the physical connection to the holocron.

Closing my eyes again, I reached out as carefully as I could. Pushing past the whispers and temptations that surrounded the holocron, I felt its presence in the Force. Finding it, I brushed against that and then opened my eyes, being greeted by the holographic armoured form of King Adas.

"I…" he stopped after just a word and I could tell, even with the armour hiding his visage, that he was examining me carefully. Physically and through the Force. "What has happened?"

"That easy to sense?" I replied with a chuckle as I slowly lowered the holocron onto a shelf, setting us on an equal eye line.

"For one as attuned to the intricate flows of the Force as I, sensing slight variances in the Force from lightyears away is child's play. Whatever has happened to so drastically alter the ripples you leave within the Force is something the most unskilled child could feel."

I chuckled again, remembering how Anakin had reacted to my awakening after taking Natural Selection. "In simple terms, I overcame the block that was restricting my connection to the Force. However, it came with the unexpected side effect of costing me almost all of my control."

Adas scoffed. "Saying you overcame your block is akin to suggesting the Force is a simple power source. When we began our initial lessons, I sensed the power you held was restricted; trapped in some way. Whatever was causing it was trapping the potential I knew you contained. Now that restriction is entirely gone and for the first time I find myself looking upon your true form, and indeed marvelling at what I now behold. Whereas before I could sense you as if looking at some massive, but distant galaxy, I now find myself standing within a font of power and marvelling at what I can witness. There is conflict in this galaxy, in you, and you are struggling to find yourself and bring order and structure to the chaos around you."

I blinked, wondering if he was talking about me or the galaxy we were in as his metaphor converted both. "That's… a remarkably intuitive way of describing it, though not how I'd ever expected someone to describe me."

"I'm not talking of you, child, but of your potential. Of the power that, if you choose to seize and bend it to your will, you could wield." I kept my face as passive as I could as he spoke, wondering what his true end goal was. I knew he hoped to turn me into a worthy apprentice and successor, but it felt as if there was more to his intent than simply that. However, that, like what dark secrets I could potentially learn from him, was a matter for another day, once I had control over myself, the Force, and our bond.

"Still, it is an interesting comparison, and one I won't deny is tempting. However, it isn't why I wished to speak with you today."

"Then what do you wish to discuss then?"

"I need help to focus, limit, and control the power that runs through me and into the Force." My wording was intentional as saying anything along the lines of what a Jedi Master would expect would only serve to insult him.

"Is that what you desire? Or do you seek the means to hide the power that resides, and the capability for even greater supremacy, within you? Do you not seek to mask your presence so that, to others, you appear as nothing more than a deluded follower of the Jedi's false scripture?"

"Aye," I said with a chuckle, amused at his way of describing the Jedi, "that too, I guess." It was annoying that he could so easily see through my words to the truth of my motives, but with my Force abilities all having gone haywire, it wasn't unexpected. Haran, my mother's holocron had sensed something was amiss, but it lacked the hint of sentience that Adas' holocron seemed to possess.

Normally Adas would mix his words, trying to hide his intentions in the spaces between the letters. Thankfully, as with Palpatine and Damask, I was aware of this, and on the lookout for such deception and twisted motives. That he wasn't attempting that today hinted that he knew there was no need to, and that he understood how desperate I was becoming if I would turn to a Sith King for guidance.

"Then, perhaps, I can be of some assistance. However, before we can focus on helping you regain control of your connection to the Force, you must learn to use the Force to empower and enrich you. The need to mould it, craft it, to your purposes and desires will help make it difficult, if not nigh-on impossible, for any to sense your intentions, opinions, and relationship with the Force." He paused and clasped his hands behind his back, reminding me of a drill instructor about to lecture a group of raw recruits. "In simple terms, the Jedi feel that emotions should not be used in conjunction with the Force. That any of them leads one to twist the Force to their will. While the general concept is valid, they fail to understand the truth of the Force. Any emotion grants one a boost, it is simply that the darker, baser emotions offer faster and easier paths to power. The flaw of the Jedi, and many so-called Sith Lords, is to think that only those baser emotions grant power. That they should be all that is focused on, or that all should be ignored because of our more instinctual choices."

It didn't take a mastermind to know what Adas was hinting at, or where he wanted this lesson to go. I wouldn't deny that using my rage, my fury to empower me did offer a quick, almost insane, boost to what I was capable of, but I understood they were fleeting and deceiving. However, I also understood that, if I had to draw upon my emotions to create the shell that would stop others from sensing the taint within me, of how I was neither a Jedi nor a Sith – nor had any intention of following those paths to their conclusions – then I had to take this lesson.

"I'm willing to listen," I said slowly, measuring my tone and keeping as unemotional as possible. "However, I need you to explain, in detail, how learning to harness my emotions, regardless of which ones, will help shield me from the senses of others. How it might protect me and those I care for from reprisals."

Adas chuckled, the deep, baritone sound echoing around my quarters. "But of course. One cannot begin a journey without understanding why they must take it. That leads to mistakes that place them and others in danger they will likely be unprepared for. However, the explanation for why this needs to be done will take considerable time."

"That is something I have," I replied, drawing another deep chuckle from the ancient Sith King.

"Then let us begin."

… …

… …
I watched silently, letting the engineers and researchers of Sienar Design Systems, or at least this particular group of them, wander around Raven. They had various devices to scan and correlate readings with them, but so far they'd not made any attempt to slice off a section of her hull. That had happened with the first team Raith had assigned, and after barely restraining myself from introducing all of them to the business end of my beskad, and then having to calm down Fenrir, Raith had arrived.

After learning what'd transpired, he'd reassigned that team to another project elsewhere on the planet and fired the team leader. Raith had left orders that Raven was not to be harmed, or taken apart without my express permission, and that fucking hut'uun had ignored the order. Upon hearing about the incident, HK had suggested that he speak with this team leader and educate them on why a chain of command exists. I'd been tempted to allow it but decided against the idea in the end as it was Raith's problem to handle. That was why whenever a team was examining Raven, one of myself, Simvyl, or HK was present.

A gentle growl had me lower my hand. "I know," I said as I petted Fenrir's head as the current team moved around Raven. This was the third team today, and fourteenth since the incident, to examine Raven, and there'd not been another issue since.

Now, there had been a few complaints, but those had been because of HK. After the incident with the first team, the droid had been vocal and descriptive in explaining what would happen to the first dumb meatbag to touch Raven without my consent. However, Raith had laughed those off, finding it amusing the way HK spoke; at least when the comments weren't aimed at him. Force, he'd even said he might have a few experimental components that could be fitted to my droids. While I wasn't holding out hope that he'd be willing to part with those, HK was curious about the options, as was R2.

The current team gathered near Raven's cockpit, conversing about the various readings they'd taken, and I began to wonder if they'd finally found a method to enhance her. I understood that in a week it was unlikely they'd have definitive leads, but I was growing irritated at the lack of progress, or at least the lack of information given to me about the project. While there weren't, as far as I knew, any critical events to handle in the next few months – bar, perhaps the quest linked to Sifo-Dyas, though I was unsure how that would play out now Dooku wasn't in line to become Darth Tyrannus – I'd like to begin training Anakin, and retraining myself, with the various Force sects and other groups I wanted to visit.

The one upside of the downtime here was that it allowed me to focus heavily on Anakin's lightsaber skills. I retained all my training there, and not being able to draw efficiently on the Force meant the few times we'd sparred, I'd not had to explain away why I was moving so slow.

Anakin had pestered me slightly about when he'd be building his lightsaber, but I'd explained that I'd only allow that once I felt he was ready. For now, he used a training saber I'd created from the spare parts in my Inventory while I retained my shoto. The blade wasn't ideal for how I fought, but it would do until I fully rebuilt my lightsaber.

With one of the crystals that had given the blade its unique colour cracked, I had to determine how to either fix it or failing that, discover another crystal to use. I could, in theory, use the Mantle of the Force as my main crystal, but that choice resonated wrongly in the force.

Right now, Anakin wouldn't be in Raven or elsewhere training with a lightsaber, but should, provided he'd not grown bored and taken R2 and Simvyl for a wander around the base, be involved in some form of mental training focused on starship and droid design. The boy had a gift for that, and Raith – after none-too-subtly testing Anakin on the voyage here – had arranged for him to take remote classes with an advanced design group SST had for gifted youngsters.

Raith had assured me that he had no intention of trying to steal Anakin away from the Jedi – which had made me laugh as Anakin wouldn't care too much about the Order, only about being separated from me and our odd family – but claimed Anakin reminded him of himself as a youth. The discussions the pair had held had, as expected, gone so far over my head that I couldn't even see them from where I stood, relatively speaking, at the bottom of the mountain they were scaling, but the pair had formed a bond. So much so that Anakin's classroom was a converted office where he had free reign.

I'd entered the room a few times and found it a complete mess. Datapads were strewn everywhere, open on schematics that I struggled to make heads or tails of without reference, and Anakin had always had his head buried in whatever one had his current attention. The only way he realised I was there was when Fenrir pushed up against him for attention. I didn't have any issue with Anakin getting lost in his work or passion, nor him having odd hours for some classes or discussions as I understood that Raith and those tutoring Anakin were fitting in the sessions around their work, and was glad he was getting pushed in ways I knew would help him, but that I could never manage.

Footsteps coming from behind had me turning, and I saw Rath approaching, a datapad in his hands. "Behave," I said to Fenrir as I left him to go and meet our host. "Something the matter?" I asked, seeing the slightly worried expression he wore, which only grew greater when he glanced at Raven.

"Yes, though it's about what I expected after the first few flights about Raven, and I could examine her inner workings," he replied as he neared, and then held out the datapad for me to take. "The engineering teams are reporting that there's not much they can do regarding adding weaponry to Raven. At least not without having to cut into her hull and hurt her in the process."

As he'd explained that, I'd browsed the datapad. Much of it used terms beyond me, but it stated the same general thing as what Raith had said. "Aye, from what I can follow, this matches what the engineers at Mandalmotors told me." I handed the pad back. "It was why your name was high on the list Dred Yomaget gave me for finding a second opinion."

"Yes," Raith began as he took back the pad. "Dred isn't an engineer like me, but he knows who the best in the business are and doesn't let ego or politics get in the way of making a deal." He smirked slightly as he continued. "I'm sure the other names on that list were highly respected and sought-after engineers and designers?" I nodded, though I wasn't going to mention the other names, and Raith had accepted that after prodding me a few times about it and not getting a response. That said, he had guessed the companies that many of those on the list worked for, so he probably knew most, if not all, of the names on the list. "I suspect that most would give you the same report I and Dred have. The only ones who wouldn't, would be those uncaring about cutting up something as unique and special as Raven."

"Any idea who might be of help?"

"I'd say several of those with an interest in bioengineering. Adasca comes to mind along with a few others. The internal arrangement of much of the circuitry is hardwired into Raven's body in a way a normal engineer isn't trained to understand."

"I take it you don't have such workers on staff?"

"At SDS? No. Some subdivisions do work in the required fields, but it isn't an area SST focuses on. Nor have I given the subject much thought, at least until I met and then flew aboard Raven." He glanced past me again, taking in the organic wonder. "Though if you give me a few years, I might have something that could work."

I chuckled at his enthusiasm and knew Raven was going to be a pet project of his for some time. "Sadly, I don't think we could encroach on your hospitality for that long."

"Oh, I wouldn't mind. Having a Jedi on-call to handle issues could be very advantageous for business," he replied with laughter. "And something to hold over other CEOs during meetings."

"Aye, I'm sure it would," I replied as I laughed along with him, "however, the Force wouldn't allow me to remain stationary for that long, nor do I think I could stand not doing anything." I extended a hand. "Still, I'm thankful for you taking the time to examine her, and for helping Anakin with his interests."

Raith waved away my hand. "Oh, just because I can't add the weaponry you'd hoped for, at least not without hurting her, doesn't mean I'm letting you leave without some improvements." My head tilted slightly to the right, curious as to what he was thinking. "Weaponry is still doable, but it would require external hardpoints mounted on the few sections of her hull which aren't organic. Missiles or automated turrets for example. However, it's the internal circuity, at least what isn't fused with her workings, where I can offer improvements. I might even have a few special projects that would be viable for a ship such as Raven. Ones that might help counter her inability to have your desired firepower."

My brow rose as he spoke, wondering what he had in mind. The only example I could think of was the Scimitar's cloak, and I had considered removing it from the Sith vessel before I'd stored it on Dagobah. In the end though, I'd rejected the idea. Not only would there likely be various traps and countermeasures to prevent the component's removal, but there was a chance the programming contained malicious coding that could infect Raven. Still, the idea of being able to come and go with sensors and eyeballs unable to easily track me was tempting as fuck.

"What exactly are yo…"

"CAM!"

The shouting of my name by Anakin cut me off mid-sentence, and I turned to see my Padawan rushing toward me. I didn't need the Force to know he was excited, and the pad that he was waving in one hand reinforced that appearance. "Cam!"

"Yes, Anakin?" I asked in a more dignified manner as he raced closer. There was a bit of irritation at his interruption, but I knew I'd speak with Raith after Anakin was settled about what he had in mind. For now, my Padawan, the reason for his excitement, and his lack of manners were where my focus lay. "What required you to rush here in such a manner?"

Raith coughed, no doubt to hide a chuckle at the subtle telling-off I gave the boy, even as Anakin slowed down. His eyes widened as he saw Raith and I had been talking. "Oh, um…" his words were cut off as Fenrir raced toward him. "Fenrir!" He called out, trying desperately to avoid the tuk'ata's attempts to lick his face.

I smirked, enjoying Fenrir unintentionally turning the tables on Anakin by interrupting him, but stayed silent. I wanted to see if Anakin would resume what I assumed was an apology, or if he'd blow right past it, and thus require more lessons on manners.

Eventually, Fenrir decided he'd greeted Anakin enough, and leaned back, wandering calmly to my side. The boy wiped his face. "Gross," he muttered as some of the tuk'ata's drool stuck to his robes before he then shook the arm; sending what wasn't soaked into the material flying. "Sorry," He said as he saw Raith take a step back to avoid being splattered. "And sorry for shouting."

"While it's good that you understand your mistake, I hope in future it isn't repeated." My voice, as much as I hadn't planned it, had dropped deeper, mimicking one of my former Masters. I chuckled at the image that was created in my head before returning my attention to my ad. "Now, what made you rush here from your office?" I asked, glancing at Raith. "Has our host offered you a contract that you've decided to take, thus leaving me and the Order?"

"No! Never!" Anakin shouted enthusiastically, While Raith and Fenrir winced at his volume and tone, I laughed.

"I was teasing," I said quickly, holding up a hand as an apology. It's only been a few months since Shmi's death, and while he was recovering, it seemed even hinting at his family changing again was a step too far for him. Still, the strength of conviction I felt in the Force when he spoke was an encouraging sign that his loyalty was to me; meaning the threat of him becoming Darth Vader was decreasing.

"Ah, um, sorry."

"The pad?" Raith prodded, returning the conversation to its original track.

"Oh, right." Anakin pushed the pad he'd been holding toward forward, displaying the screen.

It appeared to be a letter from his tutor; or one of them at any rate. While several of the terms used sounded unnecessarily wordy, and other sections made little sense to me, the gist was easy to determine. "Impressive," I said, impressed with his performance.

"Indeed," Raith agreed as he reached for the pad. "It seems," he continued as he browsed more from the tutor, "that your professor feels you should attempt to implement some of your ideas." He looked up from the pad, offering Anakin a wide smile. "I'll have a workbench brought to your office, along with the relevant equipment."

"Wizard!"

Raith laughed as he handed the pad back, before glancing at me. "Perhaps, if your Master will allow it, I might also bring some of the ideas I have for Raven to you. It would reassure me that at least one of you understands the systems I hope to install in your magnificent vessel."

Anakin's eyes widened almost comically, and I chuckled at the hopeful look he gave me. "It's fine. While I understand Raven as a being, I'm happy to leave the mechanical side of her under Anakin's observation."

"Woo-hoo!" Anakin shouted, punching the air in delight. Fenrir howled at that, drawing the attention of many in the bay; several of whom took a step or two back at the reminder the massive beast was present. "Whoops. Sorry," Anakin added sheepishly once Fenrir had stopped howling in support.

"There's nothing wrong with being excited," I said as I moved closer to him, "just try and remember where you are, and who else is present, hmm?" As I finished, I ruffled his hair. He frowned, disliking the gesture, but that only had me smiling more. It was nice to be on the other side of the gesture having had to endure it for several years from Fay.

My mind shifted, wondering how my former Master was doing. She'd left about half a year ago with Satele Shan's holocron in the hopes of rediscovering Tython. I'd not heard anything from her since the message she'd left informing me of her departure, but given I'd not felt a shift in the Force, I knew she was still alive and searching for the ancient, and multiple-times lost planet.

I wasn't sure how things would change if she rediscovered the birthplace of the Jedi – and the homeworld of the precursor group the Je'daii – but I had little doubt it would alter much of what the Sith planned. Which was why, I hoped, she'd kept her attempt hidden from everyone on the Council, and why her message had made no mention of the voyage, nor had I mentioned the location when speaking with Dooku and others who might be aware of her intentions.

"Um," Anakin's voice drew my thoughts back to the present, "can I go back to my room?"

"Of course," I replied, giving his hair a final ruffle. "Though take Fenrir for a walk first. He needs to stretch his legs and I'd rather not take him near the weapon testing section of this facility." That was where HK and Simvyl were, and I knew the droid was enjoying – not that he'd ever admit to it – the chance to examine and test experimental weapons. Haran, I suspected that if any met his approval, he'd push me to see if we could take it with us, and failing that, might attempt to access and download the schematics.

"Okay. Come on Fenrir." The tuk'ata looked my way for confirmation, and after a nod, headed off with my son. I shook my head, struggling still to process that I'd adopted Anakin fucking Skywalker, but it was what we, and the Force, wanted.

Seeing him walk beside the massive Sith war beast that towered over him – not that either acted like Fenrir was a born killer – I wondered what the future was going to hold for all of us. I didn't know what dangers awaited us in the galaxy, or what threats, bar the ones I had been preparing for since arriving in this universe, lay in wait, but I felt that Anakin and I – along with our allies – would face it side-by-side. He was a focal point, a being placed here to determine the fate of the galaxy. I was an interloper, though one the Force had adapted to, and I felt now considered almost as important as Anakin to setting the direction of the galaxy's near to medium-term future.

There would be challenges ahead for us, but I knew that, so long as I had the time to implement the training I had planned for all of us, then we'd be capable of facing them.

"Now," I said as I turned to Raith and pushed thoughts of the future aside," what are the options you were about to mention before Anakin's unexpected arrival?"

… …

… …
I watched from the back of the converted cargo hold, leaning against the wall as Anakin trained. Most days, that training consisted of either going through velocities of the early forms, as I wanted to ensure he had the basics down of practising deflecting blaster bolts. Once we left this system – which amusingly was called the Orion System – and moved forward with our training, I knew we were at greater risk of being attacked by pirates and the like than running into other Force users, so getting Anakin able to at least deflect blaster bolts, if not redirect them back at attackers, was the main focus of his current training.

What I was lacking for that training was the small floating droids to train with, however I'd found an easy adaption. HK was more than happy to shoot at Anakin, seeing the benefit in training the boy and protecting the investment in one he now considered worthy of helping him improve. However, he was just one droid, and even dual-wielding and using some of his additional features, the angles he could shoot from where easy enough to predict and adapt to. That was why, as of this session, R2 was using a blaster.

Now, it wasn't something permanent, being held by one of the small arms that extended from the astromech body, but the fact R2 didn't have a good grip on the blaster – and was a frankly horrible shot – meant it was forcing Anakin to pay attention to each bolt. If it travelled at him, then he had to deflect or avoid it, if not, he could ignore it, and all that had to happen almost instantly given bolts, as low-powered as they were, moved at considerable velocity.

So far, though it was just the first session with multiple shooters, Anakin was doing well, and I could sense his enjoyment of the training. He was relying purely on Soresu for defence, and while that was working, I could see the subtle hints that he wanted to strike back; that being so passive and reactionary didn't feel right for him. That, in many ways, was a relief, as while the Anakin in the other timeline had based his style on Djem So, I hadn't been certain my Anakin would.

As it seemed he preferred the more reactive role in combat, I knew it wouldn't be long until I began showing him some velocities of the two Form V variants. While Shien enabled one to use the incoming bolts to counterattack, it sacrificed some of the defensive certainty of Soresu, which for some Jedi could be an issue. It wasn't for me, even if my style was based around Makashi, I disliked being on the defensive throughout a battle, nor it seemed, would my ad'ika.

I smirked and shook my head, still coming to terms with the fact Anakin was now my son. Oh, the Jedi and Republic might have issues with it, but by Mandalorian law, he was my son and heir, and others would just have to accept that.

Anakin stepped forward, pushing one of HK's bolts away – and I had to lean to one side to avoid it scraping me – and I felt the hints of frustration within the boy. His desire to strike back, to do something, easy to read in his posture and within the Force. While that was understandable, and not unlike myself at his age, I knew he needed to temper that feeling. At least until he had a solid base in the Form V variants. Anakin had incredible potential, more so than even me, but he was young, rash, and overeager.

I understood that, when I'd been a Padawan, I'd been similar, but I'd managed – most of the time – to temper the excitement of early youth. Or at least, once a little older, find other outlets for my energy. Scratching my chin, even as HK forced Anakin back by increasing his rate of fire, my thoughts turned to those I was closest to but weren't currently travelling with me.

Serra was the first to come to mind, and I wondered how her training was going with Windu. That she'd been placed in isolation after the death of Drallig, in an attempt to help her recover from the emotional backlash of her Master's death, made sense. At least from a Jedi's perspective. However, Windu restricting her access to everyone within the Order until he was satisfied with her recovery was unsettling. I didn't think Windu planned to turn her against me, but I felt he and the rest of the High Council were concerned by how close we'd become; so much so that she'd snuck out of the Temple – with help from Bo-Katan and Satine – and come to Naboo. A choice that had cost the Jedi their Battlemaster, though Master Koth had already filled the position.

Bo-Katan And Naz should both be back on Mandalore, no doubt finding ways to get into trouble. I was uncertain where things were heading with them, or when I'd next meet them, but I suspected it wouldn't be a massive amount of time until one or both reappeared.

After that, my thoughts turned to Padme, and I wondered how she was doing leading Naboo's rebuilding. The last I'd spoken to her the Naboo people had begun work on stripping and selling the parts of the Lucrehulk that had been left in orbit; ignoring the wishes of the Trade Federation to cease such actions as much of the technology on the vessel was their proprietary property. The Senate, as slow-moving and filled with lackeys of the Federation as it was, wasn't giving that idea much voice as the Co-Chancellors ensured the Federation remained under an apparently close microscope, while the courts were unwilling to accept the Federation's attempts at injunctions. What probably didn't help there was that the two other Lucrehulks had vanished from public sight. One was known to have been taken by the Mandalorians, and they weren't telling anyone where it was held, while the Lokella's system was isolated and off the grid enough that only those in the know knew its location, and thus ensured the Lucrehulk they'd taken was far from sight.

Thinking of a Queen turned my thoughts to a Princess, and I remembered Miraj. The Zygerrian heir was, the last time I'd spoken to her, doing well. it seemed her interest in me had grown after news of the Battle of Naboo, and my role in leading the planet's liberation had reached the Holonet. Given the Zygerrians were a proud race – their beliefs in slavery notwithstanding – who respected power and dominance, that wasn't a surprise. It was, however, another way to slowly change the thinking of the princess, and potentially ensure that whenever galactic war erupted her people, and their small empire, sided with whichever group I fought for.

A grunt from Anakin brought my attention back to the training area, and I saw that Anakin had stumbled back. He was shaking one of his legs even as he moved, using the training lightsaber I'd constructed for him, to deflect one of R2's semi-wild bolts away.

"Enough!" I called out, figuring Anakin taking another bolt, the fifth in five minutes, was a good place to end the session. He'd been training for over two hours, and it was clear he was starting to struggle.

The droids lowered their blasters, though Anakin remained in a ready stance for a short while longer. That made me smile, as it meant the lesson about not lowering his guard too early, or trusting an opponent would stop when they'd said they would, was sinking in. I was sure the Jedi might consider my tactics and training in this as excessive, but given trust had to be earned and not just given, I'd rather have Anakin ready and able to defend himself than leave himself open to a trick. The Mandalorians, on the other hand, would see my training as smart and expected.

Anakin continued to watch HK as the droid moved away and only slipped from a ready stance once it was clear the assassin droid wasn't lulling him into a false sense of security. Even as he made his way to me, the lightsaber remained lit, ready to snap to work if needed. The one thing that did catch my attention was that he was only focusing on the obvious threat of HK, and not that of R2. Now, with the blaster barely held in a grasping limb, the astromech was unlikely to manage a shot that would trouble the boy, but Anakin's focusing only on one target, and not those that might be less obvious, was another flaw to correct. As was the fact R2 was currently, still nothing more than a standard astromech.

I had plans to acquire components and allow Anakin to install them into the droid, upgrading the astromech into a threat to anyone who dismissed him due to his size and shape. HK had already made several suggestions for alterations, and while getting a phrik-based outer casing for the astromech was the obvious choice, the other suggestions ranged from possible to downright insane.

"Why'd you make me stop?" Anakin asked once he was close to me, the training blade powering down. "I'm doing fine."

"So well, that HK has managed to strike you five times in five minutes," I replied with a smile, amused at his reaction. The more philosophical parts of learning about the Force, and even some of the standard techniques, held little interest to him. But point him at a machine, or give him a lightsaber and ask him to train, and he'd do so until he literally dropped from exhaustion. While I'd taught him the basics of using the Force to replenish and restore your body when pushed to your limits, I couldn't truly teach the lesson as the way I'd done it before Natural Selection wasn't normal, or natural. I was slowly fumbling my way into learning how to do so, but I knew I had a long way to go. It was why our first destination after leaving this system was to a Force sect specialising in using the Force in that way. "Perhaps it's time to shift your training toward less combat-oriented uses of the Force?" I suggested while tapping my chin.

"No!" Anakin snapped, reaching forward to grasp my arm. "I, um," he continued, worried he'd overstepped only for me to start laughing.

"Haran! It's too easy to tease you," I said, lowering the hand and ruffling his hair. "While one day we will have to turn your training toward non-combat or technical matters, I don't think we're there yet." Anakin was relieved to hear that. "However, I think that I'd been focusing too much on your training as a Force user, and not as a Mandalorian. Therefore, once we leave this system, outside of any training we do to learn with Force sects, I'm going to insist we begin your training there."

"But why?" He whined only to blink, seemingly surprised at his reaction. "I mean, I get that I'll be like you, a Mandalorian Jedi. But why can't I just use my lightsaber?"

"First, that's a training lightsaber and if you struck someone with it, the worst you could do is stun them." As I spoke I lifted my shoto blade from its clip at my side. "You aren't ready to build your lightsaber, just as I feel I'm not in a position to rebuild the one destroyed on Naboo." I wasn't sure how I was going to go about it, but I wanted to see if there was any way I could repair the damaged miniature crystal that had formed half of the focusing point of my blade and gave it the unusual dual-colour blade. If not, then I'd have to see where the Force guided me, what sort of crystal would replace the damaged one, and what changes that would bring to my lightsaber.

"Second, it's highly likely that, for the next year or so, we'll be travelling as Mandalorians and not Jedi. Because of that, and that many would consider a Mandalorian an easier target than a Jedi – with many hating either or both groups – I won't have you entering any location unarmed or untrained. Which is why, once we leave this system, I'd be shifting your training to something more akin to the Mando'ade."

I also had something ready for that training, but I'd yet to give it to him. I'd been planning to hold onto it for his birthday, but that was still several months away, and I knew we'd not be here for that long. Bo hadn't liked not being present when I gave Anakin what I had stored for him, and that I wasn't giving it to him instantly, but she'd accepted my judgement. I was his parent while she was the fun-loving – or battle-crazy depending on your opinion – aunt.

"Contemplative: I do hope, Master, that you would be willing to listen to some of my suggestions regarding the young builder's education."

"I'll be relying on you for help, HK, don't worry," I replied, smiling at the assassin droid. "Just make sure that whatever training you suggest has a good chance of not getting Anakin killed."

"Cautionary: No training, at least one worthy of being implemented, is without danger, Master. Addendum: However, I will consider how to ensure the young builder isn't permanently damaged or killed by what I offer, Master." R2 beeped out a question. "Answer: Yes, you may help, though I am unsure if your memory core is sufficiently advanced to compute anything useful." R2 rolled forward, the sounds coming from him more confrontational, which made me chuckle. "Correction: Obviously I meant your current configuration lacks the capacity, though I'm sure the Master will have you upgraded before we depart."

"I'm sure Anakin and Raith can think of ways to improve you, R2," I agreed, earning a nod from Anakin. "If you're both good, we'll see what, if anything, Raith is willing to sell to help improve you further."

"Appeasement: We shall be on our best behaviour, Master." R2 beeped and rocked in agreement. "The meatbag hosting us is remarkably creative. For a meatbag."

I laughed and shook my head at HK's opinion of Raith. Turning, I saw that Anakin looked paler than when I'd spoken with HK. "Hey," I said, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder, "remember, whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

"Easy for you to say. You're not the one facing a crazy assassin droid."

"Correction: A highly skilled and capable assassin droid, young builder. Explanation: While your primitive mind is unable to comprehend my higher process, rest assured that I know, and have, hundreds of ways that would result in your death without any proof linking me to the action."

"Anyway," I cut in before Anakin could consider what HK was suggesting, "you're wrong to say I've not faced an assassin droid across from me in a training exercise. I've trained considerably with HK to keep my skills sharp. Though, at least when speaking of him as a sparring opponent, HK is lacking when compared to the Krayt Dragon."

"Observation: While I still find that event hard to compute, the amount of evidence to support your battle forces me to accept the obvious, Master." HK's head tilted to one side. "Musing: I am curious how you would do in such a situation now, or if I might have more suitable methods to engage such a beast than directly challenging it."

"Ignoring that I didn't intend to challenge the beast as I did, I think I'd do a lot better. For one, I'd have all of you, Fenrir, and Simvyl to help."

"Assessment: Perhaps a collection with too many parts to make the hunt fair, Master."

"As you well know, there's no such thing as a fair fight. There's only not enough firepower or not enough targets."

HK chuckled, which was always an odd sound to hear from a droid. "Amusement: That is the correct answer, Master. Appeasement: I look forward to when we might hunt a dragon, or similar such beast, together."

"As do I, HK. As do I." I turned and looked back at Anakin. "You need the training, Anakin. I won't let you step into the galaxy unprepared to defend yourself from those who want to hurt you. To hurt us."

"Okay," he said slowly, and he moved forward as if planning to resume his training.

"Wait." He turned back to me. "While you can resume sparring soon, there's something I'd like to explain before you do." I tapped at the interface in my beskar limb; a similar computer to that in a vambrace hidden inside the protective metal. "I need you to tell me what this is?" I said as the arm displayed a small hologram from the top of my wrist.

"That's a blaster," he replied, sounding as if I'd suddenly lost my sanity.

"It is, but what else can you tell me about it?" He frowned, confused by the question and I smirked. "Who made it? How much power does a clip have? How much does it cost unmodified? What's its rate of fire in the various modes?"

Anakin stepped closer, examining the hologram carefully. I did likewise as I'd pulled this blaster up quickly, not bothering to select it too carefully and thus making Anakin think I was somehow aware of what it was before it was displayed. "Looks like an EE model," he replied after about half a minute while giving me an annoyed shrug. "Why does this matter?"

"It matters because every blaster, even those in the same series, has different statistics," I explained slowly, not annoyed at his attitude. "This, for example, is an EE-2 blaster carbine. The power cell gives a base capacity of three hundred bolts, though this can drop to a hundred depending on the mode used. In standard configuration, it works either in burst fire of five bolts, or suppression fire of twenty bolts. The hundred bolt capacity comes into play when placed on single shot, as that generates a more powerful bolt but at the cost of a greatly reduced rate of fire." As I spoke, Anakin's brow rose, while I swore HK watched on in amusement. "The base model has a muzzle velocity of eighty-two kilometres per second, meaning at four hundred meters – which is a decent distance away – you've got around four thousand eight hundred eighty microseconds to recognize the blaster, remember all this information, and then prepare to engage who or whatever is wielding it."

By the time I finished that piece, Anakin looked shocked and impressed with what I'd said. Which, to him, it was. For me, with Eidetic Memory, it was as simple as remembering what I had for breakfast. I'd not learnt the details of every blaster in the galaxy – as that would be a pain to do and a general waste of time – but I had the details for the top five thousand for each type of blaster memorised, meaning it took me no time to be certain of the blaster the arm had displayed.

"Once you realise what blasters your enemies are wielding, and the specifics of their weaponry – such as how this carbine is best used on the burst-fire mode – then, with whatever time you have left, there are four things you, as someone who can draw on the Force, can do." First," I held up a finger, "you can move your body to avoid the bolts, or ensure your lightsaber is in a position to deflect them away. Second, if you know how to, you can redirect the bolts. Ideally, you send them back at the shooter, but if not then toward secondary targets or towards something that could alter a battlefield to your advantage. A steam pipe for example." Anakin nodded, taking in what I was saying. "This is where I expect you to be by the time you turn twelve." I expected him there earlier, but I didn't want to push him too hard, not when he currently had other focuses. "Third, and this is more advanced, as a Force user, you can draw upon the Force to protect yourself. This can be something like generating a barrier to shield yourself or altering the air to slow the bolt down enough to make one of the earlier options more applicable. It's even possible for the most powerful and skilled Force users to stop the bolt in its tracks."

"Observation: Throughout my operational lifetime I've seen a handful of Jedi and Sith use such a technique, Master. While it is an impressive display of power, they can usually be overcome with a sufficient number of bolts. Ideally fired by multiple shooters using differing blaster types."

"Or, to see why the third option is flawed, the fourth choice is to not be anywhere near the bolts when they're meant to reach you." Anakin opened his mouth, but I raised a hand to cut off whatever comment he had. "Yes, I know the last two require using the Force in ways you don't know, but they're also – depending on how the fourth option is taken – flashier than the first two, and a greater drain on the Force user. One day, you'll learn techniques to do those, but I can assure you that the first two are the most common, and practical, methods of dealing with blaster-wielding opponents."

"Okay." While Anakin's interest lay in using a lightsaber, it was obvious he was curious about the other methods. Probably ones like Phase and Teleport, and I'd show him how to use them, but only after I re-learnt how to do so myself. While I didn't have restrictions on those powers like Shatterpoint, I lacked any clear training for how the powers were meant to work. Until I understood the science and logic that went into them, I had no intention of attempting them again. The risk that something dire would happen if I wasn't sure of what I was doing outweighed my desire to have them back in my arsenal.

"Good, now back you go," I said, giving him a gentle push on the back. I watched as he moved back to the centre of the room, his eyes already tracking the droids, and the lightsaber igniting in his hands. "Oh HK," the droid stopped as I spoke to him, "increase your rate of fire by twenty per cent."

"Answer: With pleasure, Master," the droid replied as Anakin stared at me, not believing I'd told HK to make the training harder.

… …

… …
"It's heavier than I thought," Anakin muttered as he shifted around, adapting to his new gear. His head snapped toward me as he caught the sound of my mechanical arm doing something. "Wait!" He said, reaching out for my arm even as I took another image of him in the armour. "Stop it!" He whined, moving closer even as I began to backpedal.

"Now, now," I replied, taking another few pictures, "don't you want Bo and the others to see what you look like in your armour?"

"Stop it!" he half-cried, half-snarled, and made a face that caused me to start laughing. I stopped quickly though as I felt the shift in the Force, suggesting he was drawing on emotions I didn't want him to; at least until he had training in how to handle and channel them without losing control of himself to them and the Dark Side.

"Okay, okay," I said after another ten seconds and lowered my arm to make clear I was done capturing the moment in both picture and video format. "Now," I said, stepping closer to him, "how does it feel? Apart from being heavy."

Anakin stopped and looked at his armour. He lifted his arms and legs slowly in succession, and twisted this way and that, getting a feel for his new gear. The only sections of the armour not currently on were the gauntlets and the helmet. They rested on a table nearby, while Anakin wore every other section of the standard Mandalorian armour – vambraces included – making him appear every inch the young warrior.

What fed into that, and semi-bonded him to me, was that like me his armour used black as the base colour. He'd chosen black as he wanted justice for those enslaved across the galaxy, and then edges of red and grey to honour and remember his mother. The only major difference between his armour and mine was that while his vizor was darkened, mine was red. Otherwise, when standing side by side, I was sure people would assume we were family, which was true from a certain point of view.

Bo had asked him back on Mandalore when I'd gotten my replacement limb, what colours he'd wear if he had armour while carrying out a refresher course on the colours and their meaning. He'd taken time to consider the choices, and while I'd accepted all of them easily, I'd not placed any gold edging on his armour. That marked a desire for vengeance, and for a young Force user, such desires could easily lead to places they weren't ready to head.

I had no issue with his desire to seek vengeance for the death of his mother and had made clear several times that we would, when ready, move against Decca the Hutt. However, most of the times Decca had come up, I'd had to warn and remind Anakin of the dangers of becoming consumed by the need for vengeance. He'd accepted my words each time but always confirmed that when he was ready, he would move against Decca and other slavers.

There'd been conviction in his voice, and a certainty that shone brightly in the Force, whenever he made that vow. That was a sign that, while this Anakin wasn't like the one in the other timeline, he had the same core drives and wants. I'd have to keep an eye on that and ensure that he learnt to focus those urges safely and do my best to keep him as far from the sight of the Banite Sith as I could.

I knew I couldn't keep him hidden for a decade, until the outbreak of the Clone Wars, nor prevent him from experiencing the Dark Side, but the longer I could wait, the further I could get in his training, the better I felt things would go. The moment the Jedi and Sith knew of him, their interest would rise, and if they ever discovered that his Force Potential surpassed even mine - which was, from what Dooku and Fay had told me, the highest on record since at least the New Sith Wars – then both groups would want to take him from me and convert him to their cause.

That was something I'd never allow, and if I had to, I'd vanish, hiding deep in sectors that would shelter me, or travel to Wild Space or beyond. Until Anakin and I were ready for what was to come, the longer the truth of his status as the Chosen One could remain known to only myself, Dooku, and Fay, the safer the galaxy would be.

"Heavy," he finally replied, ignoring my instruction to not comment on the weight, and forcing me to bring my thoughts to the here and now. "Tight too," he added after twisting again at his waist, trying to get more comfortable in the armour.

"Can you move freely?" I asked, wondering if he'd grown more than I'd expected. If he had, then adjusting the straps for the various sections of armour wouldn't be an issue. The underweave might be problematic, but as it wasn't composed of beskar like mine, it only offered slight protection and a replacement shouldn't be too hard to purchase.

"Yes, but I can feel it when I move."

I smiled. "Good." I placed my hands on his pauldrons and gave them gentle tugs, ensuring they were secure. "We don't want them falling off when we enter battle now, do we?"

"I guess not," Anakin replied, unsure of himself. "It's just… different."

"It's okay to miss her," I said, offering a gentle smile. "I'm sure, wherever she is in the Force, she's happy that you're finally starting the journey to be the protector she knew you would become."

He smiled, the uncertainty slipping away, suggesting I'd guessed the reason. "Yeah. I just wish…"

"I know," I said, patting his pauldrons one last time before letting them go. "Now, can you tell me what you're now wearing?" I asked, shifting the conversation onward, past his feelings for his mother. While they were understandable, I didn't want him dwelling on them.

"Mandalorian armour."

"This," I said, tapping a fist against his chest plate, "is Beskar'gam. The mark of the Mando'ade. You are my Padawan, yes, but you are also my Ad as well. We are family. It's my duty to train you, to prepare you, for battle and war. To ensure that when the time comes for you to stand there, defending those unready to defend themselves, you won't fail or surrender your ground. We don't share blood, as many would expect of a family, but aliit ori'shya tal'din."

"Family is more than blood," Anakin repeated in Basic.

"It is," I responded, my smile growing at Anakin understanding some Mando'a. "I might not be your father by blood, but I am your father by choice and that makes us family. While the Jedi might not accept that, or even consider that too many, the bond between Master and Padawan is such a connection, to me it is. Masters Dooku and Fay are my family, as are you, Fenrir, Simvyl, Bo, HK, R2, and a few others." There was a lesson in there about letting go, or at least letting those in your family leave to live their own lives, however, that was a matter for another time.

I wasn't the type to entirely let someone go, so to preach that message would be hypocritical. It would also be entirely pointless as I knew Anakin wouldn't, and likely couldn't, do as the Order would expect. That could, when the time came, be an issue during Anakin's Trials, but I'd face that when the time came, hopefully having found some form of balance and acceptance of what we were, and how we interacted with the Force before then.

While I'd not directly brought Anakin up with Adas, I could see how some of what the ancient Sith King was teaching me could be applied to Anakin as well. Adas was a Sith, but to him, it was a natural state – which, as he was of the Sith species, made sense – of being, and a choice taken by the Banite Sith. I knew everything he had and would teach me was manipulated by his opinion on the Force and natural inclination toward the Dark Side, but he wasn't teaching me to lose myself in the Force, more to embrace all aspects of it and embrace who I was, and what the Force was to me. I'd also failed to sense any hints of deceit from him, before or after taking Natural Selection, suggesting that, from his point of view, he was being honest in what he was saying and teaching me.

Adas, when told how the current Sith were moving – acting from the shadows, shifting pieces into place slowly, not actively taking what they should – hadn't reacted well. The string of insults he hurled at them for betraying what it meant to be a Sith had been interesting, and I was reasonably sure I'd learnt how to curse in the ancient Sith language based on some of what he'd said.

Adas held some respect for Revan, at least from what he already knew and the gaps in his history that I filled in. While he disliked that Revan had abandoned his path because of love, Revan had, in Adas' words, shown the force of character to shape the path of the galaxy to his vision. At least until he was betrayed by his apprentice and friend when Malak was unable to see through whatever the Sith Emperor had done to the pair when they'd fought him.

Given Revan was, from what I'd learnt, one of the few Sith from the Old Republic to insist on there only being two Lords of the Sith, I wondered if he'd not played some part in what had caused Darth Bane to found the Rule of Two. I'd never heard of Revan having a Sith holocron, but if he had and Bane found it, it would help explain where the idea of just two Sith Lords had come from.

"So why won't Serra talk to you? Isn't she family?"

Anakin's question caught me off-guard; I grunted before collecting myself. "She is," I began, smiling as I remembered my time spent with Serra, "and it was because of that connection that she came to Naboo to fight at my side. And why Master Drallig came after her. To be clear, I didn't want her there, didn't think she should have to choose between the Order and me, and I feared something might happen if she came. I was right, but not in the way I expected."

"Because her Master died?"

"Yes," I replied, nodding at my son. "To Serra, while she might not admit it openly, Master Drallig was the closest she'd ever had to a parent. Unlike you and I, she was taken in and raised by the Order. Losing him hurt her deeply, and to help her recover, her new Master has decided to restrict her access to anyone – not just me – until she comes to terms with her loss." Seeing it from the Jedi perspective, I could understand Windu's decision, though I wouldn't have done the same in his shoes. I also understood that, while the restriction was on interacting with others in the Order in general, I knew the true target of her isolation was me and the bond I shared with Serra.

"Good." I leaned back and blinked, caught out by Anakin's response." I mean, not that she's not around, or that her Master died," he clarified quickly, "just that it wasn't y-you that died. I…" He stopped there and looked away, an arm coming up to wipe his face.

"Ni kar'taylir." He turned back to me. "I'm glad I didn't die too," I say with a smirk, helping to lighten the mood. "However, Serra needs time to recover from Master Drallig's death. Even with all her training, handling such an event is painful, and we have to give her the time needed to release her pain and emotions regarding the loss of her Master into the Force."

"That's stupid!" My brow rose at Anakin's blunt and forceful response. "I… I mean, why do we have to forget our f-family and friends?"

"We don't," I replied, placing my hand back on his shoulder. "The Order believes that we need to learn to let go of our emotions; at least as it pertains to forming attachments. Otherwise, the risk for most, if not all, Force users, is that fear of loss of the ones we care for will lead us blindly down the path to losing ourselves within the Dark Side." I paused for a second, wondering how my wording had changed over the years, the influence of Dooku and Adas prominent in my thinking now against what I'd foolishly believed not long after first arriving at the Temple and becoming friends with Serra.

"Anyway," I resumed, choosing to change the topic, "that is a matter for another time; when you are further along in your training." I stepped back, admiring my ad in his armour. "What matters today is the side of you that is Mando'ade, and understanding the history of your armour." I turned him around, aiming him toward the table where his gauntlets and helmet rested. "Go and get the rest of your armour."

He moved off, and I waited until he'd reached the table and picked up the helmet before I spoke again. "Traditionally, an adiik's armour is made only from durasteel. The time, effort, and personal importance of using beskar is reserved only for those who've passed their verd'goten. Because of this, and to instil a sense of history, the various sections of the adiik's armour come from those who came before; meaning their buir and ancestors." Anakin turned, the helmet in his hands as I explained the importance of his first set of armour. "I lack durasteel armour from when I was younger, and as I'm the first of our Clan, there's no history I can add to your armour. Instead, our allies in Clans Kryze and Ordo have offered sections from armour worn and reshaped by their clans for millennia." Anakin paused at hearing that, the helmet about to be lowered over his head. "Your chest piece was once worn by Dorgo Kryze, and your boots come from Bo. The pauldrons and greaves come respectfully from Duke Torrhen and his son Osto."

"Is it ok for them to do this?" Anakin asked, the helmet hovering amusingly just above his head.

"Yes. When a new or reformed clan rises, their allies, if they have any, are allowed to offer such gifts. It is to show that while the clan is small, we are part of something greater. We stand as one people, one culture, one ideal. We have a debt of honour to Clans Kryze and Ordo for their offerings, but I know we'll both work to fulfil that debt." Anakin nodded, the helmet now on his head. "That said, I suspect Alors Adonai and Torrhen consider the debt already paid for through ensuring they had the chance to fight at my side on Naboo, and the hefty spoils of war they departed with." Anakin nodded again as he secured the first gauntlet, and I wondered what the duke had planned for the Lucrehulk. Whatever it was, I'm sure it would both aid the Mando'ade in growing stronger and anger the Trade Federation.

As Anakin picked up the second gauntlet I turned and extended my hand toward a shelf. While I lacked the fine control I desired, I had enough retained skill – along with constant moments of training – to trust myself to use the Force to lift an object and bring it to me. I hoped to soon have the fine control back – Dooku's lessons many years ago being a massive help for that – and rediscover the more creative methods of using the Force that Bo, Serra, and Naz had enjoyed.

The small box I'd lifted reached my hands just as Anakin secured the second gauntlet. "As I said, I lack the sections of durasteel armour that could be used in your first armour, however," I opened the box slowly, "I have something that will ensure all Mando'ade know that you are part of Clan Shan. Plus, it'll help complete the look."

I pushed the box toward him and watched as he observed the box approaching, his hands moving out cautiously to gather it. Once he had it, I released the Force from my command and watched as he slowly opened it fully.

"Is this…" his voice, unmodulated as he'd not engaged the function, cut off as he saw what was inside the box.

"It is," I replied, moving toward him as one of his hands reached into the box. "You haven't completed your verd'goten, and when you do, you're free to compose a personal item to commemorate it. Until then, as your buir and Alor, I permit you the right to wear a cloak crafted from my kill; the greater krayt dragon of Tatooine."

"Wizard!" he said as he lifted the cloak from the box. I'd had this made back on Mandalore, not long after Bo had told me Anakin needed armour. Given the size of the dragon, converting one section into a small cloak for Anakin was a trivial matter – there were still tonnes of material, including meat and pearls, stored in a secured freezer deep in Clan Kryze's estates. Since I lacked the infrastructure to have a Mandalorian estate – or at least the manpower and clan size to secure and protect it – the remains of my kill stayed with Clan Kryze, though I'd finally convinced Adonai to let me pay for the energy and men that guarded the frozen vault.

I moved closer to Anakin and took the cloak from him. He turned rapidly, his excitement flooding into the Force so strongly that I suspect Bo might sense it even though we were thousands of lightyears apart. It only took a moment to secure the cloak, the fact I was attaching it from behind and on someone smaller was the only issue, and once it was secured I tapped his helmet. "There, now turn around so I can see you."

He turned, the cloak shifting in as he did. "Perfect," I said with a wide smile. "You look every bit the young warrior, verd'ika. However, as the HUD will be informing you, your vambraces only have a grappling cable and computer functions installed. That is because, even for an adiik, the choice of weaponry is a personal one. The only restriction I'm placing on you, for now, is limiting you to a single offensive capability. Prove yourself worthy, and I'll allow you to add whatever you want. Now, what sort of weaponry and extras would you like to add to them?"

Anakin looked down at the vambraces, each bearing a small mark on them for Clan Shan. In time, he'd add a personal sigil and, I suspected, replace the Clan Shan one with one for Clan Skywalker. That, however, was for far into the future.

"Um, can I think about it first?"

"That's what I want you to do," I replied. "Now, I want you to spend the next few days wearing the armour whenever you're inside Raven." I didn't want him wandering around Raith's research facility in the armour, otherwise it might concern many of his employees. It was why I was also only wearing part of the armour, with most covered by robes I'd had made from the krayt dragon's hide. Those were darker than normal Jedi robes, but the Council hadn't commented on them when I'd spoken with them on Naboo. Given Dooku's choice to wear far higher quality clothing than most Jedi, it would've felt like targeting if they'd called me out on my choice of fabric for the robes. "You need to grow used to the HUD and how it reacts to the movement of your head and simple commands. Once we leave, I'll want an idea of what you plan for your loadout, and we'll begin purchasing the components on the way to our next destination."

"Okay." He turned and moved toward the door, which had me raising my mechanical arm.

"Anakin," I called out, making him turn just as the recorder in the arm activated.

"Cam!" He whined, not wanting another image or video taken. Just like many youngsters his age.

"Perfect," I said with a wide smile before ending the recording. "On you go," I added, shooing him toward the door. He paused for a moment, and I knew he was glaring. I bit back some laughter at the reversal of the situation of a Padawan glaring up at their Master as I'd done that on multiple occasions with Fay and Dooku, and to be on the other side of it amused me.

Once the door slid shut behind him, I let out the chuckles I'd been holding back. I was going to enjoy being on the other side of that situation over the next few years.

Looking down, I accessed the limb and transferred the various pictures and recordings I'd taken of Anakin while he'd gotten into his armour. Bo would want a copy, which I'd send as soon as we were clear of the Orion System. For security, Raith had all Holonet traffic restricted to only those needed for official SST communications. Once we were clear of that, I'd also send the recordings to Ferox, so he and Lia could see how Anakin was getting on.

Part of me shared Anakin's pain that his mother wouldn't get to see him in the armour, and I hoped that, wherever she was, she approved of my training and plans for her son. War was coming and I'd be damned if he and I weren't ready for it.

… …

… …
I looked around the bay, taking in the various technicians, engineers, and researchers who had worked on Raven over the last month and a bit. "Thank you for this," I said to Raith as we shook hands," though I still think I should at least be covering the cost of the work and materials."

"Nonsense!" Raith replied, waving his free hand dismissively before patting my hand that was shaking his with that hand. "You, your Padawan, and those who travel with you are my guests. You've allowed me to see and experience something few beings in the galaxy can say they've had the pleasure of," his eyes darted past me, toward Raven, who was resting at the far side of the bay with the others already onboard. "Even going so far as to allow me to examine your incredible vessel. Upgrading her and adding some small additions doesn't even come close to the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity it was to study her and get to know a Jedi."

"Along with anything your company develops of the hundreds of scans you took of Raven and her systems," I shot back jovially, smiling to say I didn't mind that he had those scans. The Jedi had them as well, as would a few others, though Raith was the first to dive deeply into Raven and how the biological and mechanical components of her frame came together to form something greater than the sum of the parts.

Raith laughed heartily. "Guilty as charged!" He exclaimed as we stopped shaking hands. "While there's much of Raven's build that I don't yet understand, I'm an engineer at heart and as head of a major corporation, I'm always looking for ways to push the limits of what can be done."

"I'm sure the Reformation doesn't help with that."

"No, it certainly doesn't," he agreed as we turned and began walking toward Raven. "I understand why the changes were needed, but it's been a thousand years, and the galaxy has moved on. Just like you, others including myself find ourselves in a similar position: being restrained by laws that are from a different era."

"You'll get no argument from me, or many others," I remarked. "I do hope that what you've learnt from Raven helps you find ways to expand around that law and others like it."

"Much of Raven's layout cannot be duplicated. Not without speaking to the Sekotan engineers and growers who were responsible for her construction. However, there are avenues of research that I'd have never considered if not for getting the opportunity to examine and observe this wondrous vessel."

"I look forward to seeing the advancements SST make in the future, and if there's ever anything I can help with, please don't hesitate to call." Given his position as the head of one of the biggest corporations in the galaxy, there was little a single Jedi Knight could do to help, but I'd already decided on one way to thank him.

The galactic premiere for Fellowship of the Ring was still about a year away, as the company behind converting the trilogy into holomovies was making all three back-to-back to back to save on costs. But as the creator of the story, and someone who retained a role in overseeing the production – even if that was done remotely – I had a few batches of tickets available to offer to people I was close to. Those for the galactic premiere, which would take place on Coruscant, were limited, but I already knew who would be getting those tickets.

The company behind the production was sparing little expense on the project, and I just hoped that what they were making, and what advice I could give, would ensure that what was created was worthy of the source material. I also wondered how Tolkien would feel about his work being shared with another galaxy, and hoped he approved of my choice to publish his greatest work here.

Because of that, and wanting Anakin to have some fun before we headed to the first Force sect for training – which I had determined would be the Matukai – I planned to swing by Alderaan. The planet in The Core was being used for principal photography as the company had agreed that using real locations – with subtle enhancements added in post-production – was the better choice than shooting it all before an empty screen and adding in everything else digitally. It amused me that, with all the technology in this galaxy, the choice to make movies physically was still the preferred way of doing it, though with the variety of locations available across the Republic, it made sense.

While the first part of the trilogy had finished principal shooting, I figured Anakin would enjoy seeing how a holomovie was made, and it would let me see how things were going in person. I knew the details via Holocalls, but I wanted to speak directly with those on-site, not just because I wanted to ensure the work was being translated properly, but because of the investment I had in the project.

I'd been paid about two hundred million credits for the rights to the trilogy, which was the lowest outright offer I'd received, but had still been enough to ensure my earnings went safely north of a billion credits. What had convinced me to go with this company was that, beyond them putting down in writing that I had a veto on certain matters, I was guaranteed a cut of the revenue taken from across the galaxy. That cut came before the studio paid anyone for their work on the project, or handled the tax requirements on the various worlds where they filmed or had offices based. Based on the figures from Shokvo – who remained my point of contact with the publishing company that handled the Lord of the Rings and was now responsible for getting Knights of the Old Republic out to the masses – the base floor of projections for my take was north of three hundred million, and that was just for the first movie. If the series was a success, then I could earn a billion credits plus from the holomovies, to say nothing of the cut I'd get of any merchandise linked to them.

I was uncertain about going to the premiere, as while I could maintain the public position of being a guest of either Palpatine or Padmé – both of whom had invites and promised to attend – the fact was going meant taking Anakin to Coruscant. That was an issue I wasn't sure how I would handle, as the only obvious choices to avoid him attending the premiere were to place him at the Temple or leave him with Bo on Mandalore.

Neither was appealing as I felt Anakin would be annoyed, if not insulted, that I'd not taken him to the premiere, which meant I'd either have to not attend the premiere or take him with me and bring him to the attention of the Jedi and Banite Sith. The other major issue was that, by returning to Coruscant, if I'd not developed the shields needed to hide my true intentions I'd probably have both Jedi and Banite Sith wanting me captured, though for entirely different reasons.

Compared to the danger of placing Anakin and myself near the Banite Sith, placing Raith near them was a minor risk, one made less so as I'd be shocked if the pair didn't already have some influence and connection to Raith. Damask Holdings was a major investor in several of the subsidiary companies of SST, and because of that I doubted Hego Damask – aka Darth Plagueis – wasn't at least passingly familiar with Raith, and vice versa.

Eventually, the Banite Sith would learn that Raith had helped improve Raven, and would try to worm their way – legally and illegally – into SST records for access to that data. Raith assured me that only those at this research location could access Raven's data and that none could leave the facility with any form of data storage device. I wasn't sure how infallible the security was, but I was glad he was placing insane levels of security around data relating to Raven, though I knew that was simply to prevent corporate espionage rather than keeping me happy.

"If there's ever a situation where I require a Jedi or Mandalorian," Raith replied, drawing my thoughts back to the present, "your name will be the first I consider. Beyond even speaking to the Co-Chancellors," he added with a chuckle as he clapped my shoulder. "I do hope that you'll continue to encourage Anakin's interest in engineering. I know he's destined to become a Jedi," I felt a flash of amusement at that, "but he has a gift for design that has to be nurtured. I've rarely seen such insight from any bar myself," he added with a wide smile.

"I have every intention of supporting him," I said, returning his smile, "Though I'll try and persuade him to not flood the private inbox you provided us with questions he has on a daily basis."

"Ha! Anything he sends, even a simple update of what he's doing, will likely be more appealing than ninety per cent of what I have to endure each day." I nodded, agreeing that the idea of daily corporate meetings and calls didn't sound appealing in any way. "Force, if his insights continue to develop, I suspect the reward for all of us will have several of my board members fainting when they learn the ideas are coming from a child." He looked around conspiratorially, before leaning close and half-whispering. "Between you and me, I wouldn't mind if some of those board members, or their accountants, died of shock at such information."

I chuckled. "As a Jedi, I cannot comment on such opinions, nor do I have to fear such meetings. As a Mandalorian, I'm sure I could suggest methods that would… encourage them to be less restrictive of your time."

Raith laughed heartily. "If I could arrange it now, or persuade you to stay for a few more days, I'd pay whatever you wanted to see that happen. Force, if I could, just for the sight of those people running around in fear, I'd grant you control of one of SST's subsidiaries."

I leaned back, making a face that suggested I'd just eaten a live Ewok. "Thank you but, no. With respect, running a major company sounds even less appealing than entering politics. Something Chancellor Palpatine has continued to gently suggest I should do."

That drew another barking laugh from Raith. "Yes! That would be almost as much fun to watch as granting you one of my companies. Perhaps more so as most of the Senate are nothing more than blood-sucking parasites!" I chuckled in agreement. "Still," he said as we reached the ramp leading into Raven and he extended his hand again, "it's been a pleasure to meet you and your party. Do stay in touch."

"Will do," I replied as we broke the shake, "and I'll make sure he sends you the technical readouts for the various upgrades you've installed in Raven."

"Yes, yes. However, for anything relating to the shields, make sure the message lacks the data. I'll arrange a location for a courier to deliver it personally as you never know who might be listening on the Holonet."

"Of course." I took a step back, moving onto the ramp. "Until we speak again, may the Force be with you, my friend."

Raith chuckled and shook his head. "Never thought I'd see the day a Jedi would consider me a friend." I smiled at that, as while I wouldn't call Raith a friend – nor would the Interface via Observe, it was better to play on the term to ensure he remained friendly. "And given your adventures, I think you'll need the Force with you more than I will." He chuckled again. "Battling krayt dragons, spice-pushing cults, and invasions is something I don't have a need or want to experience."

"A Jedi has many moments of quiet contemplation, but I do seem to find myself in trouble more than most."

Raith waved a finger at me. "Careful now, the universe, or should I say the Force, might hear you and decide you need a new challenge."

"Haran, I hope not. I need to make sure Anakin's trained before my next adventure."

We shared one final laugh, and then I gave him a quick nod before turning and walking up the ramp. "Hey girl," I said, running my organic hand over a section of Raven's flesh, "ready to fly again?"

The section of wall I was stroking pulsed, lights moving in a cornucopia of colours that dazzled me even now, several years after first bonding with her. Through the Force, as dim as I was keeping the connection, I sensed Raven's delight to finally travel the hyperspace lines once more. We'd gone out regularly during our time at this facility, testing the various upgrades – be they hardware or software that Raith's teams had installed, but we'd never left the system. Raven had enjoyed testing out the improvements almost as much as I did, but I knew she desired to feel the exotic matter of hyperspace caressing her skin.

"Soon, lass, soon," I added, giving the section of her frame a gentle pat. Behind me I heard the ramp rising, Raven having activated the systems without me needing to touch the controls. Since taking Natural Selection there were more and more moments when she understood and knew what I wanted done before I'd managed to act on those thoughts. Thankfully, none of the upgrades seemed to have interfered with this, nor her regular behaviour.

Raven still lacked weaponry, as neither Raith nor myself had been comfortable bringing in bioengineers – for differing reasons I suspected – to help with Raven's overhaul. Thankfully, the lack of offensive capabilities, bar the missile racks attached to mechanical sections – two racks under each wing – wasn't a major issue due to what Raith had given Raven.

While shielding for her was a priority alongside weapons, what Raith had provided went above and beyond that. Beyond installing shielding that was equivalent to what would be found on military-grade corvettes, even some light cruisers, it was a type of shield that, from what Raith knew, couldn't exist on any ship at least ten times Raven's mass and with a computing core taking up at least a third of all internal power.

I'd heard the term modular shielding before, just not when mentioned for a ship the size of Raven. The reason for that was because on every other ship that Raith used as an example, and all but a few stations, the transfer of power from one section of the shields to another was handled by teams of technicians. This transfer worked only as fast as the teams did, meaning the shields would remain weak until the commands were sent, and the computer reacted to them.

Raven was unlike any other ship in that she was alive and had a primary core equivalent of the brain of many sentients. That meant she could handle the calculations needed for diverting the power and do so before any crew could. That sounded remarkably useful for any ship, but Raith and Anakin had explained that, because of the tremendous strain such monitoring and adapting to every change in combat situations placed on the computer cores of most starships, it wasn't feasible for anything short of vessels approaching a kilometre long, and such vessels had to devote insane percentages of internal power and crew to managing it.

Only the ultra, ultra-rich could afford vessels with the size and power requirements to make it feasible, and all but a handful didn't as they'd be sacrificing so much internal space with their vessel as to make their living areas feel – for them – cramped. Raven, because her primary core was bioelectrical, could handle the work without it causing anything more than minimal – less than zero-point-five per cent – drop in efficiency. We all considered that drop-off acceptable, and I expected it to decrease as Raven grew used to controlling and powering the shields.

Curious about the system the Scimitar had, I'd brought up the idea of installing a cloak, either one he had on hand, or purchased from the market, but he'd dismissed it. While he did admit to installing such systems on a handful of vessels – which had me wondering about who constructed the Scimitar and if Raith had played a part in the Sith ships' construction – the issue was getting access to the rare and expensive crystals that were needed to power the system. Beyond the base price for such crystals, unless you knew the right people, paid exorbitant extra fees, or attempted to steal the crystals, you could be waiting years if not decades to get enough crystals to power such a system for more than a few months of full use.

He had said he was considering ways to make the technology more accessible and efficient, but he wasn't sure if he'd ever discover a method. Anakin had offered to help, and Raith had provided some data for the boy to examine; however, I was unsure if he'd be able to find a workaround. At least not before he grew bored of the puzzle and shifted to another.

The other upgrades that Raith had installed on Raven were less obvious, and seemingly less impressive, but still improved her dramatically. Her reaction time to commands was still off the charts and had been boosted slightly with the replacement of data cables where they could be replaced, but now her thrusters and sub-light engines produced more thrust for less fuel and in less time granting her a degree of manoeuvrability only surpassed by fighters designed for rapid manoeuvring. Her hyperdrive wasn't touched, as few models could surpass the base 0.7-rated hyperdrive the Sekotans had installed, plus it was fused into her frame such that any attempt to remove it would hurt Raven. Because of our bond, I'd already seen that hyperdrive drop to a 0.5 rating when Raven pushed herself, and I felt that as I grew more comfortable using the Force naturally, and applied that to my bond with Raven, she'd be capable of slightly faster speeds. Regardless, with the upgrades, Raven was capable of dancing around ships half her size, to say nothing of those larger.

"Hey R2," I called out as I passed the engine room, the astromech having adopted the location as his. "Everything looking good?" I had little need for an astromech as Raven's secondary – mechanical – core handled plotting jumps and had a greater memory than the droid. Nor was there as much repair work to do as Raven was predominantly organic. Because of that, the droid had, by his own volition, taken the role of chief engineer, focusing on ensuring the hyperdrive and other engines were working optimally. HK had noted that the astromech that had served with him when with Revan – T3 – had done the same, and it amused both droids and me to see R2 filling that role.

R2 had also had some upgrades installed by Anakin, though only after the droid and Raith had gone over the plans. While his frame was still composed of durasteel, he now had a dedicated blaster installed, replacing one of the various arms that extended from inside his frame. A handful of spare power clips were stored in the frame as well. There was also a small but powerful sonic cannon that, while not capable of outright killing, would disorient any sentient it was fired at. Long enough for the droid to escape, or someone with him to take down the target.

R2 was pleased with the upgrades, just as he was to be serving as an engineer, and he responded to my question with a series of excited beeps and whistles while giving me a mock salute with one of the arms that extended from his frame.

"Excellent," I said, responding to the droid's musical reply. "Just keep an eye on everything, we don't want things going haywire once in hyperspace."

R2 gave a whistle of agreement, and I resumed my walk toward the cockpit, though as I passed through the central communal area, I slowed as I saw Anakin. He was leaning over the main table, engrossed in a datapad while Fenrir was lounging nearby. As usual, the tuk'ata was taking up the entire main couch that encircled the table at the centre of the room, leaving just enough room for the boy to sit there without being crushed.

"Anakin." When he didn't respond I moved closer and looked at the pad. It contained the information of the Z-95 Headhunter, which I knew was a precursor to the X-Wing, and I'd given the design – or at least what I had of the design from my time studying on Fondor – to him. The challenge was to keep the vessel a single-seater fighter but convert it to a more general role while adding hyperdrive capabilities. I was curious to see if he could, unintentionally create something like the X-Wing decades before it was made in the other timeline. While the design had flaws, its overall ability made it a good backbone fighter for a star force. Raith was aware of the project and had offered some advice to Anakin before we'd left, though he wasn't a huge fan of the overall design, feeling it was overly complicated and expensive for a fighter.

"An'ika," I said once closer. However, he failed to respond to that either, and after a chuckle, I moved closer and tapped his shoulder.

"Wh?" He asked, almost leaping from the chair. "C-Cam?"

"Enjoying your work?" I asked, not bothering to hide my amusement at how lost in his studies he'd gotten.

"Yeah." He blinked and looked around. "Am I late for training?"

"No," I replied after chuckling. "Just wanted to check in on you before we took off."

"Oh, ok." With that, he turned back to the pad.

I shook my head, and moved toward Fenrir, scratching him behind an ear. "Make sure he doesn't spend all day on the pad." The tuk'ata snorted, dismissing me and I wondered which would be the first to move - the engrossed boy, or the lazing war beast.

Moving away, I headed down the short passage toward the cockpit. I passed the small alcove that doubled as the access point to Raven's cores. Well, to her mechanical core as the organic brain was located deep in her frame, far from where anyone could reach unless she revealed its location.

As the doors to the cockpit opened, Simvyl turned, looking up at me from the co-pilot's chair. HK was settled, as normal when he wasn't calibrating his weapons, at one of the secondary stations, which now that we had some offensive firepower along with the shields, finally served a purpose. While HK would prefer we had more than a few missile racks for offence, he was impressed by the shielding and was already contemplating if it would be possible to adapt it to his frame.

"How we looking?" I asked Simvyl as I slipped around and into the pilot's chair. As I sunk into the chair, the edges then moving to form a partial shell over my legs and back. That change in the seat was something that had occurred after taking Natural Selection, and may well have been a reaction to her fearing she'd lose me because of how I'd struggled in the immediate aftermath of the change. The partial covering of my legs made the connection to Raven stronger, and the various switches and levers I had to move to power up the engines for pre-flight started activating on their own; Raven knew the patterns and anticipated my actions.

"Everything's in the green," he replied as my hands brushed over sections of Raven's organic shell before grasping the helm. "Power core's fully charged, tanks are full, and we're clear to depart when you want."

"Good."

The slightest pressure on the controls was enough for Raven to shift power to the engines. I could feel the subtle shifts she carried out my orders before they were given, and sense the way the increased power drawn from the core flowed through her systems.

Gently easing back on the controls, Raven lifted, though if not for the viewport, there'd be no way to tell as the movement was silent. Turning her nose toward the hangar entrance, I saw Raith standing in the control tower. Though it was more of an elevated room than a tower, I still referred to it as such.

I gave him a mock salute, one he returned with a wide smile, and a moment later he shifted from view; the canopy of the forest that surrounded this facility took up the view as we eased toward the exit. As the light of the sun kidded Raven's skin, I felt her delight to be in the light again, and free to do what she was born and loved doing.

As we angled upward, I wondered what our time with the Matukai, the first Force sect we were going to study with, would be like. I'd read the files on their world and culture carefully, but I knew you couldn't trust everything you read in an archive. Nor to form a proper opinion until you'd seen and experienced something for real.

The issue with the Matukai, unlike with other Force sects such as the Witches of Dathomir – who, while weren't all dark siders like I'd feared, were very anti-male and as such, unlikely for Anakin and me to visit any time soon – or the Shapers, was that they didn't have a dedicated temple. They were based on Karvoss II, which is where we'd be heading after a stop-over on Alderaan to speak with those involved in the production of the Lord of the Rings trilogy of holomovies, and that was the final destination of this leg of our voyages.

From the Celebratus Archive, I'd discovered that they called their equivalent of Jedi Masters Instructors, and they did generally congregate on Karvoss II. Because one Instructor could take on multiple students, and there was no requirement to have a decent Force Potential, I suspected training could be arranged for Simvyl as well as myself and Anakin. The issue was going to be finding an Instructor as the Matukai numbers were estimated at less than five thousand, and even if all of them were on Karvoss II – which I felt was unlikely – the planet had a population of over two billion.

That said, for all the difficulty that was going to go into locating an Instructor and convincing them to train us – I wasn't sure if I'd approach them as Mandalorians or Jedi – they were the logical first sect to study with. The Matukai emphasized using one's Force connection, no matter how trivial, to improve and enhance their body. From what I'd read, even someone with Simvyl's low Force Potential could, with sufficient training, compete against a Jedi for a few minutes. At least so long as the pair were fighting without weapons or other Force powers.

The Matukai training, from what the Archive files had said, placed a focus on training in ways that reminded me of moving meditation – Alchaka – even drawing on combat training for it. That, to me, felt more natural than repeating simple tasks like disassembling and then reassembling a lightsaber, blaster, or another mechanical device.

The Jedi wished for one to release their emotions, specifically any that could lead to darker impulses like fear, anger, and hate, into the Force. The issue for me was that, because of Eidetic Memory, even when I did release my emotions linked to events like the Bando Gora and Vong, the next time I thought about them, the emotions returned in full. That was why I'd learnt to bottle them deep inside, only drawing on them on those rare occasions when I felt I had little to no other choice.

Succumbing to the Dark Side, at least to the point where I lost myself in it, was a major concern that filled my nights – be those when I was sleeping, meditating, or doing other things. I needed to learn some way to live with my memories and the emotions that encircled them, instead of being trapped in the past.

As much as it pained me to admit, Adas was an immense help in learning to, if not deny, ignore, and bottle up those memories and emotions, at least learn to live with them. To accept they were a part of me. There was more he wanted to teach me, but I was reluctant to begin those lessons, fearing that he simply wished to mould me – and by extension Anakin – into what he felt a Sith should be. He wanted a new Sith Empire, or one worthy of succeeding what he'd once ruled, rise: crushing the Jedi, Republic and Banite Sith in the process.

I wouldn't deny that the idea of leading a faction separate from the Republic and CIS held appeal, but I wasn't thinking too hard on the matter currently. The focus would remain on relearning what I'd known before, and discovering new ways to use the Force.

A burst of excitement rushed from Raven as we slipped into the upper ranges of the atmosphere. We'd both undergone changes since Naboo, but now it was time to push further and prepare for what was to come.

… …

… …
A/N: We'll be entering the training arc from the next chapter. That will take five chapters, cover four groups and roughly two years of time. While important to show the (re)training taking place, devoting more than a chapter to each risks becoming too repetitive/boring to read and write.
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This story is cross-posted on Fanfiction.net, Archive of our Own, and Royal Road.
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USSExplorer · Jul 10, 2024

A/N: Thanks to those helping me write and plan out this story and checking it for continuality and logical errors.

This chapter was released to those on the story's Discord, and who those support my writing anywhere from 1 to 4 months ago.

If doing either interests you, you'll find links at the bottom of the chapter.

NOTICE: The chapter was delayed due to multiple real-life issues ranging from personal matters to holidays. Going forward, this will be the rough date for when a chapter comes out from now on (I hope).

3.04 Training and Interruptions
… …

I kept my eyes narrowed as I climbed my way up the pillar of rock to the summit. This was the same thing I'd been doing for nearly two months, and as the dust and sand whipped up by the storm raging around me, I was reminded once again why I fucking hated sand. Yet, for all I hated the environment, and was developing a loathing for the man who insisted I head up here each day, I couldn't deny that the training was helping me recover and strengthen my Force connection.

Ever since taking Natural Selection, I'd been slowly opening my thoughts to the Force; letting more and more of the senses and energy that coursed through it into my mind. While I was far from ready to open myself fully to the Force, still fearing I'd suffer another overload like I'd endured when I'd awoken after the Interface had stopped filtering the Force, I knew I was getting better, getting stronger. I could sense the shifts and eddies in the Force as it flowed around me, with that connection feeling stronger during each day's exercises.

The reason I was climbing this Force-forsaken pillar of rock today, as I'd done so for nearly two months, was because of the Matukai Instructor that we'd eventually located on Karvoss II. It had taken us just shy of a month to locate a Matukai Instructor, and then almost a week of discussion with Instructor Mash Kafe, to convince him to train me, Anakin, and Simvyl.

Our first week of training had focused on – for Anakin and me – narrowing our connection to little more than a trickle. While the Matukai were as Light Side aligned by the Jedi, the focus Instructor Kafe placed on how to interact with the Force had more in common with a warrior's ideology; though, thankfully, they lacked the desire to use their training to do anything more than enhance themselves. That, along with the fact few if any who learnt Matukai techniques had even decent Force Potential was perhaps why the Jedi saw no need to monitor their actions as they did for groups like the Witches of Dathomir.

Since I was already narrowing my connection to the Force – though not for the reasons Kafe realised – and I had almost a decade of prior instruction in using the Force, Instructor Kafe had brought me out into this shabyr desert, pointed out this pillar of rock, and ordered me to head here each morning, climb to the top and remain there until either I could no longer endure the elements, or the sun dropped below the horizon.

Once I reached the top, I'd do as I always did, and adopt a basic meditation stance. Then, with the wind, dust, sand, and sun assaulting me, I'd draw on as small an amount of the Force as I could manage to reinforce and refresh my body. After a month of that, Kafe had then told me to begin carrying out simple activities that I knew instinctively as moving meditation. So far I was keeping to Beskar'pel, letting my knowledge of the Form guide my body while the Force eased its way through every fibre of my being.

The training was far from enjoyable, bordering on tedious and irritating on the best of days, but I couldn't deny that, after less than two months, I was already feeling the change. While my connection was still muted by choice, I could draw upon the Force to enhance myself impressively. I wasn't yet at the levels I'd been before, but I knew it wouldn't take long – perhaps not beyond the end of the year, which was three months away – before I was close to my old limits, if not readying myself to pass them.

Even when not carrying out the training, I could feel the Force flowing through every cell in my body; ready to enhance me if I so needed. Understanding, even fractionally, what the Force could do on a microscopic level was incredible, especially for those like Anakin and myself who had strong and/or deep connections to the Force. The way Instructor Kefe had explained the reactions and changes we'd experienced didn't come close to preparing me for what I was undergoing.

When I drew on the Force to empower myself, to push beyond my limits and strain my body in ways it would never be able to do otherwise, it was incredible. As if I was drawing on a limitless source of power that with the right training, I could bend to my desires with the slightest of thoughts.

While all this had similarities to my former Enhance powers, the difference was night and day. With the old Force Powers, I grew stronger when they were active, pushing myself to the limits of what a seasoned Jedi was capable of. Yet, experiencing what I was now, and knowing that while I wasn't at that level yet but would one day surpass it with ease as the Force did as I desired, was incredible. As if a blindfold had been lifted from my eyes and I could finally see what the Force offered if I so wished to use it.

The wind picked up, howling as it slammed into the pillar, and I was forced to tighten my grip; not wanting to fall and injure myself. The winds blasted into me, sending pinpricks of pain through my body as my robes and hair were tossed every which way by the force of nature and the sand and dust it carried. As with every morning or evening when I climbed or descended this pillar, I cursed out Kafe in my head. Shouting the words into the wind would only result in me getting a mouthful of sand, something I was growing to hate with a fiery passion.

There was no way that Kefe knew of my dislike – evolving into hatred – of sand, and while I disliked the reminder of my first encounter with Trandoshans right after my verd'goten resting at the edges of my thoughts, I couldn't deny how successful the training was. Yet I had to be mindful of my emotions since I was unable to release them into the Force as a Jedi should, not unless I wanted to then experience them as new, intense sensations the next day.

Each evening after my training I spent over an hour in the sonic shower, trying to remove every grain of sand that had somehow snuck into places where there was no logical way it could've reached. My robes were placed over Raven's exhausts, and I let her blast them in the hopes that it'd remove all the sand. It never did, and I knew that once we left this planet those robes, along with the ones worn by Anakin and Simvyl's clothing if they had to do the same training, though they currently weren't, were getting burnt. I'd then be spending the next few months in my armour, enjoying the hermetically sealed environment.

Anakin's training was coming along slower than mine, but that made sense. While he'd had some instruction from me and Dooku in the time leading up to Naboo, it hadn't been formal Initiate training. Still, when Instructor Kefe had displayed that he, someone with a Force Potential similar to Simvyl's, could punch his way through a decent sheet of durasteel, it left its mark. Yes, I knew I could - at least before Natural Selection - do the same, to learn that someone with such limited Force potential could do so was eye-opening.

For Anakin, who'd not seen such displays of power from me or Dooku before he'd become my Padawan, it had been an eye-opener and made him excited to begin his training. However, he was a long way from being able to do that; though that didn't stop him from asking me if he could try.

The first month of his training had been spent alongside Simvyl, focusing on the basics of how to draw minute quantities of the Force into themselves and then holding it there, and doing something else. Kefe had sensed Anakin's potential and had created a separate training regime for him than what Simvyl – and any normal new Trainee – was facing.

Since the boy lacked the combat experience I did, Instructor Kefe had shown him some simple combat techniques and styles to help him find a battle-orientated form of moving meditation. Anakin, even though he didn't realise it, could already use Alchaka when he was repairing and tinkering with machinery. So much so that I'd had to tap or even shake his shoulder to get his attention.

After that first month, Anakin had begun similar training to me, though he wasn't being sent deep into the desert before the crack of fucking dawn. Instead, he was standing on the roof of a building not far from the settlement where we'd found Kefe. Anakin also didn't need to spend days enduring the wind and sand, having to do so only for a few hours at a time. However, given the length of those sessions was increasing, I knew it wouldn't be long until he had to go the full day without leaving his location, and I smirked, wondering if enduring that would develop the hatred of sand he'd had in the other timeline.

To further Anakin's training, at least in ways I felt would help, I had him spend evenings sparring with Fenrir and Simvyl. That helped all three as for Anakin it was showing him how to fight a beast bred to defeat Force users or battle someone larger, stronger, and better skilled. For Fenrir, it began his training toward engaging opponents I expected him to face, both those who could draw heavily on the Force and those who couldn't. Instructor Kefe had also agreed to spar with Fenrir, and while there'd been a few early instances where the tuk'ata had almost lost control, disliking the Togruta being able to beat him so easily, things were going better now though there was still the odd evening where the tuk'ata didn't interact with any of us, suggesting he'd disliked his training that day and wanted to sulk.

As for Simvyl, the sparring with Anakin and Fenrir would help prepare him for the future and worked well with his training with Kefe. The Matukai Instructor had dedicated the most amount of time to the Cathar, which made sense as he was more akin to the sentients that sought out the Matukai for training. That was good as of the various Force sects I hoped to visit and train with this was the only one I felt he could learn from, and I wanted him to have the training there to help him have ways to pass the time while Anakin and I were busy with other training.

Since a trained Matukai practitioner was capable of battling, and in the right conditions, defeating a Jedi in melee combat, getting Simvyl to that level would be a major boost to his combat potential. I had plans to find a Teräs Käsi master in the future, and combining the Matukai techniques with a martial art designed to battle Force users would make Simvyl lethal to any who dismissed him because of his low Force presence.

The issue regarding all our training, as was often the case as I reached the summit of the rock pillar, was how much longer we could spend here. I knew that, if nothing else changed, war wouldn't break out for about ten years. However, I didn't want to spend all that time training, at least not in isolation as we'd be doing for the next few. That would leave me woefully unconnected and unprepared for changes in the timeline that I'd have to adapt to and counter.

Three months on Karvoss II was beginning to push at the rough limit I'd set for this adventure. I wanted to get to the next Force sect – which I was leaning toward being the Shapers – soon and be undergoing training with them before the year ended. While Raven was insanely fast, it still took time travelling to and from places like Karvoss II and Kro Var – the world of the Shapers – as they weren't on any major hyperspace routes.

The issue was that only being able to spend a few months, perhaps half a year, with each group, meant that we'd likely miss out on the more advanced techniques the groups used. Something that, I felt, would be of great use in the battles that sat just over the horizon.

While I'd not directly addressed the matter with anyone, Adas had accurately deduced this concern when I'd last spoken with him. The ancient Sith King had, after hearing about the current training I was undergoing – and what Kefe had hinted at would come next – hinted that he would be able to adapt them to better serve me. Since the Matukai training was focused on those with weak Force connections, I did wonder if we were missing out on ideas that would be more suitable for myself and my Padawan. Adas' offer certainly sounded appealing, but I feared that following his advice and listening to him for training would leave both of us open to the whispers of the Dark Side. Or, in my case at least, more open as they were always there; their promises of desire and power grew stronger whenever my temper spiked.

Adas had been ready for my concerns, and without my mentioning them, attempted to ease them. He'd spoken of how, for those of weak wills, taking the fast and simple route to the power the Dark Side hinted at was appealing. Those beings were, in his eyes, fools unworthy of what the Dark Side truly offered; of the power that lay beyond the obvious that only those strong of mind, body, and potential could grasp. Learning that Adas had once had children and that several made that mistake was unexpected, and suggested that he was slowly opening up to me. Or buttering me up for the fall he wished me to endure.

Regardless of his motives, which I knew weren't in any way altruistic, I was reluctant to accept Adas' help, at least for this training. I was already leaning on him heavily to learn to manage my darker impulses, reject them, and hide them from anyone who viewed me through the Force. So far I'd reached the point where Anakin no longer sensed the danger in me, at least not beyond the level he'd felt it before, but I didn't think I was able to hide it from Fenrir or Adas. Both of them were more attuned to the Dark Side and understood how to sense its presence.

The issue was that while Adas appeared to be sticking to his word about keeping the tutoring clean of any leaning, I knew the more I turned to him for help, the more his words would slowly twist me toward the Dark Side. It wouldn't take much for his intentions to become clearer, and his ideas for what I should become, and how I should shape the galaxy, to filter into me.

I didn't think the holocron could sense my opinions and feelings on most matters, at least when I kept my cool and did my best not to react to his words or suggestions, but so much of what he said made sense. War was coming for the galaxy, and whether I liked it or not, a new order was going to rise. I'd known of the threat of the Empire before emerging here, and that if I wanted to survive it, I either had to defeat it or join it. The latter was, and never would be an option, which left me having to defeat the Banite Sith: both of them thanks to my fuckup having seen Plagueis become co-Chancellor alongside Sidious. The challenge was how to do so when I'd lost almost all the little faith I held in the Jedi and Republic, and how to ensure that the darkness that the Banite Sith had spread, didn't linger after I defeated them.

Such thoughts always returned me to memories of the visions I'd shared with Anakin. If one of us stood alone against the darkness, or if we turned on each other, we failed. The only path forward, the only way the Force hinted to break what was coming that the vision had offered, was to shatter the galaxy while working together.

While I hoped that wasn't the path I had to take, I was slowly understanding that it might be my only choice. I disliked the idea that my path was set, that I had no choice in my actions, but I understood that to do as the vision – as the Force – wished, I could take my own path there. I just had to make sure that Anakin remained at my side; that I trained him well and the bonds between us became unbreakable.

The other thought that came to mind regarding that vision, was the idea that the Banite Sith weren't the source of the darkness. The Vong were out there, preparing to invade, and Force-knew what lay in the Unknown Regions that would look to take advantage of the chaos of the coming wars. Any of those threats – known and unknown – could be the true darkness that I had to battle.

The problem was, as with any vision the force offered, nothing was ever exactly what it appeared.

As I reached the summit of the pillar, I pushed all those thoughts away; letting my concerns be carried by the howling, pounding winds back to my cabin. I could return to them later once the day was over. Until then, my mind would remain calm and clear; the only thing that mattered was using as little of the Force as I could to endure what awaited me.

… …

… …
"I hate sand."

I bit the inside of my lip, holding back laughter at Anakin's comment as Raven ascended through Karvoss II's atmosphere. After three months of training under Instructor Kafe, I felt we'd spent as long here as we could, and it seemed Anakin agreed as he'd spent most of that last month standing in the desert on a rock outcropping.

"Aye, but the cold's worse," I replied with a smirk, letting some of my amusement show. "Creeps into your bones and freezes you up if you're not careful."

About the same time Anakin was instructed to meditate in the desert, Kefe had decided it was time to change up my training. To do that, each morning I'd flown Raven to the planet's southern pole and then been forced to perform my moving meditation in the biting cold winds of the pole. At first, it had been a relief to get away from the sand, dust, and heat of the desert, but by the end of the month, I'd almost found myself missing the tender mercies of a sandstorm.

On the first flight to the southern pole, Instructor Kefe had said that he wouldn't normally change up a new Matukai Trainee's training so quickly. However, he understood that I knew more about the Force than most Trainees and that none of my party would be able to commit to the years of training it took for one to be considered a master of their ways. He'd not been wrong about us not spending years training with him, but when we'd left, he'd been surprised at how soon after we'd met that we were departing.

While there were likely advanced techniques that I would be missing out on, nothing was stopping me from returning for a refresher course – I had the communication frequency to contact Kefe if we were in-system again – I felt that I understood enough about the basic tenets, and how they were applied, to end our training after only a few months. I'd also listened to Adas' pitch about how to adapt the training for one with a far stronger Force connection and while I'd yet to go over his words and suggestions with a fine-toothed comb, the initial pitch had sounded reasonable. Nothing he said hinted at exposing me or Anakin to the Dark Side; at least not in the ways that would see one choose the quick and easy path to power and thus lose themselves forever in the blackest corners of the Dark Side.

The day before we'd left, Anakin had shown me how he'd improved by throwing a punch that dented durasteel. Now, he could only do that when not distracted, as I'd done so to see his reaction and he'd hurt his hand, but it was a sign the training was sinking in quickly. He was far from what Kefe had demonstrated by punching through a similar sheet of metal – or my own tests which weren't far from breaking through a sheet – but it was an impressive improvement in three months, and the final nail in the coffin of us staying any longer.

The one thing I'd made clear, and he accepted without complaint, was that he wasn't to practise striking through anything while on Raven, nor on other worlds unless I permitted him to do so first. I'd rather not have to compensate others because of him having the idea to test his improvement in random places.

Of course, until we reached our next Force sect, he'd be wearing his armour, it was unlikely he'd attempt such a strike. His armour was composed of durasteel, so would likely bend – or even break – if he didn't also empower the metal of the armour. After having to reshape his gauntlets twice in the last month because of him testing his limits, I'd told him not to attempt it again until he could figure out how to push the Force into the armour granting it greater strength. I hadn't told him how to do so, mainly as I wanted him to discover it for himself, but I felt sure he'd learn it in due course.

My armour, and my replacement limb, didn't need that form or reinforcement due to the beskar in them. Still, I was practising pushing the Force into them. Not just to further enhance the metal, but so that I grew used to channelling the Force through the replacement limb. While I could call upon it with that hand, the connection felt colder, more distant. While that made sense, I disliked having the imbalance in what I could do and how and wished to overcome it without damaging the limb. I knew it would be some time before I understood how to empower my armour and limb, but felt certain I'd get there soon enough.

One unexpected benefit of the Matukai training I'd found was that it seemed easier to use the various martial arts that I knew. Or at least, when I used them in meditative training, Beskar'pel, Beskar'rev, and Teräs Käsi all seemed to gain levels at a faster rate, with the latter showing the greatest rate of improvement. Given that Teräs Käsi was initially designed to counter Force users, it made some sense that there'd be a decent overlap between that and Matukai training.

I'd started training Simvyl in that combat form, seeing as the Matukai training was helping him become a more dangerous fighter, and started sparring with him daily. Now that I had a decent understanding of how to control my Force use when I drew it into myself, I felt comfortable sparring with him at speed without worrying that I'd lose control and severely injure him. While my ability with Teräs Käsi wasn't great, resting in the lower half of the Professional tier, because of my Teaching skill, which was into the Prodigy tier, he was seeing steady improvements. The same was true of Anakin whom I was teaching Beskar'pel as that was the Mando martial art that favoured agility and movement over brute force.

Thinking on it, those martial arts, along with my Teaching skill and those linked to piloting and mechanics, were likely candidates to use my Tier Boosts on. Or at least the spare tier boost as I planned to lift Makashi to Paragon, the eighth tier. However, before that, I'd have to rebuild my lightsaber and I wanted to get the other lightsaber Forms I knew up into the Savant tier. Niman was the lowest of the other forms, sitting at Master:5 while Soresu was the highest – outside of Shii-Cho that was Maxed – at Master:96.

For the most part, I could still train the Forms even without a full-sized lightsaber or drawing on the Force. The only Form that had issues was Ataru, as it wasn't easy to do the many acrobatic velocities of the Form without the Force's help. Even so, many of the more advanced velocities weren't possible to train without a full-sized lightsaber.

Over the last few months, I'd decided that I wanted to attempt to rebuild the blade with the two smaller focusing crystals I'd had before. That meant attempting to fix or heal the crack in the one that was damaged, but I wasn't sure how to go about that. Or at least, I wasn't sure how to do so without doing something the Jedi likely wouldn't approve of. Using the Force to induce that sort of change leaned heavily into the Dark Side, but I had a connection with those focusing crystals which I wanted to maintain.

Whenever I rebuilt my blade, I'd be able to add the Mantle of the Force. The crystal once wielded by Revan was now fully aligned with me and my skill for Mechanics [Lightsabers] was high enough to allow a fourth crystal to be added to the hilt. However, for as much as I missed having the blade at my side, and felt as if something was missing, I understood I wasn't at a point yet where I was ready to rebuild the blade, and not just because I didn't know how to heal the damaged crystal.

My attention returned to the present as Raven alerted me that we were far enough away from Karvoss II to enter hyperspace. Once the jump was made, and the exotic, swirling energies of the faster-than-light travel washed over Raven's skin, I turned my attention to the next Force sect we'd be training with.

The Shapers of Kro Var were a sect that used the Force primarily to manipulate and control what they considered the four base elements of earth, water, wind, and fire. They were, like the Matukai, open to training other Force users. They were as martially inclined as the Matukai, though were more willing to display their Force usage openly. Given the Matukai channelled the Force inward, that made sense, and because the Shapers served as the law on their world, and had engaged in wars, I wondered what I might learn from them about using the Force in combat – particularly battles involving Force users on both sides of a conflict.

Since they allowed their members to use weapons – outside of lightsabers – then I'd also be able to work on my skill with my beskad while there. Simvyl and Anakin would also take such training as while my Padawan would one day build and wield a lightsaber, it was wise to know multiple ways to fight with varying weapons. For Simvyl, I planned, once all this training was finished, to have a blade forged for him made of phrik, along with some cortosis if I could acquire enough. That would grant him some ability to engage Force users, which given what I knew was coming and my growing suspicions about who I'd fight against, would be needed.

The biggest issue with heading to the Shapers was that they despised those who used the Force for mental tricks and telekinesis. So much so that, if anyone was caught using the Force in that way on their world and wasn't able to escape, they faced imprisonment for decades if not life at best.

I wasn't sure if the mental barriers I'd been forging to hide my thoughts and Force presence from others would be considered an issue, but I doubted it. From the records I'd read, their distaste toward mental applications of the Force was aimed at using it to influence others. Still, I'd have to be careful about how I behaved. I'd also have to speak with Anakin so he didn't attempt to practise or use the Force in ways that would get us into trouble.

That conversation would take place whenever we stopped for resupplies and refuelling. Kro Var lay into Wild Space and as such, I wanted to make sure we had more than we needed in every critical supply. While I doubted anything would go wrong, I wasn't going to take the chance we might end up stranded because I'd not packed for a long voyage.

That was the mistake that got you killed.

… …

… …
(Anakin's POV)
As he wandered through this section of the docking ring of the station they'd stopped at, Anakin wondered how much longer they'd be here. It wasn't that he wasn't enjoying looking at the various ships and trying to determine what modifications had been applied, or wondering about the few he'd never seen before. Far from it in fact, and he was glad his armour was recording everything he was seeing as he'd go over the ships when they left. It was more that he wanted to get on with his training and get to the point where he could build a lightsaber.

He understood that he wasn't ready for that yet, as he had far to go in his training, but the fact he still had to find a crystal was starting to annoy him. For most of it, he'd enjoyed his training with the Matukai, and was overjoyed to know now how to guide the Force through his body to be stronger, faster, and hopefully smarter. However, a Jedi without a lightsaber felt wrong to him. Though he did wonder if he'd ever be a proper Jedi.

From what Cam, Simvyl, Bo, and others had told him, the Jedi wouldn't have helped Naboo if not for Cam's actions. Even then, they only sent two Jedi along whereas the Mandalorians and Lokella sent thousands of warriors. Anakin didn't blame Cam for his mother's death – that anger was reserved for Decca the Hutt – but he felt that the Jedi and Republic should've done more to help Naboo. If they had, then the Lokella wouldn't have sent most of their fleet to help, and his mother would still be alive.

Anakin wished she'd been here to see him become a Jedi and see him in his armour. While not the beskar that Cam and Bo wore, Anakin adored the armour and had already made a few alterations to it that Cam hadn't been against, such as increasing the velocity the grappling cable fired at. That change granted the cable greater range and decreased the time it took before it could be used.

Thinking of his mother and his time on Karvoss II in the desert turned his mind to Tatooine. While Anakin was happy with how his life had gone since he'd been rescued from that place by Cam, he missed his friends like Kister and Pala from back then and wished to free them like Cam had freed him and his mother. Cam had listened every time he'd spoken of wanting to free them, to grant them the chances he'd had because of Cam. While Cam agreed they should be free as well, he kept saying they had to be cautious.

Tatooine was controlled by two powerful Hutts, something Anakin knew as before Watto had owned them, they'd belonged to Gardulla the Hutt. He'd just not realised how powerful she and Jabba were until Cam explained that they controlled two of the biggest Hutt clans and going after them would have most, if not all, of the galaxy's bounty hunters after them. Learning that Gardulla was Decca's mother added another layer of connections between them, though it didn't change Anakin's desire to get revenge for his mother's death.

Decca might not have fired the shot that killed his Mother, but it was his credits that paid for the pirates that attacked them. Just as he'd been behind previous attacks on the Lokella and the one who'd controlled the system before Cam and Master Dooku had freed the people there. That meant whenever Anakin thought about the Hutt, the fire within him, one demanding he destroy the Hutt, burned brighter than the twin suns of Tatooine. Almost as if a dragon stirred, ready to wake and destroy whatever stood in its path.

Anakin knew he shouldn't think about such thoughts, nor, privately, enjoy the idea of destroying Decca, the other Hutts, and those who engaged in slavery, but he did. It wasn't the Jedi way, but he knew he wasn't going to be a good Jedi. Which, given their choices to not help those in need, to sit back and do nothing when people were in danger, didn't upset Anakin as much as it might once have done.

Cam – who Anakin considered more like his brother than father – spoke about how a Jedi shouldn't draw on those darker impulses; and how they should be released into the Force. Or at least Cam had before Naboo had been invaded and Anakin's mother had died. Since then, or at least they'd left that swamp world, Anakin had sensed the same fury in Cam, though it wasn't aimed toward Decca and the Hutts.

For Cam, those flames burnt because of Trandoshans, the Lady Vosa who'd saved his sister Lia, and a few others whom Anakin didn't yet know of. Thinking about it over the last few months, Anakin realised that he'd always sensed that fire, that dragon's roar, inside Cam, but after the swamp world it wasn't as muted. As if whatever happened to Cam there – something that terrified Cam so much that he'd needed Anakin's help – had removed something that hid Cam within the Force.

Danger had radiated semi-freely from Cam since then, however, Anakin knew it was not aimed at him. At least not most of the time. There were evenings, which had grown more common since they'd landed on Karvoss II, where that danger had broadened and deepened: as if another was with Cam in his quarters as the danger was focused, precise instead of the all-consuming inferno it could be when Cam was angered. Yet Anakin had searched Cam's quarters when Cam had been at Raven's controls or otherwise engaged and found no hint of what was generating the danger.

Anakin knew he shouldn't search Cam's quarters like that, and that Raven was probably telling Cam he was there, but something about that focused, older, power called to Anakin. As if he needed to know what was causing it and understand it for himself. One day, Anakin hoped Cam would tell him what he was doing, but until then he'd remain patient. Cam was his… brother, friend, father, and Master, yet none of those titles felt right to Anakin. Cam was… he wasn't sure what exactly, beyond the one person Anakin knew he could count on. The one person in the entire galaxy that would stand with him no matter what.

He laughed gently as he walked, clearing thoughts of darkness in Cam and their odd situation. Anakin understood the Force wanted them to be together, but he was still getting used to the strange dynamic that existed between them.

"Something funny?"

Anakin stopped and turned, seeing the one who'd spoken was a Trandoshan. He didn't have issues with the species like Cam, but Cam's hatred of them had soured Anakin on them. Along with Gamorreans, Trandoshans were often seen as enforcers for the Hutts and other slavers on Tatooine, and as the hulking alien stepped forward, one clawed hand resting over a blaster, the HUD of Anakin's armour quickly scanned the alien and his equipment.

The blaster the claw was resting over was illegal in the Republic, though Anakin suspected that even on the Core worlds the Trandoshan would not be stopped by security, or would avoid the more heavily policed docking areas. From that, and the rifle slung over its back, and the vibroblade on the other hip, it didn't take a genius to understand this alien was a pirate, bounty hunter, slaver, or some odd combination of all three.

The HUD then provided details on the bay behind the Trandoshan. There were two ships there, though only one was clear enough for the HUD to match against records. The ship was in dire need of repairs, to say nothing of a new paint job, and blaster marks scorched the hull in over a hundred locations: and that was just what was visible to the HUD.

"Yeah, that hunk of junk you call a ship," Anakin shot back. Cam and Simvyl had warned him to be careful of his tendency to reply quickly, but Anakin didn't feel like being nice to this alien. Not when he was trying to threaten him simply because he was bigger. "Looks like it should be towing garbage."

"What?"

"I'm sorry. I meant to say towed away as garbage." Behind him, a coughing bark came from Simvyl suggesting the Cathar had bit back his amusement at Anakin's remark. That made Anakin smile, though the Trandoshan couldn't see it because of the armour.

"Why you little…"

The sound of a blaster rushing from a holster, along with Simvyl stepping forward between Anakin and the Trandoshan and placing a hand to gently push Anakin back, cut off the insult the giant lizard planned to use.

"Now, now," Simvyl said slowly, his voice low and Anakin saw his finger resting on the trigger, as if Simvyl expected trouble. "Let's not do anything stupid."

Anakin was again glad of the armour as it hid the look of confusion that rushed over his face. Trandoshans, in his opinion, were slow in the head with only Gamorreans and Klatooinian being slower.

The Trandoshan looked from him to Simvyl and then back. "Is this one your pet?" It asked, and Anakin tried to take a step forward, angered at anyone suggesting his friend was a slave. "Or perhaps your master?" That had Simvyl give Anakin a gentle push back even as the HUD noted the tensing of the Cathar's muscles and the emergence of a dozen Trandoshans deeper in the bay who were now stirring at the commotion.

Most had been out of sight while others were moving supplies, but many had turned, catching sight of what was occurring at the entrance to the bay they'd taken over. Each was armed similarly to the one they were dealing with, and Anakin was drawing on that information, using Cam's teaching to determine which blasters were the most dangerous, and how best to avoid them if a battle broke out.

He could feel the Force flow through him, accelerating his thoughts and motions as his mind worked to prepare a plan of escape if things turned sour. As much as he'd disliked it at the end, the training with Instructor Kefe was helping him draw upon the Force to be ready for combat.

"He's the son of my friend," Simvyl replied, his voice having dropped deeper. Anakin could sense Simvyl drawing on the Force, readying himself for combat just as he was doing. The pistol in Simvyl's hand, while still kept low, was now aimed at the Trandoshan's knee and at this range, Anakin knew Simvyl wouldn't miss. The Cathar's other hand left Anakin's chest and slid back to his lower back, where a vibroblade rested.

Unlike Cam's, Simvyl's blade wasn't made of beskar, but Anakin knew his friend was skilled with it. He'd enjoyed watching Cam and Simvyl spar with their blades, each moving faster than they had before because of the Matukai training. Neither was going for the kill, and Anakin knew Cam was holding back more than Simvyl, but they were looking to hurt each other as, from how Simvyl had explained it, the only way to train properly was to attempt to hurt your opponent. If one practised holding back, then when the time came to use a weapon for real, then your instincts would be incorrect, and you'd likely die.

Simvyl's style was markedly different from Cam's, but they moved so fluidly, so naturally with a blade-in-hand, that, to Anakin it was more akin to dancing than fighting.

"A Cathar friends with a Mandalorian?" The Trandoshan said, having recognized Anakin's armour, and assumed the father was also a Mando. The alien snorted in amusement. "Guess your people know their rightful place."

Anakin moved forward, a string of insults in a dozen tongues ready to be fired at the alien. However, before he could get them out, Simvyl had stepped into his path, cutting off his sight of the Trandoshan. "I lack the time, patience, or energy to waste educating one as absent-minded as yourself." Anakin smirked at the dismissal buried in the insult before the Cathar turned slightly, placing his free hand on Anakin's shoulder. "Come. Let us leave this being to his fallacies and return to your father."

After giving the Trandoshan a final glare – not that the alien could see it through the armour, Anakin turned. However, when he did, he stopped after only a single step. The HUD was reporting a group of eight Trandoshans approaching from the direction they had to go to get back to Raven.

Around them and the new group of Trandoshans, others were glancing around and moving back. At the same time, the Force was shifting in ways Anakin recognized easily as indicating danger was approaching.

Knowing what was about to happen, Anakin readied himself and using the Battlenet and the Force reached out to Cam. He felt he could handle one of the aliens, and Simvyl several more, but at odds of nearly ten-to-one, and with them trapped between two groups, they'd need help and quickly.

At that moment, the group of Trandoshans approaching them stopped, their hands drifting toward their weapons while the HUD informed him that the one that had first spoken to them, was now smiling, exposing rows of sharp, dirty yellow teeth.

"Shab."

… …

… …
(Cam's POV)
"Thanks for your business. If you're ever passing through here again, please don't hesitate to visit Basso's Brilliant Bazaar for all your vessel's needs, nor to recommend Basso to your friends."

I waved dismissively to Basso as I turned, having fuck-all intention of ever coming to this system, or dealing with the Toydarian, ever again. While Basso had been able to secure the higher quality fuel that Raven preferred – and after deepening my bond with her I refused to ever contemplate giving her anything but the best quality as I didn't want to experience her annoyance and anger at having to consume inferior products – his prices were, to put it gently, exorbitant. Even when considering that we were at the edge of Republic Space readying ourselves to venture into Wild Space and spend time training with the Shapers of Kro Var.

Even with being in my armour as I moved around this station, and Fenrir at my side, it'd taken longer than I'd hoped to get the fuel for Raven and secure supplies. HK and R2 had overseen the delivery, checked everything was as it should, and had Raven test some of the fuel before I'd paid the remainder of the costs to Basso. My caution came from not trusting anyone on this station as far as Anakin could throw them, which was only further enhanced when I'd seen two different security teams take open bribes to not examine cargo entering the station.

As was usual with each location we visited, Anakin had wandered off to explore the docking bays, wanting to see what ships were present. Simvyl was with him today simply because, given the clientele in this backwater, the odds of HK inciting violence were high enough that I didn't want him near my Padawan. That said, given what I'd seen on the station, I suspected Anakin could incite a riot here with the wrong phrase or comment, which was why I'd given him the usual speech of minding his manners unless someone started things.

"Easy there," I said as I reached the exit to Basso's office, my hand going down to pet Fenrir on his head. "He was honest." Fenrir's opinion of the Toydarian had been lower than mine, and the threat of the tuk'ata chasing him around, before ripping him to shreds, had ensured Basso was honest in his dealings with me.

As I stepped through the door, re-entering the chaos of the promenade of the station, and once more being glad of the armour given various smells in the air, I paused. The Force was rippling oddly as if it expected trouble. I took a step toward where Raven was docked, planning to leave the bay and then head around the docking ring externally to collect Anakin and Simvyl. At the same time, I opened the Battlenet to HK and Anakin.

"Query: Yes Master?" the droid replied quickly. However, before I could ask him to ready Raven, the Force shifted, and the feed from Anakin's armour connected to mine. Seeing him and Simvyl standing near a Trandoshan had me growling, my hatred for that race rising at seeing them on the station and close to my family.

"Ready Raven for combat!" I barked as I started running toward where Anakin and Simvyl were, knowing what was about to happen as the Battlenet reported they were being surrounded by nearly two dozen Trandoshans. "Anakin's in trouble!"

The Force came to me, empowering my body and pushing me forward faster than I'd normally be capable of. At my heels, I could sense Fenrir drawing on it as well, keeping pace with me.

"Affirmative: Yes, Master. Good hunting," HK responded, a hint of his disappointment at missing out on battle evident in his vocals.

The moment the channel closed, one of the Trandoshans flanking them from behind opened fire. I snarled in fury as Simvyl pushed Anakin to one side, letting the bolt strike the Trandoshan that had been in front of them. As the beast stumbled back from the friendly fire, Simvyl's blaster spoke. Three bolts raced out, striking the stumbling lizard in its knee and groin.

Furious at the attack, I demanded the Force do more even as Simvyl fired two more bolts at the falling lizard, striking the beast in the face. The Force bent to my desire, and the world around me slowed as I surged forward. Hot power raced through me as the Battlenet reported the first of the walking handbags was dead, the corpse still twitching even as chaos engulfed the location.

Simvyl managed to get Anakin and himself behind some crates, offering cover from the ambushing group of trannies, but I knew it wouldn't last. Once those in the hangar emerged, they'd be badly flanked.

"HEY!" The voice called out as I pushed forward, drawing my attention from the Battlenet. A human in uniform – A member of the corrupt security force – was holding out a hand, demanding I stop. "Stop!" He added, making it clearer even as the other hand moved pathetically slowly toward his sidearm.

As I rushed toward him, my hand rose, and the Force reacted to my wishes. The man, along with the three others with him at the checkpoint, was lifted up. Another step from me, and they were flying back, and by the time I'd taken a further two steps, all of them were down. They'd slammed into each other, a wall, and a large container.

Diluted, pained groans emerged from them as me and Fenrir charged through the destroyed checkpoint, their status already forgotten as the Battlenet continued to feed me details, as my anger and rage threatened to consume the station for allowing those beasts anywhere near my friends, my family.

Reports of Anakin's rising panic came through the Battlenet at the same time I crashed through two beings carrying something. The object exploded in a shower of pieces as my armour shattered it, allowing me to leave the promenade.

The corridors now were narrower, but still full of people, though all of them were slowing, the Force pushing me to speeds that left them little better than statues for me to avoid or destroy as I raced to my target. Fenrir's rage mixed with mine, driving my fury to new heights. When we reached those lizards, he was going to enjoy ripping them to shreds, though not as much as I was.

Simvyl moved slowly as well, the Force not able to enable him to move as quickly as I was. Still, he was fighting well, shifting their location before the lizards in the bay could emerge, his blaster firing rapidly, enabling them to move relatively safely.

Even as I vaulted two green-skinned aliens, I reached out through the Force, calming Anakin. A moment later, his vitals dropped, returning to normal levels and I felt relief flooding from into the Force; that I was coming to help, settled his thoughts.

A moment later, he lifted a vambrace, and the grappling cable in it launched. Before it'd even reached his target, Anakin had detached it from his armour, and as I slid around a corner, I smiled, enjoying the sight of the climbing apparatus first striking one lizard in the arm and then the cable wrapping around it and another beast, causing them to stumble.

Delight surged through me as Simvyl took advantage of that, his blaster singing out to strike the pair, driving them back into another beast. His bolts caught their blasters, rendering them useless for the remainder of the battle.

As the Cathar again pushed Anakin, shifting their location, memories of every encounter I'd had with the aliens he was fighting flowed back into my thoughts. From them trying to steal my glory after my verd'goten, to random encounters in various locations; each time, they were looking to kill me to please their god. Every memory served only to fuel the raging inferno that powered me forward, and demanding that when I reached them, none survived their mistake of attacking my son.

Even with time slowing for those around me, it seemed the message of what was happening was getting through. People were slowly moving, doing their best to give way to the armoured Mandalorian and giant hulking war beast at my heels. Their actions didn't matter though, as where I couldn't find a path around them, the Force ensured they were out of my way.

Simvyl and Anakin reached new cover, though as he slipped behind a barrel, Simvyl took a bolt in the calf. The only thing that soothed my anger from growing further was that it had been a glancing blow, not one that would place him out of the fight or cripple him and that it hadn't been Anakin that'd been struck.

He'd found a blaster and was firing back, though his shots lacked the accuracy of Simvyl's. Still, it was good he was defending himself even if that did nothing to lessen my rage, nor stop the flames inside from growing ever higher as the lizards continued their attacks.

Fenrir's wrath was rising alongside mine, the need to brutalise those attacking his pack, his family mixing with my yearning to eviscerate the shabuire that dared attack our family.

Each bolt that came at them added fuel to the fire, each shot they took bringing me ever-increasing pleasure. The people around me slipped away, their presence nothing more than obstacles to overcome to reach my family, to protect them and destroy those dumb enough to threaten it.

Rounding the final corner that would take me to the section of the docking ring where the battle was taking place, I slid to a stop. "Argh!" I screamed, my fist slamming into the closed door before me. When the metal didn't bend, didn't deform as the Force struck it with my first, I pounded it again, and a third and fourth time.

Seeing just clearly enough through the fog of fury enveloping my thoughts, I understood this was a blast door. For a moment I considered Phasing through the door, however, that was dismissed. I'd not attempted to use that power since truly connecting to the Force. Beyond risking myself in the attempt, I'd be forced to leave Fenrir behind, denying an ally we may need.

I thrust a hand forward, ripping the Force to me and used it to grasp the blast doors. The Force took a moment to respond, as if unwilling to help, and my rage surged, demanding its help. My other hand joined the first, and slowly, after what felt like an eternity, pained groans came from the doors.

Time crawled along as the sounds grew greater until, eventually, the HUD reported the doors shifting; the gears that held them in place straining and failing to resist my demands. Light finally shone through as the thick doors, designed to protect one section of the station from another in the event of a hull breach, slowly pulled back, the metal unable to deny my will.

I kept my focus on the doors, pouring my rage alongside the Force into opening them further, needing a gap large enough for myself and Fenrir to leap through. That helped ease the internal flames, however, they rose to new, previously unobtainable heights as new data came in from the Battlenet.

Anakin was down, the cover he and Simvyl had been using having been shredded by a grenade. His vitals were stable, which was all that enabled me to retain control over what I was doing. Simvyl, however, wasn't as lucky.

Minus the armour, Anakin and I wore, he'd taken shrapnel in several places. The wounds, while not instantly fatal, would need tending to soon or he'd soon be at death's door.

Before my thoughts could turn to losing the Antarian Ranger, Fenrir was moving. The gap between the doors was large enough for him to rush through, and a split-second later, I followed.

As I landed in a roll, the doors slammed closed behind us, and as the roll ended, I pushed myself to my feet, surging forward.

The Battlenet was reporting the Trandoshans were closing on my downed family, and as I neared the corner separating me from the battlefield, they reached the pair.

I tried to keep my thoughts clear, tried to stay rational as I took in the damage that had been wrought on the area. However, the second I saw the first target, the concept of thinking rationally deserted me.

The Battlenet reported the lizards had reached my family, Anakin tossed over the shoulder of one while two more started dragging the wounded Simvyl. The idea that, instead of simply killing them, they planned to take them away, to do Force-knew what with them, drove any remaining hint of restraint from my thoughts.

Rounding the final corner, all worries of what might happen vanished as the first four targets came into sight. Their backs were to me even as I raced toward them, beskad drawn and shoto lightsaber ignited.

The one closest to me started to turn, drawn by the sounds of my boots crashing against the floor. The others followed as Fenrir roared and leapt.

Blades sliced out, burning and cutting through flesh; steam rose, and blood boiled as plasma slid through meat like a hot knife through butter.

The sounds of pained grunts and screams, the last cut off as Fenrir clamped his mighty jaws down on his target, sent pleasure surging through me. Yet, those I'd just rushed past weren't my target.

Further ahead, at the entrance to the bay, I saw my targets. Three lizards dragging and carrying my family.

They and the others turned at the sounds, blasters raising to engage, even as Fenrir howled in delight.

Simvyl stirred, claws flashing out and slashing at his captors.

Anakin squirmed, driving an elbow into the face of his abductor, making the beast stumble.

I slid to one side, avoiding the first, frantic bolts toward me; my lightsaber flicking out and slapping back the pathetic attempts to harm me.

Simvyl slid free of his captors after striking one in the groin. The one carrying Anakin reached the ramp to their ship.

My blades swooped out, slashing through meat, carving me a path toward the vessel. Toward my son.

Twenty steps became ten.

The Force tried to do something, but my focus was on my target.

At five steps something crashed into my knee: knocking me to the side.

I turned as I fell, bringing my blade down; though only the hilt crashed into the scaly skull of the dumb lizard who'd tackled me.

I grunted as my side smashed into a crate, shattering it, and sending debris everywhere.

I twisted as I struck the ground, bringing my beskad around, driving the blade through the skull of the beast who'd dared touch me. The blade sent blood splattering from its mouth and jaw as the tip emerged, before striking the creature's chest.

Rolling as I bounced off the deck, I controlled my landing, ensuring I was ready to move as I stopped skidding over the floor.

Flares of fury rose as the HUD reported engines igniting, those flames rising higher as I realised it was the ship Anakin had been taken onto.

I stepped forward, ready to charge the ramp only to see it'd closed. The vessel now rising slowly from the deck.

Voices whispered to me, telling me I was about to lose Anakin. That there was nothing I could do. Not unless I used their advice.

My free hand thrust out my hand curling into a claw, calling the Force to my aid.

It was slow to react, causing my anger to rise further, generating flickers of black energy that danced between my fingertips.

Around me, those beasts not yet on a vessel yet still alive froze as that energy raced from my palm, slamming into the airborne vessel.

The ship shuddered, encouraging me and having the whispered promises of what I'd do to those who hurt my family grow louder.

Sparks cascaded over the hull, smoke rising from the engine that bore the brunt of my attack, yet the vessel continued to move away.

My other came up, lightsaber depowering as it fell from my grasp, and sent more tendrils of black energy slamming into the ship.

That ship wasn't leaving, not while the Force did as I commanded.

Smoke turned to fire before the engine exploded. The ship dropped, the hull scraping against the station's walls. The other two engines burned brighter, taking up the strain even as I directed my fury against them.

Suddenly, the Force shifted. The voices warned me of a nuisance.

I turned, wanting to burn whatever threat was nearing. The walls of the bay screeched, brunt, and ignited as Force energy left a jarring scar along them.

Before I could bring my fury to bear on whatever foul beast dared attack me, the creature crashed into my side, knocking me back.

As the black energy flickered away, sparing the escaping vessel from my fury, I turned my focus to whatever soon-to-be-dead creature had stopped my attack; and stopped me from saving Anakin.

Claws slashed at my armour, pathetically attempting to hurt me, which only served to further enrage me as I was knocked over.

As my back struck the ground, my fists slammed into the beast's skull, dark energy flickering around the gauntlets while the Force pushed my strength to insane levels.

The creature's skull caved in, unable to take the power of my blows. The claws fell limply against my armour.

One fist struck the animal again, driving it from my body and sending it tumbling away; green liquid marking the path the corpse took.

Standing quickly, I lifted my hands toward the scrapping vessel.

The blood on my gauntlets burned away as black energy surged from them, reaching out toward their target; needing to shatter the pathetic frame of the cage that held my son.

Time slowed as I pushed everything into my attack, as the Force made everything else around me unable to move, unable to challenge my power.

Yet, just as my fury threatened to overwhelm its prey, the energy splashed away, striking an invisible barrier.

I screamed into the Force, enraged that the station was denying me my prey. That it was allowing those animals to escape with my son.

I turned, ready to lash out at the station, to shatter it so I could resume my attack to free Anakin, only for a groan to reach my lips.

A downed lizard was nearby, part of its face badly burnt by blaster fire, the voices begged me to destroy it, to remind others why they were all beneath me.

With a new focus, I thrust out a hand, black energy slamming into the beast and cooking it alive even as it screamed in pain.

The Force warned of an attack, the HUD directing me to the object moving patiently slowly through the air.

A flick of my hand, and the object changed direction, hurtling back toward its source.

Turning back to my true prey, the voices whispered for me to destroy everything. I resisted them, my attention only on saving my family.

Another roar escaped me, one that drove back everything nearby.

In the time I'd been distracted, the vessel had slipped from view.

I turned, my boot denting the deck as I stalked towards a nearby living target.

It lay on the ground, one hand clasped pathetically over the other shoulder, trying vainly to remove the blade embedded past the hilt there.

Green blood flowed from the wound, soaking the deck, which delighted me.

My boot slammed into its chest and pinned it to the ground. "Where are they heading?" I demanded, pulling the shoto to my hand and igniting it.

The beast muttered something so quiet, that the armour couldn't pick it up. Blood flowed from its mouth.

Infuriated at the lack of help, I lifted my foot and then drove it down again, the Force doing as I demanded to strengthen the blow.

The chest of the beast crashed and cracked inward; blood, bone and sinew were sent flying as I destroyed its body.

Twisting my heel, ensuring the pathetic creature was ground beneath me, I turned, searching for another source of information.

A familiar snarl drew my attention, my anger easing slightly as I saw Fenrir standing watch over Simvyl.

The Cathar was wounded; the HUD reported four blaster burns and a dozen cuts, all of which were bleeding.

Regaining my focus, I rushed toward him, his eyes drawn to the squelching of my boot as I neared.

Knowing his condition before I reached him, I pulled bacta patches from my belt as I slid to a halt at his side.

Inside rage burnt at his failure to protect Anakin, and those hushed voices returned, demanding I punish Simvyl for the failure. I pushed those away, knowing he couldn't have done much better against the odds he faced, and that, once healed, he'd join me in hunting those responsible down and rewarding them for their choices.

"S-sorry," he murmured as I placed the first patch against his calf, easing the pain from the initial wound. At the same time, the HUD worked to determine which wounds needed bacta and which didn't. While the cuts from claws shouldn't need much to heal, I'd still want him to clean them. You never knew what those lizards carried.

"You did what you could." My tone was cold and business-like as I worked to restrain my anger. He wasn't the cause nor target of it and didn't need to endure it. "Fenrir, stay," I said as I stood a moment later, patches now covering the more serious wounds while others rested beside the Cathar so he could apply them himself.

Fenrir growled, not liking the order, but obeyed as I turned, moving toward the exit from the bay. I had to get to Anakin, which meant getting to Raven first.

I opened the Battlenet, wanting to determine the quickest route to my vessel, even considering Teleporting there to expedite matters. I was cautious about doing so, but it would be the fastest way to reach Raven. Or it would've if she was still in her bay.

"Query: Has the battle finished Master?" HK asked as I turned, looking to where my target had fled and seeing the wonderful, incredible sight of Raven entering.

"H… She let you fly her?" I asked the droid, trying to work out how Raven had gotten here without me at the controls. While she could stomach others watching her while we travelled through hyperspace, that was the extent of her leash for allowing anyone but me to be in command.

"Answer: No, Master. The vessel is still reluctant to allow me to take the helm." I bit back an unwelcome – purely because of timing – burst of amusement at HK's answer. "Explanation: The ship chose to fly herself here. It seems it understood the severity of the situation. Addendum: If I had been ten-point-three-two seconds slower she would have departed without me."

"Huh."

Any response beyond that didn't come as I watched Raven guide herself into the bay. She turned over the spot where Anakin's captors had fled from and without even landing, began to lower her ramp as I approached.

Pausing as I reached the ramp, I turned, seeing that Simvyl had stood and was using Fenrir as a crutch.

"Wha!" Simvyl panicked for a moment as he was lifted from the deck, several of the bacta patches slipping from his grasp as it frantically flailed to recover.

"Relax," I said as I pulled my hand to my chest, dragging the floating Cathar to me.

"I…, thanks," he said softly as I lowered him onto the ramp. It wasn't touching the deck as Raven wasn't landing, so I'd had to lift him to speed things up.

"You're welcome. Fenrir," I said as the tuk'ata reached my side, "escort him to the medibay and then wait."

The tuk'ata leapt onto the ramp and gently pushed the Cathar deeper into Raven. Once the path was clear, I leapt up, the ramp beginning to close as soon as my boots touched the deck.

"Good girl," I said, running my fingertips over her skin.

The lights around me flickered, Raven happy to have me back onboard mixed with fear for Anakin, and a moment later I was running through her corridors.

"Statement: The ship is ready for departure, Master," HK offered as I entered the cockpit. "Shields and missiles are ready."

"Good." I slid into my chair, the seat sliding to partially encompass me, and strengthening my bond to Raven even as she eased herself out of the bay.

"Query: Who has taken the young builder, Master?"

"Trandoshans." The word came out in a growl, one enhanced by the armour giving it a deeper, more metallic sound.

The communication channel was bleeping, demanding attention. That was either the station's dockmaster or possibly even security as the HUD had detected some arriving just as we left. Regardless, they could fuck off as I had other things to deal with, and if I saw security I'd struggle to contain my rage at them letting those beasts onto the station in the first place.

"Observation: It has been some time since I've hunted them, Master. Loading tactical subsets and tactics for the species."

"Once we've got Anakin back, you've got free reign," I said as my hands closed around Raven's controls. While the armour dulled the connection, it still brought me comfort to be back here.

"Exclamation: How exciting, Master. I look forward to demonstrating my skill."

I didn't reply to his comment, instead focusing on the system we were in. Raven's sensors were scanning every nearby vessel while I was pushing out into the Force. Thousands of vessels were moving around, as while this was a minor system in Republic terms, it had a population of over a billion.

Closing my eyes, I dove into the Force, Raven at my side. Reaching outward, it didn't take long to find Anakin's presence. While he hid it from others, with the bond we shared, finding it was as simple as finding fresh water while standing next to a mountain stream. "There."

Raven turned before I even moved the controls, vectoring toward our prey. We cut across the nose of a transport three- or four-times Raven's size, letting us see the panicked reaction of the pilot as we skimmed the other vessel's hull.

Emerging around the transport, Raven pulled up our target; the smoke trailing from the destroyed engine made it easy to find. "Thank you," I said to Raven, letting her know how grateful I was for her actions and response to my needs. In response, extra power poured into her thrusters, pushing us toward our prey.

Raven ducked, dove, and slid past any vessel that crossed our path, her intent toward the lizard's ship clear to all. It didn't take them long to realise we were hunting them, and it pushed forward faster, though, with one of their sublight engines destroyed, they had no hope of escaping us.

"Target engines only," I ordered as we cleared the last vessel between us and the beasts who'd taken my son.

As the missile racks locked on, Raven alerted me to a half-dozen ships closing on us from behind. They were coming from two vectors, and given their shared markings and size, it was clear they were station or system patrol craft. None would reach us before we engaged the lizards, but I wasn't taking the chance they'd try and stop us boarding.

"This is Jedi Knight Cameron Shan," I said into the comm channel Raven opened with the closest patrol craft. "The vessel we're bearing down upon is crewed by Trandoshans who've kidnapped my s… my Padawan. Stay back or I will consider you hostile."

I closed the channel after sending my threat, not concerned about how they might respond. This close locking onto Anakin's emotions was easy. Given how dull they felt, I suspected the lizards had stunned him to avoid him causing a problem. That meant they'd likely removed his armour as it would block all but the strongest – and those most dangerous – stun devices. Since Anakin didn't have a Padawan braid, or at least I'd not insisted he tie one into his hair while we were leaning into my status as Mando'ade, the lizards shouldn't know they'd captured a Force user, which meant they wouldn't have secured him properly.

Still, the fact they'd laid hands upon my son, never mind hurt him, meant the whispers were back. They made clear the lizards deserved to pay, preferably slowly and painfully, for their actions, and while I was struggling to not give in to those suggestions, I was rejecting them for now. The reason for that wasn't some attempt to remain honourable, but because I was sensing others nearby Anakin. Given their presences were frightened and chaotic, I suspected the beast who'd captured them, were either slavers or enjoyed hunting children. Once those children were, along with Anakin, safe, then HK would have free reign; so much so that I'd be willing to watch how he dealt with the creatures, perhaps even insisting he ensure their deaths were slow and painful.

A desire to send those walking boots to meet their gods embarrassed and defeated rushed through me as we neared range for the missiles. It would be a fitting reward for them and their false idol.

Four missiles streaked away from under Raven's wings, the launchers having reached maximum range. I watched the surge forward, bearing down on their target, ready to stop my prey in its tracks and leave them weak and ripe for extermination.

"NO!" I screamed as, just before the missiles struck, the target jumped to hyperspace. I pushed back, the urge to lash out only tempered by knowledge I couldn't, wouldn't hurt Raven in my fury. "Kriff! Kriff! Kriff!" I roared, clenching my fists so that I swore I heard the beskar groan in protest.

"Statement: Plotting flight vector and determining routes to Trandosha or known pirate havens."

After taking a deep breath, promising to find Anakin and butcher every lizard near him, if not in the entire galaxy, I leaned forward. "I sensed others on the vessel. They might be gathering children for hunts."

"Amendment: Altering search patterns for worlds that are remotely inhabited and similar to Trandoshan homeworld. Addendum: Factoring in closeness to nearby systems with strong security forces or Republic influence. Assessment: Primary list of locations will be available in ten-point-three-two minutes. However, it will take another sixteen-point-seven-three minutes to prepare rankings based on probability of use."

I growled, angered at my failing to protect Anakin. It wasn't that I'd lost him that rankled though, it was that instead of the Jedi or Banite Sith taking my Padawan, son, and the Force-damned Chosen One, it was a group of shabuire walking handbags. I'd never liked Trandoshans, but in that moment, they might be the single thing I hated most in the galaxy. Beyond even my fury toward Vosa about what she'd put me through. Haran, even the Vong had more honour than those overgrown, self-indulgent lizards.

The rage to head to Trandosha and burn it to ash, to turn every monument to the Scorekeeper to glass and soak them in the blood of his failed worshippers surged through me, burning like a beacon of pure, unrestrained hatred within the Force. I wasn't sure how long I sat there, breathing deeply, pushing what anger I could into the Force and bottling the rest deep down inside, but eventually, I recovered enough that images of the multitude of ways I could butcher and skin Trandoshans slipped from the forefront of my thoughts.

The communication console was beeping incessantly, system security and defence no doubt frantically trying to reach me. Looking at it, I considered ignoring the hails and jumping after the lizards, but without knowledge of where they might head, there was little point. Raven would overshoot them with ease, and then I'd have no way to know where to go.

Perhaps, I realised, it was better to speak with the station's commander. They should have records of the Trandoshans' vessel, including, hopefully, details of where it'd come from. If not, then there were some Trandoshans who had survived the battle in the bay. I was sure they'd be more than willing to tell me where they'd come from, and where their companions had fled. If not, then HK would be more than capable of extracting any relevant data from them before they were exterminated like the vermin they were.

… …

… …
"Query: Was your discussion productive, Master?"

I bit back a growl as I entered the bay where Raven was docked and saw HK waiting for me at the base of Raven's ramp. "No, HK, it wasn't," I replied slowly, trying to keep my emotions in check. "Kriffing waste of time that was."

Ever since the Trandoshans had jumped away with Anakin, I'd been walking a knife-edge between rushing off in the vain hope we might find them quickly and lashing out at anyone who wasn't helpful. Given I'd spent the last hour with the station's commander and head of security, after being escorted to the meeting by two dozen security personnel, the latter option had felt more likely.

The pair had, even after I confirmed I was a Jedi and provided recordings that confirmed the Trandoshans shot first, spent more time trying to pressure me over my actions than the firefight and kidnapping that had taken place on their station. They'd even had the audacity to demand I pay the medical bills for the security team I'd taken out while rushing to help Anakin and Simvyl.

I'd told them where they could shove that idea and then insisted the matter was now Jedi business. I'd asked nicely for their files and recordings for today and the Trandoshans' vessels and actions, but neither had been cooperative. They'd not wanted to do so, and even reminding them that their system was a member of the Republic, and as a member of the Jedi, with a personal connection to the Chancellor – which they discovered when they searched the Holonet for my information – they'd been reluctant to grant me what I'd asked for.

After that, they'd reluctantly agreed to hand over the files, but they weren't letting me speak with the three surviving Trandoshans; insisting that the trio would be tried under local law and not the whims of the Jedi. The pair had a clear distaste for the Order, and while I didn't care about that, the fact they were throwing it bluntly into my face hadn't done much for my already sour mood. At least once a minute I'd considered simply grasping the pair with the Force and persuading them to be more cooperative. I'd resisted the urge but only just, and even now, with the meeting over, the idea still held appeal. As did ripping this station apart bulkhead by bulkhead until nothing remained.

"Query: Would you like me to speak with them?"

I smiled tightly as the various security personnel nearby tensed at the question, mainly as HK, as always, was armed. That said, the only weapon security could see was the one HK was carrying, the others were built-in or hidden, scanners unable to detect them due to additional features HK had insisted were added to the body when I'd had it commissioned.

"No, that won't be necessary," I answered, holding up a datapad. The station's commander and security chief had, after the hour-long meeting, finally agreed to hand over all files for today's events. They'd insisted that there were no copies, but I had my doubts and had sent instructions to R2 and HK during the meeting to ensure it was the only copy. "How did you spend your time?" I asked, moving through the command centre, and ignoring the peons who worked for the di'kute in the office behind me.

"Statement: While not as fruitful as I might have liked, it wasn't entirely wasted." We stepped into the lift at that, though HK remained quiet until the doors sealed and we began our descent. "Continuation:" HK resumed, using the Battlenet to take the discussion private. "The meatbags were unwilling to allow me to speak with those responsible for the young builder's abduction, Master. Speculation: I believe they feared I might end the functions of the beasts in their care."

"I'd have enjoyed it if you had."

"Assurance: I would have only exterminated the Trandoshans after I was sure they served no further purpose, Master. Disclosure: As I was unable to speak with the targets, while we waited I accessed the security systems as you requested. Observation: Their protection was pathetically weak, even for a system designed by meatbags."

"The files are erased?"

"Answer: Not entirely, Master. The files were being observed and copied when your request came in."

"Haran!"

"Assurance: While I wasn't able to immediately scrub the files in question, Master, I can assure you I was successful in my assignment. Explanation: Once the copy was created for you, I dispatched a program that would attach to every file in the system and erase the network. As I accessed their system from inside their command centre, they are unlikely to locate the issue before the program activates in thirty-four-point-two-six minutes."

"Heh." I laughed softly inside the armour even as the lift reached our floor. Stepping forward, I saw those in the room, which was the same security unit that had escorted me here, tense. They might have their hands on their weapons, as did others in the room, and several turrets turned to track our movement, but none of them were a threat. Already the HUD had determined the order to remove them, and I could feel the Force readying itself if I might decide to cleanse the room.

Taking a step forward, the team tensed further and moved toward me, only to pause when I raised my hand. "Don't," I said, activating the external speakers in my armour and shaking my head in disgust. "Just don't."

"Our orders…"

"Are rescinded," I cut off the squad's leader. "Unless you wish to join your comrades in the medibay, or the Trandoshans in the morgue."

"Musing: Perhaps they should, Master. I sense you could do with 'blowing off some steam' as meatbags like to say."

"Fair, but the sooner I leave this cesspit, the better," I replied, walking past the squad leader, pushing him from my path as I moved. "Plus, getting blood off the boots is a pain I'd rather avoid."

"Observation: That is why I prefer to terminate targets at a distance, Master. Or to use a disruptor." I ignored that he'd just suggested he had access to a weapon that was outlawed in the Republic. Even if we were in the Core, you'd find people with such weapons, the trick was to ensure they were modified to look like a more common blaster rifle. "Confession: I do, however, admit something is pleasing about standing over a meatbag as their life leaves their eyes."

A strained laugh forced its way out at the remark, the HUD showing those in the room growing even more tense. At least those who weren't used to dealing with mercenaries and warriors. The more experienced security personnel seemed to understand there was no threat in HK's words and made sure to ease the nerves of their less decorated colleagues.

Once we exited the security station, I returned our conversation to internal chatter. "Where are the lizards located?"

"Disclosure: It is of no importance, Master. To ensure they don't reveal what they saw I have inserted a small alteration into the systems monitoring their cells. Oxygen levels are slowly decreasing to levels they cannot tolerate, and the alarms for the cells won't sound until long after the meatbags have expired."

"Acceptable."

From there we walked in silence, which allowed me to turn my thoughts to my actions. I didn't regret drawing on the Force how I'd done or my actions during the battle. I'd done so to help others. Yet I knew I had to be careful. With my powers and connection to the Force unstable and unbalanced because of Natural Selection, and with me already more inclined to draw on the Force in ways the Jedi wouldn't approve of, I was at risk of losing myself in the Dark Side.

I'd not done so today, but there had been moments when, in the heat of battle, I'd come close, just as I had on other occasions. While I'd hunt and kill every Trandoshan that was involved in Anakin's kidnapping, and would do the same if others such as Bo or Serra were in danger, I had to be cautious that I didn't go too far, that I didn't enjoy my actions too much. That path led to me being consumed by the Dark Side and becoming nothing more than a beast that had to be put down. Against the lizards, even losing control like that shouldn't cost me, but against the real threats that awaited me – both those known and unknown as I felt there were more dangers in the galaxy than just what I was aware of – such behaviour would result in my quick and pathetic death.

I opened a channel through the Battlenet, wanting to alert Simvyl that we were returning only for the words to die in my throat. Stumbling to one side, I placed a hand on the nearest wall to steady myself as I felt a familiar presence reach out through the Force.

"Anakin," I muttered as I reached back, wanting to let him know I was there for him.

We were far too far apart for any form of communication to take place, not least as I'd yet to open myself fully to allow such discussions. However, I could sense enough that my worst fears receded into the depths of my mind. Anakin was awake now, and while panicked and scared, he wasn't in danger. At least not currently. The burst of emotions from him, even at this distance and with my connection to the Force limited by choice, was still enough to unbalance me, hence the stumble. Still, I knew he was as well as he could be.

Closing my eyes, I pushed open my connection to the Force, focusing entirely on the bond I shared with my son. I had enough understanding, thanks to my training with Fay and Dooku, to know how to lock onto the bond I shared with Anakin and send feelings along it.

Around me, the minds of those on the station became clearer, and the myriad of voices threatened to overwhelm me. Their desires, needs, wants, and every other random, meaningless idea and concept that consumed the thoughts of lesser beings crashed around me, threatening to bury me in a tsunami of insanity. I threw up barriers, drawing on my lessons, and kept the symphony of chaos back. All that mattered was Anakin, and reaching his mind, even, if possible getting a sense of where he was and who was with him.

It took a moment, as I was pushing through the Force over hundreds, if not thousands, of lightyears before I locked onto Anakin. Once that was done, I sent a burst of reassurance to him. He'd know I'd be coming for him, but I needed him to understand that it wasn't going to be instant.

His response was one of relief as if he feared I'd fallen to the lizards that had taken him, or that, like Shmi, I might've abandoned him. The fear I'd sensed in his initial outburst had settled, though not gone entirely. Given his current situation, that was understandable, I just had to hope he didn't latch onto that for support. Not because I didn't want him using the Force in the same ways I'd done when trying to save him, but because I feared that, with him being young, and his mind still maturing, he'd not be able to control himself and never recover from what he might do if he answered the offers the whispers of the Dark Side provided.

Pushing myself off the wall, I realised HK was standing nearby, keeping guard while those around us swerved away, unwilling to pass close to a Mandalorian and armed droid. "Hold on An'ika," I whispered to myself as I resumed walking with renewed vigour.

Somewhere out there, Anakin was in trouble, and if I had to rip apart the galaxy to find and save him, I would.

… …

… …
I watched as the stars swirled around us as we travelled faster than light, putting the station and the soon-to-be dead lizards behind us. The first of the possible worlds had been inputted into the navigational computer and Raven was pushing herself forward, the engines exceeding their standard limits as we soared through the undulating eddies of hyperspace.

"You've got the conn," I said to Simvyl as I stood and made my way out of the cockpit cape swirling around me. There was no need to have him alert me if something happened, as Raven would do that naturally. The Cathar was still wounded, with a few bacta patches still visible under his clothing, but he'd insisted on working. I didn't need the Force or Observe to know he blamed himself for Anakin's abduction, and while there was still some anger toward his part in events, I'd forgiven him.

Anakin had taunted the Trandoshan after it had spoken to him, and while that wasn't the smartest choice, I'd have done the same or worse in the boy's place. The difference was that if something had happened with me there instead of Anakin and Simvyl, then there'd not have been any lizards walking away from the battle. Force, if HK had been with me then the decks would be repainted with blood by the time we finished.

As I emerged into the central area, Fenrir lifted his head. Unlike most times that I passed through the area, he wasn't lazing around on the main sofa, instead, he was stalking back and forth; agitation and anger radiating from him. Anakin being gone meant a member of our pack, our family was missing, and while his bond to the boy wasn't as strong as mine, he still shared a connection with him.

In one corner of the area, waiting to be disposed of, was a pile of bones that had formerly been the leg of a Trandoshan. The tuk'ata had dragged it onboard after we'd returned to the station, taking over the scene of the crime. Several members of the security force investigative services weren't happy with him removing evidence, but if they'd wanted the leg back, they could've tried to take it.

If he'd done that before Naboo I might've had issues, but not long after I'd purchased a trio of cleaning droids and tasked R2 with keeping the trio in line. So far, there'd not been any issues, though it seemed Fenrir was unwilling to let them collect the bones as, while I was moving through the area, one droid entered, only to scuttle away after Fenrir growled at it.

As I exited the central area, Fenrir fell into step behind me. Normally with what I was about to do, I'd not have him present, but I'd allow it for today. We were both on edge and having him nearby for what I wanted to do might allow me to retain my centre.

I slipped into my quarters quickly, the doors taking longer to close because of the tuk'ata. As he settled down in his usual position – one that allowed him to attack anyone coming in the door – I moved to my desk. Once there, I reached into my Inventory and removed Adas' holocron. As I'd been using it more heavily since Naboo, I kept it separated from the other holocrons in my Inventory, though I wasn't stupid enough to leave it in my quarters. While Anakin knew not to enter without permission, the holocron generated a presence in the Force that I suspected even Simvyl felt. The longer I could go without anyone knowing exactly what I was up to, the safer it would be for us all.

I closed my eyes and reached into the Force, easily finding the cold, reserved, but dangerous presence that signified the holocron of the ancient Sith King.

"And wha…" Adas' words trailed off as the projected image stared at me. "What exactly has happened?" He asked, changing tack which made clear he could see the conflict in me over what I'd done, and how I'd drawn upon the Dark Side in my attempt to save Anakin.

I took a breath, readying myself for reliving the battle, and the sight of the vessel that had taken my son away. "There was an incident on a station we've just left," I said slowly, watching my tone and emotions. The holocron would be sensing them, but I'd prefer not to be too clear about how close I'd come to losing myself. "Anakin, my Padawan, my son, was taken by Trandoshans," I couldn't stop the burst of fury that surged through me at the mention of that race. "I've sensed him through the Force, and know he's alive but… I don't know where he is or where those beings are taking him."

Adas remained silent after my confession, though I could feel the holocron probing me through the Force. "Hmm. While I know little of the species, bar what previous holders of this holocron and you have told me, based on that data, I would assume that they intend to take your apprentice to one of their hunting worlds. However, I know nothing of where such worlds might be located, though I may have a method for how to locate your apprentice. That said, I don't believe that is your primary reason for speaking to me."

I suspected his idea for locating Anakin would involve reaching into the Force, and it was something that I'd considered ever since we'd left the station. However, due to how I was recovering from the battle, and the maelstrom of emotions swirling within me, I was reluctant to do so, which was why I'd sought out the holocron once we'd entered hyperspace. "My Padawan and Simvyl were elsewhere on the station when they were attacked. When it happened, when I sensed Anakin's fear and panic, I almost lost control. I knew I couldn't reach him easily, not with how my Force connection wasn't the same as it once was. At that moment, with no choice, I drew upon the Dark Side and let it guide and shape my choices."

"Do you regret the decision?" the holocron asked slowly, no doubt taking stock of my words, feelings, and presence within the Force.

"No." I blinked, surprised at how quick my response had been. I knew I'd not regretted the choice, but ever since there'd been lingering doubt about if I'd made the right choice. That my answer came so quickly, and without a hint of remorse, was unexpected. "I mean, I don't regret using the Force as I did to try and save Anakin. It's just that, in doing so, in giving in to the offers of power from the Dark Side, I lost myself in them. By the time I regained control of myself, my actions, and the Force, it was too late, and Anakin was gone; lost."

"As much as it might shock you to hear, your mistake wasn't that you took back control, nor that you listened to the veiled false promises that came, not from the Force but from deep within yourself, but that you fought over the choice. That you fought against what you are, and what you were doing." My head tilted to one side, wondering where he was going with this. "The Dark Side isn't, as the Jedi believe, some corrupted section of the Force in which one loses themselves because of their emotions. It is the true source of the abilities the Force grants us, though to fully use and appreciate it, one must learn to take command of it and oneself. However, to wield the power the Force provides, without being consumed by it, one must make a choice."

"Jedi or Sith."

"Yes. And no." Adas chuckled, likely because of the confused look that flashed across my face. "To them, the choice is between Light and Dark, between right and wrong. Between letting the Force guide them, or using its power to shape the universe around you. The universe, as you have well discovered, isn't a simple case of two sides to every choice, it is instead a symphony of, as much as I loathe the term, grey. The Force, as it flows and binds everything in the universe together, is likewise not something that can be simply categorized into two clear and distinct spheres of influence and choice."

"Then what is it?" This wasn't where I'd expected the conversation to go, but it was interesting and was helping ease my mind.

"Tell me, in your own words, how would you, using the teachings of the Jedi, describe the Force?"

I leaned back, thinking about every lesson that I'd had on the nature of the Force. Most of those had come from Fay, though Dooku and others had weighed in from time to time. While none had used simple metaphors to describe the Force, as it wasn't something that could be easily distilled into such a thing, as I looked over the memories, I saw a common, recurring pattern develop. One that, when applied to a way to define the Force, brought forth a simple but detailed once you examined it closer, concept.

"The Force is a river, one that flows with a will of its own – as any river does – and cares little for those on its banks or within it. We, as beings able to draw upon and sense the Force, are the rare few who exist within the river. Those that cannot rest along the banks, able to see the river, but not understand what lies beneath, where the true power and nature of the Force resides. While we travel in the flow, we meet others as our paths cross. For some, the eddies of the water allow only the briefest of contacts, for others, the paths come close to being permanently intertwined. The Jedi teach that, when those paths pull apart, or disappear altogether, we must accept it, and go with the flow. The river, the Force, is the one that defines our path – our destiny – not us. We must release our feelings, and our opinions into the river and accept that no matter what apparent harm and devastation it brings, it has a path that will lead to where we would wish to reside."

"Hmm." Adas lifted a hand to his skull and tapped the base of his helm. "A far more opinioned and detailed answer than I would've expected for one raised by the Jedi. At least if I wasn't already acquainted with you." There was little in his calm, measured tone to suggest he disagreed with my description, but underneath that, I could sense hints of contempt for the ideals I brought forth. "The question is, do you, with all that you've seen, experienced, and done, believe, truly believe, that this is what the Force is?"

I took my time before answering, delving into my thoughts and feelings on the matter. "No," I eventually replied, "not entirely. I mean, the description makes sense, but it feels as if I'm missing something."

Adas chuckled. "That, my young apprentice, is why, when you've drawn upon the Force when you've taken command of it and made it do as you wish, you lose yourself within its power. You are working from a flawed perspective, and fighting instinctively against what you perceive as dangerous because your understanding is lacking. Your training, however ineffectual it was, as a Jedi makes it hard for you to delve into the river, to see and experience what lies at its base, and understand that, while an incredible power, with desires of its own, the Force isn't always right. Blind faith within it, and where it is carrying you, leaves you unable to push the water, to shape the Force as you need and desire."

My mouth opened, readying to challenge him about the dangers of the Dark Side, yet no words emerged. While I didn't entirely buy what he was saying, any argument I might bring forth would have ready counters. I might, as much as I was worried by the idea at times, know that the Jedi path – be that the one followed by Fay, or that followed by the Order in general – wasn't the perfect one for me, but I wasn't here to argue over the merits of the Jedi or Sith philosophy. "Then," I began, having pushed my arguments to one side, "how would you describe the Force?"

I might not have been able to see his face, but I knew Adas was smiling. "Using your analogy of the Force as a river, what would be its final destination?"

"To a sea…"

"Or an ocean," Adas finished, which made me nod. "To keep with this comparison, then what the Jedi perceive and believe is a river that we all must travel down as the Force guides us is, to be polite, incomplete. A river cannot exist by itself, it is part of a cycle, and in the end, the river must end by entering the larger and dangerous entity of an ocean. The breadth and depth of this ocean is beyond the scope of any mortal to define and understand."

"Then the Sith are as wrong about the Force as the Jedi?"

"In some ways, yes," Adas replied with a chuckle. "The difference is that while the Jedi allow the currents to guide them down their river, they never understand that the ocean of the Force awaits to consume them for their false beliefs and what lies in its depths. They don't understand the Force and place their faith in it. That, as with any force of nature, is a deeply flawed approach. Weather has no care for the creatures that inhabit its ecosystem; it only concerns itself, if it is concerned with anything, with the various patterns and systems it has control over.

"Many who claim to be Sith believe that to have the power they desire, they must dominate the ocean; bend it entirely to their will. That too is a fallacy, and often leads to those who attempt domination over the entirety of the Force to be driven mad." He paused, making sure I was listening intently. I was, as was Fenrir who'd moved closer as Adas had spoken. "The other issue, and one I suspect you might fall for, is to believe that it is possible to use both ideals, of allowing the Force to blindly guide you but then assuming control when the destination or situation isn't to your liking. That path leads to madness, and few if any beings can survive such a battle; one fought between themselves, their ideals, and the Force."

"Then no matter what we do, we are doomed to fail?"

"Again, yes and no," Adas said, and I swore he was looking at me as if I was a child. "One cannot trust the Force to guide them, nor believe they can dominate the entirely of it. Both those paths, and that of trying to do both, are false routes, designed to trap and control the weaker-minded fools. Those incapable of understanding the truth, accepting it, and then adapting to it.

"What one must do, if one wishes to survive the Force, is to understand that we have the power to alter, in some ways, the environment around us, without attempting to go too far, to do too much, or making no effort to affect our surroundings. Bend, shape, and direct the ocean's currents around you, as best you can; channel them to what you need. The Force will accept this, as in the grand scheme, your actions, if done so alone, have no meaningful effect on the overall ocean."

As metaphors went, Adas' one wasn't the worst I'd heard. Yes, he was, as expected, pushing for a darker path than I was taking, but he wasn't promising the impossible. Nor was he suggesting I could have everything I wanted simply by dominating the Force around me. Going over the previous discussions we'd had, it was clear this idea worked better with his previous words than what I'd suspected. Those thoughts had, I could see now, been shaped by the Jedi and my preconceptions, about the Dark Side and the Sith.

If I understood his suggestion, his teaching, then to save Anakin, I would have to assume control of the Force around me and him, and use that to alter the flow of the water – the flow of the Force – enough that we'd once more be together. That made sense. However, another concept, one linked intrinsically to Anakin, came to mind.

"What of fate and destiny?"

Anakin was brought forth by the Force – possibly by Plagueis and Sidious attempting to assume control over the entirety of the Force – and thus was critical to whatever the Force considered as balance. My emergence in this universe, and the Force's eventual acceptance and adaptation to me, meant I also was important, but I still believed my role was less critical than the one my son had.

While I'd had hints of the Force adapting to my presence, to shifting its currents, it was only on Naboo that I understood that fully. The death of Master Drallig in place of Qui-Gon was a clear one. While it was only a theory, I suspected the Force had hoped for Qui-Gon to teach Anakin, or at least considered it one of two ways he could go – the other being to eventually kneel before Sidious. In coming here, I'd presented another option, one I had deeply believed, was the Force's favoured choice.

Thus, with Qui-Gon's role in determining Anakin's path to the Force's goal abandoned, he lost importance to the currents. Drallig, due to his closeness to Serra – who flowed beside me in the ocean – had been positioned to ease the overall path of the Force in our vicinity instead. That idea wouldn't ever bring comfort to Serra, but it did ease some of my guilt over Drallig's death.

"Fate is a tricky thing," Adas responded, bringing my attention back to him. "As much as many Dark Siders might wish to deny it, the Force has a path it wishes to take, and no number of actions taken by us can change the destination. We can, with skill, training, and power, alter the exact route taken to this destination, but we cannot divert the Force from its course. Attempting to alter the course and destination will see the Force react and counter the move of the one trying to subvert its intentions: be they Sith, Jedi, or any other who can call upon the Force.

"Now, the path the Force has taken, and the events that brings forth, often don't align with the desires of those of us able to swim in her depths. The Jedi preach that we should simply allow these events to occur, that there is nothing we can do to alter them, nor should we attempt to." My thoughts bounced to Qui-Gon and Drallig there. "A False Sith might attempt to bend the entirety of the Force to their wishes to alter the event. Again, a flawed and foolish choice. A True Sith, can with effort, desire, and power – something both you and your apprentice possess – alter that path enough that events occur in different ways. Often those changes are for our benefit, but not always. That is a sign we must understand, and however much it enrages us, accept. We can use the Force, we can shape its path, but we cannot ever hope to subsume its will, nor alter the course of something we will never truly comprehend."

Adas paused and I sat back in my chair, letting his words sink in. This had shifted from what I'd expected quickly, yet what he said sounded more useful for me now, if I stepped back and looked at things as logically as I could, than a simple lesson on managing my anger.

"You don't deny the Force around you can be bent to your will," Adas said, regaining my attention, "but are struggling with the aftereffects of it not doing enough to help. Which leaves you with a choice.

"Do you accept the teaching of the Jedi and make no outward attempt to have the Force help you find your apprentice? Do you follow the path of the False Sith and attempt to assume direct control of every element of the Force across this galaxy and beyond? Or do you wish to learn how to use the Force to alter the area around you, to wield it to suit your desires without risking the madness that preys upon your fears?"

… …

… …
Leaning back in my chair, I snarled. "Shab!" The Mando'a curse slipped easily from me as I pulled back from the Force, unable to sense Anakin in the system.

"No luck?"

"No," I replied, glancing at Simvyl. "He's not in the system." I paused and raised an arm, pointing in the rough direction where it had felt Anakin was coming from. "That way. Give or take."

"Observation: I am impressed with your accurate ability to provide directions, Master."

I ignored HK's sarcasm, as in his place, I'd share it. However, the method that Adas had taught me while we'd travelled to the closest system where HK felt the Trandoshans might've taken Anakin was helping narrow down the location. Or at least I hoped it was, as while it had yet to bear fruit, it was providing a general sense of where my son was.

The issue was that if the Trandoshans were still moving – which given we were barely a day after Anakin's abduction was possible – then it wouldn't be as effective. Still, it was quicker than spending hours, if not days, scanning each possible system for signs that any ships had arrived and approached the habitable, but generally uninhabited, planets that might be used as hunting grounds. Still, with Raven pushing herself so we were travelling at 0.5 past lightspeed – a drop of 0.2 on her official hyperspace rating – we were able to cover a half-dozen systems inside a day.

While using the Force as a very rough compass was, I felt, helping, I knew it wouldn't be enough to find Anakin in time. I could sense his fear even at the distance between us with the only upsides being that it wasn't growing weaker – suggesting he was travelling far from us – nor was it evolving into something worse, which would suggest the Trandoshans were beginning their hunt. I did wonder why he'd not yet tried to escape, as even with the limited training he'd had with using the Force, he should be able to cause trouble. However, perhaps he was simply showing restraint and applying the lesson I'd put in place when we'd left Karvoss II.

Since we'd be travelling as Mando'ade until we reached the Shapers, I'd warned him against using the Force except in the direst of circumstances. He'd used it slightly in the battle before he'd been abducted, but not enough – at least according to what the Battlenet recording suggested – that his captors had realised he was a Force user. If he was being smart, he was waiting and biding his time. I felt the Trandoshans would've removed most of his armour to lower the threat he could pose, so he'd be limited in what he could do to escape his confinement. Fighting unarmed on a ship, in tight quarters where he could be easily tracked was harder than on whatever world the beasts were taking him to. There, slim as it was, he would have a greater chance at surviving until I arrived, or possibly even slipping from their hunting grounds and taking a few down in the process.

Still, needing help in cutting down the exceedingly long list of possible worlds HK had, I'd reached out to a handful of people who might have contacts in the underworld. The two most prominent contacts were Dukes Adonai and Torrhen. While the pair were honourable, many Mando'ade worked as bounty hunters, and there should – in theory – be some form of network between the Mando'ade in the profession who might be willing, for a price I was happy to pay, to provide intel on favoured Trandoshans hunting grounds and worlds in the Inner, Mid and Outer Rims.

I'd also reached out to Miraj Scintel and a handful of others who might have contacts. While officially, the Zygerrians were happy members of the Republic, I knew that, if things didn't change, within a decade they'd return to their slaver roots. Because of that, there was a fair to good chance they still had connections into that world, which I could exploit. While I doubted they'd be of any use, it was worth the effort. Plus, even if I didn't need her or her father's help to find my son, the call ensured I remained in her thoughts, meaning the quest linked to her – Changing Fate [Miraj Scintel] – had a greater chance of success.

The only people that might be of use that I'd not yet reached out to were the Co-Chancellors. However, after over a day of fruitless searching, I was beginning to feel that letting Sidious and Plagueis know that I had a Padawan was less of a threat than allowing Anakin to be harmed, altered, or even killed by Trandoshans. The visions I'd seen of how, only together could we protect the galaxy from the encroaching darkness, meant Anakin's importance hadn't decreased because of my presence. Without him, the Force felt I didn't stand a chance to emerge victorious from what was coming, and after the debacle of Naboo and Drallig's death, I was placing more substance toward Force visions than I had before. If ensuring my best chance of victory meant alerting the Banite Sith to Anakin and thus starting their probes into his abilities and history, then that was what I'd do.

I could also, as Adas had hinted in our last conversation, delve deeper into the knowledge he held; to become a true apprentice to him. I was reluctant to take that path, though. While his words, and the ensuing discussion we'd had, during which he'd shown me how to use the Force as a rough compass to guide me toward Anakin, had made sense, I wasn't ready to think deeply about them. Not until Anakin was back and I was able to properly centre myself would I decide if the path he offered, one that was neither Jedi nor Sith – at least not that of the Banite Sith – would be the one I took.

Still, his words about the Force's concept of balance not matching what the Jedi felt was balance was something I agreed with, and had reached on my own. That the path taken by the Banite Sith was also, in Adas' opinion, a false one was not a surprise either. It was because of him that I referred to Sidious and Plagueis as Banite Sith, as it was the term he'd used for them. How and when he'd learnt of Darth Bane he wouldn't say, but I suspected he'd encountered a fallen Jedi or other Force user who'd known of the altered state of the Sith Lords brought forth by Bane. Still, I agreed with him and had been leaning that way even before first activating his holocron, that wiping the Jedi and Sith in their current forms from the board, and either rebuilding them myself or allowing others to do so, was the best choice for the galaxy. Such thinking was far into the future, and far from my concern currently.

My hands moved toward Raven's hyperdrive controls, though before I even pushed the throttle, powering us into the faster-than-light travel, Raven had already engaged the engines. That brought a small smile to my face, as I enjoyed the ability she had to know my intentions and act upon them. And now, after Anakin's abduction, to pilot herself to my location. I wasn't sure how others would feel about a starship that could think, fly – and maybe even one day, fight – for itself, but Raven was as far beyond other vessels as I was beyond a monkey.

Less than half a minute after the transition to hyperspace was complete, the communication system beeped. As the Force rippled, suggesting a glimmer of hope, I opened the channel. "Miraj," I said upon seeing the Zygerrian princess in what was a slightly revealing dress. Normally I'd be happy to appreciate her figure, even if I weren't sure how far, if anywhere, I was willing to take things with her in that regard, but today wasn't the time for it.

"Cameron," she replied, my name rolling off her lips seductively. "How goes the search for your boy?"

"Nothing so far." I'd not called Anakin my son with her, but she seemed to prefer calling him my child than an apprentice, which was her choice.

"While that is disappointing to hear, it does mean my news won't be unwelcomed." She leaned down, tapping at the controls wherever she was, and a moment later, Raven alerted me to incoming data. As normal, that was checked for any miscellaneous data, shunted into a secured sub-system, and before the data was accessed, that system was disconnected from the rest of Raven's network. "One of my uncles, one far from the throne and who has turned to more… unsavoury ventures than my father and I approve of, has contacts in the underworld. One of those contacts, which he reached out to as a favour to me, has contacts of their own among the Trandoshans. For a price, that contact is willing to meet you and provide the data that might be of use."

Part of me wondered what favour Miraj now owed her uncle, but it was something for her to handle. Just as, if this lead panned out, was the favour I'd owe her. "At this point, even if they can only provide a list of possible worlds, that will reduce my time searching immensely. Thank you," I lowered my head, making clear I understood I owed her for the help.

"There is no need to thank me, Cameron. My family and I are still deeply in debt for the agreement you negotiated. One that is benefiting all of Zygerria." She offered a wide, pleasant smile, making clear that she was still interested in me.

"Things are going well?" I asked, knowing that simply cutting the channel would be rude. Plus, with it taking time for HK and R2 – who was rolling toward the cockpit now – to examine and confirm the details of the contact and their location, it was better to at least appear interested.

"Yes. All the corporations are honouring the agreement, and have signed contracts with local subsidiaries to help revitalise Zygerrian markets and allow us to expand our influence across the sector. It has taken time, but even the lowest strata of our society are seeing improvements in their daily lives. My father has made sure that all know that without your help, none of us would be reaping the benefits we now experience." As she spoke, her smile widened, and the way her tongue flicked against her teeth made clear how she wished to repay the debt she felt she owed me. "Perhaps, after you've recovered your boy and dealt with those who dared challenge your power, you might consider returning to Zygerria? There is much here I would enjoy showing you." As she spoke, her fingers brushed her neck, drawing attention to her body, and removing any doubt of her intent.

"While I'm sure I would enjoy whatever it is you wish to show me, I cannot commit to a set date for visiting. Even after I've recovered my Padawan and those responsible face justice, I have other commitments." I swore she shivered at the idea of my form of justice, which I suspected, was close to how I intended to deal with those walking handbags. "However, when it is time for a break in training, and if we are nearby, I will contact you about a visit."

Honestly, I had no interest in flirting with her currently but being rude wasn't worth it. I had time to kill before the data was confirmed, and cutting her off would only insult her. Well, unless she thought I was playing hard to get, but that was not something I particularly cared about currently.

Her smile slipped slightly when I'd made clear I wouldn't be coming to Zygerria soon, but it recovered once I suggested I'd try to visit at some point. "I long for the day when I might see you again with my eyes, and not as simply a hologram in my private chambers." As she spoke, the hand on her neck slid lower, though I kept my gaze on her face. "I look forward to seeing you once more prove yourself against those unworthy of my attention. The Hero of Naboo is considered a friend of the royal family, and many at court are eager to see you in person." She looked to one side as if someone distracted her for a moment. "The Trade Federation is greatly disliked within the Outer Rim, and your actions alongside the Naboo Queen have earned you much attention from those who hold grudges with the Federation. Many have expressed interest in meeting you and discussing… opportunities that would benefit us all."

"Whenever I visit, if time allows, I'm willing to speak with these people, but I won't make any promises, Miraj." The idea that elements of what would form the basis of the CIS, at least those with true grievances that hadn't then been forced into worse situations by siding with the Separatists and thus being placed even greater under the thumb of the Federation and the other mega-corporations, was interesting. These people and worlds were friends of Zygerria, so there was a fair chance they'd have sided with the CIS to exploit the opportunities the war brought. Still, it was an avenue worth exploring, as at the very least, I'd learn names and places of targets I might not otherwise learn. "However, my focus remains on finding my Padawan, and ensuring he's unharmed."

"As it should be." Miraj's smile exposed her fangs, making clear she enjoyed the idea of how she thought I would handle the situation. "May your prey be easy to find, provide a satisfying hunt, and their deaths everything they deserve."

I nodded, not wishing to comment on how I hoped for the same as it was unbecoming of a Jedi, which for at least a few more years, I'd remain. "Again, thank you for this, Miraj." She offered a final nod and then the channel cut.

"How do you do it?"

I looked at Simvyl even as the computer checking the data Miraj had sent confirmed it was clean, and thus safe for HK and R2 to examine through Raven's systems. "Huh?"

"You know damn well what I mean." He shook his head. "Got a female on every world in the Republic."

"Not every world," I replied with a smirk, "just most of the ones I've visited."

He grunted, and thankfully let the matter drop. As R2 rolled into the cockpit, my mind turned, wondering if I could redirect Miraj's attention to Simvyl. I had enough attention from ladies who I wished to entertain, and I wasn't sure if Miraj would accept a human mate, or if I was comfortable with a Zygerrian. Simvyl, as a Cathar, in theory, should be a more suitable companion for Miraj, and it wouldn't cost me the support of either if they did become something. That, however, like everything bar Anakin, was a matter for another month.

"This better not be a wild goose chase," I muttered as the astromech accessed the data and began adding it to our flight data.

… …

… …

"Observation: Given the location, it is likely that this cantina is lacking in many basic amenities, Master."

"Good thing I'm not going here for food or drink," I replied as I walked with HK toward the meeting place of the contact that had come from Miraj. Or more accurately, from a distant uncle who'd gained to from Force-knew where. "Keep your eyes open for trouble, and if I signal, enter with intent."

"Exclamation: With pleasure."

HK stopped, taking position near the entrance, while I walked down the short flight of stairs. The others in our party remained with Raven. For Simvyl, while he was healed from the battle with the Trandoshans, part of me still blamed him for losing Anakin, and I was reluctant to have him guard my six. Fenrir, while far more eager than the Cathar to accompany me, had remained behind as well. The presence of a tuk'ata would only invoke strong reactions from the scum that awaited me inside the cantina.

Given the height of the building, and the slightly sunken location of the door, this cantina was half-buried. As I pushed the door open, the HUD reported on the general quality of the air inside, making me glad I was in my armour. Hints of diverse types of spice, deathsticks, and a hundred other chemicals that weren't great for one's health, swirled in the air. The only thing going for the place was that it wasn't Mos Eisley on Tatooine, but it wasn't much better.

Much of the noise in the cantina died down as I walked forward, making a beeline for the central bar area. Given I was in full beskar, it was likely most here were trying to get a read on what was probably the first Mandalorian they'd ever seen. The HUD was scanning everyone present, using the Battlenet to link to HK, and through him, Raven to check the scans against local security files.

By the time I reached the bar, the HUD had confirmed that over seventy per cent of the cantina's patrons were wanted on various charges. Those ranged from theft and extortion to kidnapping and murder. The worst ones were marked out as potential threats, though I ignored them. Along with the whispered hints from the darker reaches of my mind and the Force that said the only thing I'd find here was trouble and death. That I'd be better off just killing everyone present.

The worst of the bunch, and the head of the local food chain, was an Ishi Tib who sat at the back of the cantina. On his lap rested a barely-clothed yellow-skinned Twi'lek female while two more of the species – one green, one blue – were massaging his shoulders. Behind the stalk-eyed alien stood four Nikto, which were a surprise to see in this sector.

The Nikto, like several other species, were bound to serve the Hutts, so the only way those four could be here was because either the Ishi Tib worked for a Hutt, or they were disgraced and expelled from Hutt Space. Regardless of which it was, the veiled suggestions of the Force said I should remove them; that like Trandoshans, Hutts deserved nothing but death.

"What'll it be?" the Rodian behind the bar asked, but I ignored him, reading the details the HUD was providing about those I was now forced to share a room with. I had no interest in the swill they served here, nor the scum that frequented this place; though if their grubby eyes continued to stare at my armour, some seemingly thinking they could pry it from my corpse for a quick payday, I would take some pleasure in making their lives far shorter.

I pushed off the bar once the HUD located my contact; a brown-skinned Devaronian who was sitting by itself in a darkened alcove on one side of this osik-hole. A Togurta was with him, the female shifting provocatively against my target. As I moved closer, the HUD detected a burnt mark on the Togruta's neck, partially hidden by the thin clothing she wore. The same mark was on one of the Twi'leks with the Ishi Tib, and I growled and clenched my fists as I confirmed the females were slaves.

For a moment, I considered simply taking out everyone present, sending them all to waste recycling and freeing the slaves. The voices agreed, saying the scum present didn't deserve to even be in my presence. However, after a few short, deep breaths, I pushed those thoughts to one side. I wasn't here to end the lives of some minor, unimportant slavers. I was here to save Anakin. Everything else, no matter how appealing, was tertiary to that.

I moved across the cantina slowly, noting the way many of the patrons reacted as I neared and then passed them. While my hand never grasped the hilt of my beskad, that and the blaster pistol on the other hip drew a lot of attention. The murmurs of the Dark Side, saying I should strike down those who arrogantly eyed my blade for themselves, grew stronger. One patron, a Weequay, stood, making me pause and slowly, fighting the urge to lash out, turn to glare at him.

The alien, who looked vaguely familiar though there was no record of him on the local security reports, lifted his hands and backed off. It seemed he, unlike the rest of the bar, had the sense to leave instead of being in my presence.

I resumed walking toward the Devaronian, the Togruta with him freezing up once she realised my path. I grunted angrily under my helmet as the alien grasped the female, preventing her from leaving. The urge to simply shoot the Devaronian, and others in this place, to free those they enslaved returned with vigour, and it was harder to push it away again; to focus entirely on my goal of finding and saving Anakin, and then butchering every Trandoshan I could find.

"I'm told you have something for me," I said as I reached the table the alien was sitting behind.

He looked up at me, his devilish eyes scanning my armour for some hint of recognition and understanding. "Do I?" He replied, an annoying smirk dancing on his face as his grasp on the Togruta tightened, preventing her from squirming away to hide from me. His eyes settled on my beskad; the ripples of the rare metal used in its construction drew his attention with the same greedy, self-serving intentions as others in this shithole.

"You do," I sat down, mainly to hide my struggles to stop my fingers from twitching; the voices carrying desires to exterminate this creature and others nearby grew stronger with each passing second. "From a mutual friend on Zygerria."

The alien's eyes widened, and he looked me over again, this time trying to correct whatever false mental picture he had of me. "Heh," he said slowly, releasing his grasp on the Togruta," was expecting something different."

The Togruta stood rapidly, fear blasting from her as she scurried away. "Is that a problem?" I asked, ignoring the slave, though not the fact three Rodians behind me shifted at the commotion, the trio all grasping for their blasters.

I did my best to ignore them, to pretend the suggestions in my mind that they planned to attack me, to jump me and steal my armour, didn't exist. Even after attempting to centre myself while we travelled to this system, I'd struggled to quieten the voices that offered obscure assurances of power, of how I could find and save Anakin if I only took control of the Force; bend it entirely to my demands.

"No, but I'd like some proof you are who I'm expecting," the Devaronian responded, his arms shifting, the hand in his lap so I couldn't see what exactly he was up to, though it wasn't hard to figure out. The shabuir was reaching for a blaster, my concern that this was a setup, and fear that I was collecting a bounty on him washing over me in the Force, drowning out much of what else I could sense.

I moved one hand to my belt, the alien tensing as the digits drifted from his sight. "Relax," I said as I opened a pouch on my belt, "if I wanted you dead, you'd already be a corpse." Perhaps I could try being polite, but I wasn't in the mood for niceties, and this place was wreaking havoc on my sense of control. "Does this confirm my status?" I asked, placing the hilt of my lightsaber shoto on the table.

"You could've taken that from the body of any Jedi," the Devaronian replied.

I laughed loudly, making him tense and having others nearby turn sharply; spikes of concern mixing with rising tension. "I could've, but unless you want me to demonstrate another way to prove I'm who you're expecting, which, I don't recommend, I suggest you accept my proof without question."

The Devaronian continued to stare at me, the hands in his lap shifting around, my nerves slowly fraying as they suggested that he planned to betray me, that he was of no use, growing louder. "No, that shouldn't be needed." One hand rose from under the table, a small datacard in its paw. "I believe this is what you're after?"

"It better be," I replied, the HUD scanning the card to ensure it was genuine, and not some form of hidden explosive or otherwise trapped. While the HUD reported that wasn't the case, the murmurs changed, telling me the Devaronian planned to betray me, to not give me what he should; that I must take it from his dead, bleeding body.

"Relax my friend, none of us here wish to tangle with a Mandalorian, nor a Jedi posing as one." I bristled at the accusation that I wasn't Mando'ade, that I'd not paid the price and carried the hunt needed to earn the armour I wore. That I was somehow unworthy to wear it.

My fingers grasped the hilt of my shoto as the desire, the need to strike down this fool and prove my worth by killing him and everyone else in the building, grew stronger; slowly threatening to overwhelm my control. "Keep your insults to yourself," I snarled, "and give me what was promised."

"Now, now," he said, pulling his hand back, and taking the datacard away from me. "There's the matter of cost."

"I wasn't told of any cost," I shot back, Miraj hadn't mentioned such a thing, yet I'd half-expected it and come prepared. Yet now, as I glared at the alien, I felt little desire to pay the fool. Not when, as if sensing my mood, most of those behind me had moved away; their flight or fight senses telling them the coming battle was one they'd not survive.

A few remained, such as the Ishi Tib and his guards, but the majority were either leaving the cantina or shifting for cover on the far side of the room. The ones that hadn't reacted were those who carried warrants for murder or worse: the type that didn't easily back down from a threat. As everyone tensed, sensing the danger I presented, the quiet suggestions from deep inside that told me that this was all a trap, an attempt to gain something none of them deserved, grew even louder.

"There's always a cost, my friend. That is how this works."

"Not this time."

"Ah," The Devaronian tensed, "in that case…" The arm still under the table shifted, and I was moving.

My hand thrust forward, the lightsaber igniting as I reached for him.

"WA…" The words died in his throat as the plasma burnt through his chest, piercing his heart.
I stood, my free hand, the mechanical limb, grasping the table between us and wrenching it from its secure fastening on the floor, clearing a path to the target.

With a flick of my wrist, the datacard flew to my grasp and the body of the gasping, dying alien fell to the floor. Yet, as soon as I secured the card in my hand, I stumbled forward.

Someone, the HUD identified them as a Rodian, had shot at me, the bolt crashing into my armour.

Snarling, the need to carry out pest control no longer restrained, I turned. The lightsaber came up, slapping away my new target's next shot away, before the third was sent back at him.

The green-skinned alien stumbled back; a final expression of shock now permanently marring its face, having appeared there just before the bolt had slammed into its maw. The body crumpled to the floor even as those with him began to understand what'd happened.

Not wanting to lose my prize, I turned, shifting my body to cover the datacard as a few others opened fire. The bolts slammed into my armour, sending spikes of fury surging through me even as I secured the datacard in a pouch at my waist.

Once that was done, my hand moved, the Force reacting to my demands.

Two Rodians – tablemates of the dead one – were lifted from their feet, along with a handful of others nearby and anything not secured to the floor. The group of bodies and objects flew backwards, slamming into the wall; some with sickening crunches making clear their fate.

I blinked as everything started to fall, regaining my focus. "Fuck," I muttered as others in the bar, at least the few not rushing for the exits, drew weapons. I understood, as time slowed around me as I readied myself for battle, that I'd lost control. The HUD confirmed the Devaronian didn't have a blaster under the table, that he'd been reaching for a datapad and not a weapon. Yet, with the suggestions I'd been getting since nearing this place, that this was all a trap, that nothing I was doing would help save Anakin and my only choice was destruction to recover my son, assaulting my thoughts, I'd overreacted.

However, I didn't have time to fully process my mistakes. Battle was upon me, and I could feel myself sinking into the Force, readying myself to expunge some of the anger that had been an ever-present companion since Anakin was attacked.

Before any of those stupid enough to engage a Force-wielding Mando'ade could fire, the door I'd entered through earlier exploded. Several beings were thrown back but the shockwave, they and others shredded but debris that rocketed inward.

A moment later, as my lightsaber came around and slapped aside one pitiful attack and I drew my beskad, HK stepped through the cloud of debris. His yellow optical sensors gave the cloud an eerie glow, while his blaster sang, targets already picked out by the Battlenet.

I moved toward the first fool to anger me, my lightsaber coming down, severing their arm. The scream of pain died quickly as I thrust my blade through their chest.

Pulling the blade back, blood gushed forth, and I spun, ducking low and thrusting out my arm. The next target was knocked back by the Force, their fall made permanent by HK's accurate fire.

I turned; my rage demanded the bug-faced alien I'd seen at the back meet the fate he deserved. The muscle he had opened fire, trying pathetically to protect their master. Bolts were deflected away, or back toward the source, taking out one of the fools even as my main target pushed the slaves he'd had between me and him, denying me a clear shot.

Raging at him using others for cover, at the callous disregard for life, my hand thrust forward. Black energy surged from my fist, slamming into two of the guards. The pair were lifted and slammed into the wall by the attack, creams of pain echoed around the cantina, freezing many in place.

Those who had frozen, caught out by the display of true power, that deserved death died in a hail of blaster fire. HK mowed them and others down with ease. I stepped toward my target, the last guard falling as I threw my beskad at him; the blade pushed by the Force sailed into his chest, pinning him to the wall behind.

A furious snarl of rage erupted from me as the Ishi Tib slipped through a door, the way sealing itself behind him even as his slaves whimpered around my feet, scrambling to be clear of my path. The Force did as I demanded, and the door shuddered, bending unnaturally inward before it was blasted in, a startled shout of pain meaning I'd hit someone.

Stepping into the gap, the shoto in my hand ensured I could still see in the darkness beyond. The Hud quickly located the door I'd blasted in further down a short corridor, blood and a leg smeared over it as it lay embedded in what had to be the rear exit from the cantina the alien had planned to use to escape.

"H-help me," he whimpered, his hand clutching feebly to slow the blood loss from where his leg had once been. I lifted my lightsaber, the yellow light bathing the alien's face. "NO!" he screamed, bringing up his hands in a pathetic attempt to stop me. "The Jedi…"

"Aren't going to save you," I finished after burying my blade in his face; ending his life, and granting those wounded by his actions some measure of justice.

I stood there, the plasma of my blade sizzling as blood from the twitching body landed upon it, breathing deeply. "FUCK!" I screamed inside my helmet, understanding that I'd again lost control. That I'd fought with the dark voices inside me and lashed out. While the Ishi Tib and the others who'd died because of my anger deserved what they'd got, I was furious at myself.

After taking a few more moments to find something close to calm, I powered down the lightsaber, turned and walked back into the cantina. The place was destroyed, bodies, blood, guts, and Force-knew what other internal fluids coating the floor and walls, with few if any tables undamaged. The central bar still stood, but every glass shattered, and mugs strewn everywhere.

I pulled my beskad from the body I'd impaled with it, the Nikto slumping to the floor, a weak groan escaping its lips telling me it hadn't yet expired.

"Get out," I growled to the few beings still alive in the place. Outside of the slaves and staff, few of the patrons who'd not left when I'd entered were able to leave. The rest were dead, the only people who'd complain about the mess being the poor sods sent to identify the bodies and then cleanse the building.

"Observation: While I am grateful for the outlet to further enhance my calibrations, I do hope you secured the data you needed, Master."

I reached into my pouch, pulling out the datacard. "Shab!" I snarled, seeing it was bent. A groan from one body on the ground provided a vent for the new burst of rage as I kicked their face in. "Damnit," I grunted and shook my head. "Think R2 can salvage anything from this?"

"Answer: Possibly, though he isn't designed for such tasks the astromech is remarkably skilful when motivated."

"Ugh." I shook my head and moved toward the exit, enraged at myself for my actions. I'd lost control, lashed out, and possibly cost myself what information the Devaronian had that could lead the way to Anakin. "Son of a bitch," I added, stepping out into the cool, night air of the planet.

In the distance I could hear sirens, suggesting whatever passed for law enforcement in this city had been alerted to the commotion and was on their way.

"Assessment: Might I suggest we vacate the location, Master? Unless you wish to test our skill against the local security forces."

"I think we've had enough fun for one day." My reply was meant to be jovial, but there was no humour in my tone. The only feelings I had were anger at myself, and fear for what my loss of control might cost Anakin.

Looking upward, I reached out into the Force. Anakin was still alive, but far from this world. Given we'd had to travel two sectors away from our search grid for the meeting, that wasn't a surprise. Still, not sensing any distress, or at least nothing new to suggest he was now being hunted, eased some of my turmoil.

I had a problem, and until I gained control of it, I was a liability. One that, if it caused Anakin to be hurt – permanently or temporarily, mentally, or physically – I'd never forgive myself for. I'd spent the last few days considering Adas' offer to train me to master the Force around me, instead of fighting and denying that the dangerous impulses I heard and felt came from anywhere but myself. I could see that, unless I submitted myself for full retraining by the Jedi, or turned to the Banite Sith for help – neither of which was ever going to happen – then I had to accept his teaching. I just hoped that it didn't cost me everything I had, and everything I wanted to do, to learn at the Sith King's feet.

"Come on. We need to give this to R2 and hope it'll lead us to those walking lizards."

"Hu-hmm." I spun at the unexpected sound, cursing myself for getting lost in my thoughts and not seeing the HUD and Force alerting me to the nearby Weequay. That it was the same one that had been the first to leave the cantina when I'd entered did little to settle that annoyance. "If by walking lizards, you mean Trandoshans, I might be of some help. For a fee of course."

I looked at the pathetic alien, wondering what he hoped for, beyond a few quick credits. My hand slipped to my beskad. The Weequay stepped back, hands rising frantically to show he wasn't a threat.

"Wait! WAIT!" It mewed distressingly. "I'm not trying to cheat you!"

My mouth opened, readying to throw an insult toward it, only for the sound to die in my throat. As unexpected as it was, I felt the Force shifting around me; almost as if it were suggesting I should hear out this feeble alien. "You'd better not be," I said, staying my instinct to exterminate the alien.

"I'm not. I'm not." The alien straightened, understanding it wasn't about to die, and patted down the rags that passed for clothing.

"Query: How are you acquainted with Trandoshans, meatbag?"

The Weequay blinked, uncertain of how to respond to HK's question, before replying to me. "I'm aware, through sources, of several groups that have operations in this and several sectors nearby. Some are bounty hunters, some are slavers, and others use the worlds they frequent to train their younglings. It depends on which groups you're interested in."

"Initially, just those who use the children of other races to train their young. If, however, your information proves useful, then I'd be interested in the other groups as well."

"And your reason for seeking such a group of Trandoshans?"

"A personal matter." There was no chance I'd be telling some random street Weequay about what had happened with Anakin.

"Ah, yes, yes. Your business is your business. Just as mine is mine." It chuckled as if finding something funny in its words. "All that matters is the price of information, which depends on supply and demand."

"And on who has the more pressing need for the information," I added, my hand tapping against the blade of the beskad, drawing the alien's attention to the blood still dripping down the blade, slowly pooling at my feet.

"Ah, yes. An accurate assessment." The Weequay looked around before gesturing for us to resume walking, this time with him at our side. "Now, before we discuss terms, which since the security forces are getting closer, I would recommend we do so far from here, perhaps we might introduce ourselves." He turned as we walked, offering me a wide smile. "Hondo Ohnaka at your service."

… …

… …
A/N: Yes, I'm aware that Cam once more lost control of his rage/anger. This time though was the first when he experienced it without the Interface to filter the issues that creates. And why he turned to the only source of tempering and focusing that rage/anger that he had in Adas. We'll see where that leads next chapter.

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This story is cross-posted on Fanfiction.net, Archive of our Own, and Royal Road.
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USSExplorer · Aug 13, 2024

A/N: Thanks to those helping me write and plan out this story and checking it for continuality and logical errors.

This chapter was released to those on the story's Discord, and who those support my writing anywhere from 1 to 4 months ago.

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3.05 Father and Son
... ...

"Cautionary: I believe my master was quite clear about what you could and couldn't touch, meatbag."

The meatbag in question, Hondo Onaka, took a few cautious steps back, his hands raised in a gesture of compliance. "Yes, yes. I recall his words perfectly, droid. I was merely... curious, yes, curious, about what this is." His tone and body language conveyed submission, but the fluidity with which Hondo moved hinted at something more than the image of a simple smuggler and pirate. On several occasions, he had displayed an unexpected grace or control that belied his outward persona. I had never pressed him about it, content to let him keep his secrets as I kept mine, but I suspected some form of combat training. Perhaps not the refined techniques of Teräs Käsi, the Jedi, or the Mando'ade, but certainly something of significance.

It might well explain how he managed to hold his own against Force users in the media I remembered from before my rebirth. There were significant issues I had with the arc that introduced him—how he had so effortlessly captured Dooku, Obi-Wan, and Anakin. Even without his lightsaber, I knew Dooku could have overwhelmed Hondo and his gang with minimal effort. Yet, that was another timeline, and I had learned enough in this new life not to assume that everything I knew from before applied here—or to underestimate anyone I encountered.

"Mockery: Ah yes, this is all just a simple misunderstanding, and I have failed to anticipate your actions and behaviour." I bit back a chuckle at HK's response as I continued to observe the interaction via a security camera in the central area of the ship.

"Exactly!" Hondo replied, spreading his arms wide.

I couldn't help but shake my head at the behaviour. It might be nearly a decade before he set up with his gang on Florrum and exploited the opportunities the Clone Wars brought, but the quick tongue and disarming manner were already part of his repertoire. Still, the odds that after the debacle with Miraj's contact, the one who was now helping me locate Anakin was Hondo fucking Onaka wasn't lost on me.

Whether it was an act of the Force, TPTB, or simply random chance, that had made Hondo one of the few to slip away from that cantina before I lost control, I didn't know. Nor, honestly, did I care. All that mattered was these contacts he told me about who knew the location of several Trandoshan hunting parties in this and nearby sectors of the Outer Rim.

"How much longer are we going to tolerate this pirate?"

I turned from the display, taking in Simvyl's irritated expression. Ever since Hondo had set foot on Raven, the Cathar had disliked his presence. After five days, it had reached the point that unless Hondo was in his assigned cabin – with HK standing guard outside it – then Simvyl would either be in the cockpit, training area blowing off steam, or in his cabin. I wasn't sure what it was about Hondo – or Weequay in particular- that Simvyl didn't like, but it was clear he disliked the pirate, and it wasn't just a reaction to his injuries and foul mood at losing Anakin on his watch.

Simvyl's wounds had healed, though he had deliberately removed the patches before the scars could fully mend. I hadn't questioned his reasons, but I suspected it was his way of reminding himself of his failure to protect Anakin. I had already assured him that I didn't hold him responsible for Anakin's abduction—once I had mastered my rage enough to refrain from lashing out at everything around me. I understood that he had done all he could in the face of overwhelming odds. Still, Simvyl had vowed that when we found the lizards, he would show them the exact measure of mercy they deserved—none at all.

"At least until we meet his contact," I replied slowly, turning my gaze back to the monitor. Hondo was moving away from the area HK had just warned him about—a small door leading to where we stored most of our munitions. It had been five days—one galactic week—since Anakin's abduction, and two since the disastrous meeting with Miraj's contact. In the time I wasn't in the cockpit, I spent hours meditating on my actions, struggling to control the fury that churned within me. Unlike before, I had neither an outlet for my emotions—be it Bo or battle—nor could I simply suppress the rage and find my centre. Though I regretted killing the Devaronian before he could give me the information I needed, I felt no remorse for his death, nor for the deaths of nearly everyone else in that cantina. Slavers, killers, thugs—they deserved nothing less than execution for their crimes. It wouldn't provide lasting relief, but I hoped that the deaths of so many in the planet's underworld might offer the general populace a brief respite.

I watched as Hondo left the central area, Raven shifting the display to show the Weequay moving down the corridor, seemingly toward his cabin. Hondo had been clearly warned that if his contact proved useless, or that if he tried to acquire anything on Raven that didn't belong to him, then his screams as he died would be heard from Coruscant to Nal Hutta. He'd gulped at my warning, taking it seriously, though it seemed that after a day and a half on Raven he might be needing a reminder.

The issue I was facing was if I would kill him if his contact proved useless. While nothing important now, he had the potential to be of use to me as the galaxy teetered closer to all-out war. I had no interest in taking control of even a fraction of the galactic underworld – honestly, I was more inclined to wipe out what I could – but I understood that it existed since before the Republic had been formed twenty-five thousand years ago, and would continue to do so, no matter what the future brought. Having a few contacts in that sphere that I could call on directly would not be the worst thing.

"I doubt he's going to be of much use," Simvyl responded as I continued to watch as Hondo moved through Raven, HK a few steps behind, his hands on his blaster while his optical receptors watched the Weequay carefully. The droid had orders to not kill the Weequay at the first attempt each day, merely offering a warning. As that had been done, the next warning would carry him readying his blaster and the third a wounding shot. Hondo knew this but still seemed intent on pushing his boundaries.

"Probably not, but I sense the Force at work in having him meet us." Simvyl rolled his eyes at my comment, which was understandable. That sort of wishy-washy phrase wasn't one I used often, or placed my stock in and generally disliked. Still, I couldn't ignore the idea that someone or something had ensured I encountered Hondo, nor was I going to act like it might not have future uses.

Of course, I had no intention of revealing to Hondo that I was a Jedi, nor would I ever remove my helmet in his presence. Though I wasn't widely known, my face had been all over the Holonet earlier this year due to the events on Naboo and my association with the planet and Chancellor Palpatine. And let's not forget my strong connection with Chancellor Damask as well.
The thought of both Banite Sith Lords being Co-Chancellors terrified me. Yet, I had come to terms with the fact that, for the time being, there was little I could do to thwart their plans—certainly not more than I had already managed.

Maul was off the board, Dooku wasn't going to become Tyrannus – the quest for him wasn't completed, but I felt it insanely unlikely he'd become the Sith's puppet – and the Mandalorians, one of the few warrior cultures in the galaxy that would be inclined to move against the Republic weren't led by the di'kut New Mandalorians.

However, all of that mattered little if I lost Anakin. While I didn't trust a Force vision to be a perfect indication of what might happen – my beskar-coated forearm a clear example of that – I accepted that for the Banite Sith to be defeated, Anakin and I had to work together.

But more than that, I'd made him a promise, to train him to defend and protect himself and those he holds dear, and even if I had to burn a world to save him, I wasn't going to break that promise.

… …

… …
(Anakin's POV)
He scurried forward, climbing over the remains of what appeared to be an X-31 speeder that lay against the current mound of junk he was making his way around. While it would be useful to climb to the top, given who was hunting him, he knew he couldn't do so. That would only leave him exposed to any Trandoshan with a blaster rifle.

That fate had befallen one of the fourteen other children that the aliens had captured along with him before they'd arrived on this world. Anakin didn't know where this world was, only that, after nearly a day of scrambling around the various mountains of debris – something he was basing on the planet's sun slowly sinking over the horizon when it'd been rising when they'd landed – that it was one of countless such worlds, and often they were only known by an Aurenumerial code.

He'd been on the Trandoshan's vessel for some time, though the exact time was hard to pin down as when he'd awoken the lizards had some of his armour. The vambraces, which contained a handful of non-lethal ordinance, and his helmet, which had access to the armour's HUD, were gone. The rest of the armour was left; the lead Trandoshan had said that it would make him a more worthy kill during the hunt. While he, and the other children that had been captured, had been given food, it was worse than even what he'd had while a slave on Tatooine, and if not for the fact the Trandoshans intended to hunt them instead of selling them, Anakin feared he'd have lashed out and tried to escape.

After the lead Trandoshan had left, the air turning blue with the string of insults Anakin sent his way, he'd considered how to escape the cage he found himself in. Even without the advanced systems of his armour available to him, Anakin felt he could crack the lock. However, he ignored that idea, and the voices at the back of his mind that suggested he use the Force to escape. He'd also pushed down the bonfire of rage that demanded that he strike out against the lizards, that he didn't allow anyone to ever again cage and enslave him.

Without knowing where he was, how big the ship he was on, and how many and where the other Trandoshans – there were always more than one of the ugly lizards around – were, he'd decided against it. The longer they didn't know he was a Jedi – or at least one in training – the longer he'd have some tricks to help him when it came time to escape. Kriff, once the lead Trandoshan had informed him and the other children that they'd be heading to the hunting grounds, he'd managed to squirrel away a few devices that the Trandoshans had left lying around the bay and slipped them inside his armour.

He still had those tools, and with the amount of debris around them, he felt that, if he could find the time and the right pieces, he could use some of what was here to at least slow down the lizards. Cam was coming for him, and Anakin swore to himself and the Force that he'd survive until Cam arrived, and he'd do whatever he could to help the others survive as well.

Thinking of Cam made Anakin glance skyward. While there were lightyears between them, Anakin knew Cam was searching for him. It would take time to reach here, but Anakin knew Cam would arrive at some point; all Anakin had to do was stay alive until then, and keep as many of his new friends alive as he could.

With little to do while in his cage, he'd spoken with the other children captured by the Trandoshans. There'd been twelve when he'd first awoken, with two more added before they reached the world the hunt was taking place on. They came from various places and species, but all were around his age or at least his height. Some species grew faster than humans, and some matured faster, but no one in the cages was older than thirteen cycles.

Once they'd reached the planet they'd been roughly hauled off the ship and tossed out of the ramp. While lying on the ground, cleaning the dirt from his clothes and remaining armour, the lead Trandoshan had spoken. The alien had given them an hour to run before the hunt would begin.

While some kids had stood around, unsure of what to do, Anakin knew the Trandoshan was serious and tried to convince the others to run. Most had, but two – a Human boy and a Togruta girl – hadn't. The pair had collapsed to their knees and began begging the Trandoshans to take them home. Anakin had wanted to convince them that they were wasting their breath, but he knew the longer he stayed near the ship, the greater the odds were that he'd die before Cam could arrive.

What seemed like an hour later, two blaster shots rang out over the world. Several in the group had started crying as they realised the two who'd stayed behind had been killed, something Anakin knew had happened as the faint spikes of fear and disbelief they'd echoed into the Force had blinked out with echoes of the blasters firing.

The voices from within that suggested drawing on the Force and striking back against the aliens had grown stronger in that moment, but Anakin hadn't listened to them. Instead, after vowing to himself to keep as many of them alive as he could, he'd convinced everyone to keep moving. Of course, as he wasn't the oldest, a pair of Twi'lek boys had argued they should be in charge and weren't going to follow him. They and three others had headed off in a different direction, even after Anakin had tried to explain that they were better off staying together. There'd been sounds of blasters firing since that split, and Anakin had felt three more children die through the Force, but so far those who'd stayed with him were fine.

One boy, the oldest among them, had broken off by himself, feeling he'd do better alone and wanted nothing to do with Mandalorians. Anakin wasn't happy about that, but he'd accepted the boy's choice. Anakin was reasonably sure Kesh was still alive, but he couldn't be certain as Kesh had been the last child captured, and he'd barely spoken with the dark-skinned boy before they'd arrived on this world.

With the sun slowly setting, Anakin knew the world was going to get cold. Well, colder as even when the sun had been directly overhead it hadn't been that warm. He could use the Force, thanks to the training with Instructor Kefe, to warm himself, but the five who'd decided to follow him couldn't. Also, while they needed to keep ahead of the Trandoshans, they couldn't move at night. Not unless this world has a moon to provide light. Until they were sure it was safe to move at night, it was better to find somewhere to settle down for a few hours.

Anakin was surprised that the lessons he'd learnt while a slave for Watto were coming back, but as they moved through the debris, he'd seen various little bits of tech that, if he'd had time, he'd have enjoyed examining. Perhaps, when they moved out later, he could see what he could salvage as if the junk here was like what Watto had kept in his yard, then some of it might be useful against the Trandoshans.

They'd only searched one piece of junk, that of a downed cargo transport. It hadn't been a large vessel, but the logo on a nearby cargo container had suggested the vessel might have food onboard. They'd lucked out when Plirs, a Weequay, had found a left-over crate half-full of rations designed to last forever. The food hadn't tasted great, but it was the first meal they'd had since being released, and what they'd not eaten had been squirrelled away in their pockets. Anakin knew, again drawing on his memories of being enslaved, that it wouldn't last long – perhaps three days if they were careful – but it was at least something.

As he reached the side of the hill he was clambering over, Anakin gazed at the nearby mounds, seeking a place to shelter. As much as he didn't want to admit it to anyone, he was enjoying this. Not the being hunted by kriffing aliens – though he was beginning to understand why Cam hated Trandoshans so fiercely – part, but the fact he was being forced to fend for himself. Well, for himself and others.

The life-and-death stakes of the situation were thrilling him, fuelling his excitement as he pushed himself to the limit. The array of technology around him, which might have piqued his interest on another day, only added to his sense of exhilaration. His companions might think him crazy for finding any enjoyment in this predicament, but Anakin didn't care. Not everyone shared his and Cam's perspective. Some couldn't find pleasure in such a dire place while being hunted. Perhaps that was why Cam was both Jedi and Mandalorian and why Anakin aspired to be both as well.

He forced his thoughts away from Cam, focusing instead on their surroundings as the Togruta female, Eshie, joined him. "There," he said, gesturing toward a downed light freighter, half-buried two mounds away. "We'll rest there."

"Why there?" Eshie asked. Anakin turned to her, momentarily distracted by her purple skin, reminiscent of Baalta Iradel's. He quickly reminded himself not to dwell on the Lokella—or more specifically, his sister Lia. She was safe with Ferox, and once Cam rescued him, Anakin planned to check in with Ferox to see how they were doing.

Ferox might have intended to marry his mother, but Anakin couldn't envision him as a father. According to Mandalorian tradition, Cam was his adoptive father, though Anakin hadn't fully embraced that role. Cam felt more like a big brother or cousin than a father. Anakin knew this wasn't the Jedi's ideal, but he didn't care. Family and friends were crucial to him, even those he'd only recently met, like Eshie and her companions.

Cam had made it clear that, except for Master Dooku, Anakin was not to reveal their relationship to any Jedi. He found the Jedi's prohibition against having family and friends to be foolish, but he understood that he had no power to change it. Moreover, Cam had emphasised that if the Jedi Council discovered their connection, they would try to separate them. That was the primary reason Anakin had agreed to keep their adoption a secret from the Order.

"It's big enough and there's a few ways in and out. Plus, as it's half-buried, we should be able to hide there if the Trandoshans get too close," He replied to Eshie. While he was being honest, Anakin was also holding back. If the Trandoshans were using beasts to track their scent – he'd heard a few howls from something on the voyage here to suspect that was the case – then they might be found in the ship. However, Anakin had felt something in the Force, which he felt, if he was understanding things correctly, meant it was suggesting the downed freighter would be a safe, if temporary, shelter.

While he'd only had some teaching in how to use, draw upon, and understand the Force, Anakin had realised that it had always been there. The feeling of when or not, to do something, or go somewhere had been the Force guiding his actions. He wasn't sure he liked the idea that it was controlling him, but so far it hadn't guided him anywhere he'd not wanted to go, though he did often wonder if he'd not gone with Cam to the Lokella if his mother would still be alive.

Thoughts like that, as Master Dooku had remained him several times after his mother died, were dangerous. The past couldn't, no matter how we might wish otherwise, be changed. Master Dooku was clear that one had to learn to accept what had happened and grow from it, though Anakin did wonder why, whenever he said that or something similar, he and Miss Vosa always seemed drawn to each other within the Force.

Once he was off this world, and if he was feeling brave enough, he'd ask Master Dooku about it. Until then, he'd place it, and his thoughts on Lia, the Force and almost everything else to one side. He needed to remain focused on this world, and those relying on him, so that when Cam came – and he knew he would – they were alive and well.

… …

… …
(Cam's POV)
I sighed deeply, my breath steadying as I settled into the shadowed embrace of my room, lost in contemplation. The Force whispered through the darkness, a living current weaving its way through all that surrounded me. I sensed its rhythm in the very fabric of existence, a dance of energy that pulsed through the organic and the mechanical alike. Within Raven's form, I felt the ancient currents of power intertwining between her living tissues and her metallic veins. Her presence in the Force resonated with familiarity, a reflection of the bond forged between myself, Fay, and the seedpartners of Sekot.

In the cockpit, Simvyl was watching the controls, his emotions slowly returning to normal as he accepted that what happened wasn't his fault. In the cabin assigned to him while outside I knew HK was standing guard. Fenrir was at my door, his presence naturally cloaked to allow him to sneak up upon a target, though due to our bond, I always knew where he was.

Yet for all that, my focus today, as it had been in each session I'd had since Anakin was taken, and after speaking with Adas, was directed inward.

I felt the Force raging within me, a tempest of light and shadow clashing against the calm teachings of the Jedi, which guided me to surrender to its will. The storm of rage, ever-present and unyielding, surged from the echoes of the Bando Gora and the Vong, mingling with the flames of past indignations. In a life unshaped by the Force, controlling such fury was simpler, with the voices of desire and the raw impulses of my nature untempered by the vast potential of the Force. Now, with the Interface withdrawn by my choice, I had to confront those inner demons alone.

Drawing a deep breath, I turned my focus inward, embracing the war that raged within me. I would no longer cower from the darkness or suppress it with futile efforts. Guided by Adas' wisdom, I sought not to accept these primal urges but to transcend them, to command my actions and chart my destiny free from the fears and doubts festering in my soul.

I had long known that the path of the Jedi was not my true course. The Order, entangled with a corrupt Republic, had descended into the mire of its own decay, where the highest echelons were driven by self-interest, favouring their own and their allies over the common good. While countless dedicated souls laboured for the Republic across the galaxy, those in power—whether rulers of worlds, sectors, or senators—were consumed by their own agendas. This corruption, a reflection of issues from my former life, now seemed vast and incomprehensible, magnified beyond anything I had imagined before my rebirth.

A shift occurred within me; the Force rose like a serpent, intertwining with my darker inclinations, demanding I heed its twisted desires. This merging of the Force with my repressed urges was no longer to be cast aside as I had before.

I directed my focus inward, setting aside all other thoughts to confront this threat. I was in control, not the distorted desires of the Force shaped by my base needs. I would not be a puppet to these urges; I would master them. My fate was mine to determine, my path mine to walk. I was…

[BEEP]

My eyes shot open, distracted as I attempted to sink into a deep meditation by the sound of the intercom going off. I sighed as I shifted on my bed, annoyed that I'd not been able to keep attempting to meditate on Adas' words and the ideals he'd suggested.

The Jedi path was one I'd known for some time wasn't going to work for me. at least not how it was taught at the Temple currently. I simply couldn't do as the Council and others continued to insist I do; releasing my emotions into the Force wasn't possible because of Eidetic Memory. That power meant that my feelings for everything I'd ever experienced – good or bad – returned whenever I relived a memory. Those memories were both those I'd experienced in this life, and from what had come before, and many of them were impossible to ever accept and live with.

Perhaps there was some older method, something more than just the more simplistic but complicated Code that I'd taught to Serra. However, I'd yet to find any hint of something that might apply properly to me. Or to Anakin, as I knew the base Code of the Jedi would never work for him. Both the current form and its older variant, while having some use, weren't something I could commit to, and not just because of the issues brought on by the Interface.

The seemingly blind obedience that most Jedi held toward the Force made perfect sense for them. they were born with the connection, and almost to a sentient, raised in the Temple to accept that. Like Anakin, I wasn't raised by the Order, and with a lifetime of memories, experiences, and opinions predating my connection to the Force – filtered as it had been by the Interface – giving myself over to it completely simply wasn't something I found I could do for any significant length of time.

The path followed by the Sith, or the Banite Sith since the order of Sidious and Plagueis was something entirely different from the Sith of Adas' time, in both species and belief, wasn't one I could see myself following either. While there were parts of their Code that held appeal, much like with the Jedi Code, it wouldn't work for me.

I wasn't, like every Sith that had followed Darth Bane, willing to work from the shadows. I preferred, as much as it might place me at risk, to be in the thick of the action. A trait that I knew Anakin would develop with time even if I'd not taken him as my Padawan. That was why I was slowly trying to draw upon Adas' words to meditate and centre myself.

According to Adas, the thing I feared the most was losing control; be that to the anger and rage within me or the Force. He explained that the challenge that I faced was one every Force user encountered. That of taking control of their destiny and not being a tool for the Force or our baser instincts and emotions. To recover my direction, and my sense of purpose, I had to look deep within myself and face what lay within.

The fear that I would lose myself to my anger, along with the concerns of giving myself over to the Force entirely and the power that my connection with the Force granted me, were things I had to confront. That I had to accept were there and then overcome. I knew that if I failed in gaining control then all the potential I held with the Force, for using it to prevent the rise of the Empire and the rule of the Banite Sith, would be for nought.

The main issue was that after a half dozen sessions of meditating – or more accurately, attempting to – I was struggling to find my centre and overcome my fears. I was making some progress as the voices saying I should rip the knowledge I needed from Hondo's mind, that I should flay every lizard I encountered until Anakin was back at my side, were quieter, but they were still there.

Another concern was that I was treading a path Adas had envisioned for me, one that might inadvertently lead me to become his spiritual successor. Adas had been an immensely powerful figure, uniting the Sith species under his dominion and expelling the Rakata—a feat rarely accomplished during their reign over the galaxy. However, I feared that if I was not cautious, my journey to defeat the Banite Sith and prevent the rise of their Empire might inadvertently birth something even more catastrophic, something worse.

Sliding from my bed, I took slow, deep breaths, pushing thoughts of what my future might hold, and centred myself on the present. "Yes?" I said, using the Force to activate the room's intercom as I stood and moved toward the table where most of my armour rested.

"Got an incoming transmission from Mandalore," Simvyl replied from the cockpit. While Raven was capable of flying by herself while in hyperspace, the Cathar and I felt better if one of us was present. It also stopped our passenger from asking questions about who was monitoring the flight, or attempting to sneak into the cockpit, though with HK an ever-present shadow, Hondo was – for him – behaving himself.

"Patch it to my armour," I said as I slipped the first vambrace on. While I had weaponry built into my arm, I was still wearing the vambrace over it. While that did limit which of the extras within the arm I could use, the vambrace held a wider selection of tools. With Maul captured, I'd altered the loadout to carry a more lethal ordinance, though the non-lethal selections were stored in several secured containers in my room. There would come a day when I'd have to interact with Jedi, and since they still felt I was one of them, using such ordinance in the vambraces would remove some of their concerns about my choice to wear armour. Plus, there may well be times when I wanted a target captured and not removed, though hopefully by the time that was the case, I'd have regained most, if not all, of my Force powers; along with learning a few new ones along the way.

The vambrace beeped as the signal was routed to it, and a moment later a familiar face appeared. "Alor Adonai," I said upon seeing one of the two dukes who'd allied their Houses with my Clan appear. While I'd never voiced it, I was confused why neither he nor Torrhen Ordo had moved to become Mand'alor. They were the two most powerful figures among the Clans and could try for the title, though I was glad they didn't.

As Mando'ade myself, anyone becoming Mand'alor would place me in the position of choosing between officially staying or not following the Mand'alor and being labelled dar'manda: a traitor to our people. If the choice had to be made, I knew which way I would go, and I suspected Anakin would be fine with it, but an issue would arise with Serra.

Like me, she was Mando'ade, but as a Jedi Padawan, she had less freedom to make that choice. I still hadn't spoken to her directly, as even when I called her after leaving Instructor Kefe, I'd been told my call would be routed to Master Windu. Not wanting that to happen, I'd spoken with Darihd, and for a brief moment, with Sifo-Dyas.

Windu was still controlling Serra's contacts within the Order, though Darihd, Sia-Lan and a handful of others had spoken with her. The Togruta had informed me that she was doing better and seemed to be starting to accept Master Drallig's death as the will of the Force, which was a relief. However, that Windu was preventing me from speaking to her directly was only feeding into my anger regarding Anakin's capture.

Serra meant far more to me than Windu, and I felt I had the right to check up on her and know how she was doing, as while I didn't regret Drallig's death – not when it meant Serra survived – I felt I should try and let her know I was here if she wanted to talk. I suspected that Windu was keeping me distant from her as he felt – correctly – that the connection we shared had played a part in Drallig's death, and had no choice but to accept it. Going to the Temple, particularly with how unbalanced I currently was, would only result in me being either confined to a cell or sent to one of the prisons the Jedi maintained for those the High Council felt had fallen to the Dark Side.

"Alor Cameron," Adonai said with a tired smile, "how fares the search for your ad?" Adonai was one of those I had reached out to when Anakin was taken. I had asked him to keep the matter from Bo, knowing that she would drop everything to join me. While her eagerness was understandable, it could easily be interpreted as an affront from her—and by extension, House Kryze—toward Clan Shan. Anakin's abduction was an internal Clan issue; unless I explicitly requested assistance from other Clan leaders, any outside interference could spark a diplomatic incident.

I had considered asking Adonai and Torrhen for help, but doing so would feel like conceding defeat, both as an Alor and a father. Moreover, I sensed that while Anakin was under stress, he was not in immediate danger. Though neither Adonai nor Torrhen would judge me harshly, the broader discontent against a Jedi being Mando'ade could be weaponized to undermine my position—and potentially the dukes as well. I was convinced that building a formidable Mando'ade force was essential to confronting the power of the GAR and CIS, and I was unwilling to risk that ambition with unnecessary political fallout. However, if Hondo's contact proved ineffective, I might have no choice but to face the consequences and seek their assistance.

"I'm following what I hope will be a productive lead."

"That is good. Neither I nor Alor Torrhen have heard word from those loyal to us of Trandoshans working in your region of the Outer Rim. At least not a group that is actively targeting children for hunts." His distaste for the lizard's behaviour was clear to hear and see.

"I had expected as much, but you have my thanks for reaching out." Adonai nodded, accepting the thanks.

A glance at the chronometer on the vambrace told me there was still about an hour before we'd be exiting hyperspace. Since I knew I'd not have any further success with meditating on my internal issues, I figured I'd see if I could learn fresh intel regarding the Mandalorian sector. "How are things going closer to home?"

"For the most part, things are going well," Adonai replied. He paused and glanced down and a few seconds later my vambrace reported an incoming file. "As I knew you might be interested in an update on the state of our people, I had Pre prepare a data package for you." As he spoke, a small smile came to his face, as if he'd expected me to show interest in the state of affairs in the sector and among the Mando'ade.

"Please pass him my thanks." I knew Pre disliked, if not downright hated me, so him having to provide this would've rankled, as would me thanking him for it. "And thank you again for the attempt to locate those who've taken my ad and earned my wrath."

Adonai nodded. "Oya!"

… …

… …
The swirling energies of hyperspace peeled back, placing us in a minor system that was known only by a simple code. According to Hondo's contact, the only habitable world in the system, which had been turned into a scrap world several centuries ago, was used by a handful of Trandoshan groups for blooding their younglings.

As the hum of the hyperdrive faded into silence and Raven's course shifted toward the system's radiant star, I closed my eyes and extended my senses into the ethereal currents of the Force. Even as I trod carefully, mindful of the awe-inspiring web that wove together every mote of stardust and celestial fire, I sought the truth of Anakin's presence.

A moment later, I opened my eyes and spoke softly, "He's here." Though the precise location eluded me, for I was not yet ready to plunge fully into the Force's boundless depths before achieving my own balance, I felt with certainty that we were in the right system.

Simvyl grunted, surprised that Hondo's contact had come through. Said Weequay was in his cabin with HK outside to ensure the pirate didn't try anything stupid. When we'd met the contact, Hondo had suggested that it would be wiser if he remained with the contact – a Quarren who was missing some of its facial tentacles – but hadn't complained too loudly when I'd made clear that wasn't happening as I didn't trust him.

HK would deploy with us when we located the Trandoshan vessel, while R2 remained behind, guarding Hondo in his cabin. Thanks to an upgrade Anakin had installed before his abduction, the astromech was equipped with a device akin to a cattle prod, with orders to render the Weequay a quivering mess should he dare to step outside his room while we were away. I had considered leaving a more intimidating presence behind, but I wanted to bring the full force of my command to bear on this mission.

Though originally designed as an assassin droid, HK's new frame had transformed him into a formidable war droid. Fenrir, perhaps sensing the disturbance in our pack caused by Anakin's capture and the absence of a vital member, had been restless since the event. I could sense his longing to tear into Trandoshan flesh, though I hoped he avoided any ill effects from whatever unsavoury locations those beasts might have frequented.

Simvyl would also accompany us. Despite my initial thoughts of leaving him behind, his unyielding resolve since Anakin's capture, combined with his blunt insistence on joining us, left no room for doubt. He had a personal vendetta against the Trandoshans, and I was not about to deny him the chance for retribution. His belief that Anakin's capture was his failure—a sentiment confirmed by Observe even after I absolved him of guilt—fuelled his desire for atonement. Furthermore, his presence would ensure we fought as a cohesive unit, something we hadn't done since HK's reassembly.

How the battle on the scrap world would go, I didn't yet know, but one order of battle had been made clear. I wanted as many lizards as possible taken alive. Researching their beliefs had revealed that if they were captured, then all the points they'd earned with the Scorekeeper were wiped clean. To be killed without any points, and thus face their god a failure as a hunter, was the single greatest fear the species had, and, depending on how and when the lizard lost their points, their entire clutch could be outcast from the culture.

Before each of those filthy beasts met their end, I wanted them to grasp the full weight of their transgression. They would understand the depth of their error in taking my son, in daring to challenge my family. I wanted them to be consumed by fear, to tremble before the wrath of their so-called god—however hollow that deity might be—before they drew their last breath. The only uncertainty gnawing at me was whether I would deliver their final judgement myself or bestow that honour upon HK or Simvyl.

I knew many, including the Jedi, would condemn my resolve to execute prisoners, but I cared little for their opinions. This was not merely an act of vengeance; it was a necessity. Keeping the lizards alive would burden governments with managing them, resources that could be better spent elsewhere. And if their punishment were lenient—which I had little doubt it would be—then we would be allowing a potential threat to re-emerge. I had no fear of these reptiles, not unless their entire race united against me, but letting a potential danger fester was a grave mistake, especially with far greater threats looming on the horizon.

The Banite Sith already had, without the Jedi even realising it, taken control of the Republic. All that remained, at least in the minds of Sidious and Plagueis, was bringing about the destruction of the Jedi, the shattering of the Republic, and the rise of the Empire Darth Bane had begun the planning for nearly a millennium ago.

Perhaps the Jedi could change enough to see the threat, perhaps, if I'd fully committed to their ways, they'd stand a chance. However, I'd known for a long time my path wasn't with the Order, and with Anakin as my Padawan, neither was his. All I could hope was that, when the time came for the truth of Sidious and Plagueis to be revealed, the Order as a whole would be able to at least help Anakin and me defeat the threat the Banite Sith posed.

Raven was surging toward the only habitable planet in the system, hope rising from her as she understood Anakin was close. Beneath that, merging with my desires, was a need to find those who'd taken Anakin from us and make them pay. I couldn't help but smile at sensing that. Raven was changing in ways I'd never considered possible, and if I'd not taken Natural Selection, inadvertently strengthening our bond, she might not have done so.

She wasn't sentient, not even as Fenrir was, nor was she growing bigger or stronger, but the spark of natural intelligence, of evolution, was there. My thinking had always influenced her, but since the change in my connection to the Force, that influence had grown, though not in a way that might destroy what made her unique.

My thoughts drifted to the seething tempest that resided within me. As I grappled with my meditation, seeking to embrace the shadows of the power I harboured and the path it might carve, I could discern a glimmer of progress. The voices that once roared for the annihilation of every Trandoshan in the galaxy for Anakin's suffering were no longer as deafening. Nor did the whispers urging me to seize whatever I desired echo with the same intensity. They lingered still, a chorus of temptation, but I had learned to subdue them, to impose my will upon their discord. This, I hoped, signified that Adas' teachings were beginning to take root, offering the hope that Raven might remain untainted by the demons within.
Yet, the true measure of my meditation's efficacy would reveal itself in a few hours, when the first walking lizard steak crossed my vision.

… …

… …
(Anakin's POV)
He smiled as an explosion reached his ears. Those with him panicked, caught unprepared for the sound, but when Anakin waved them to stay low they did so, and a moment later the shockwave of the explosion rushed past them. Where they were, about three mounds of debris away from where the make-shift bomb had ignited and below the crest of the mound, meant they barely felt the ripples in the air, but they still had to be cautious of the dust that was ripped upward by the shockwave.

As the concussive wave passed, and the dust began to settle, he sensed the excitement of the others. "Shh!" He hissed while keeping his voice low before any of them could shout in celebration that his trap had worked. While it was unlikely that the sound would reach the Trandoshans, any beasts that remained with them, or whatever tech they were using to hunt Anakin and his friends, he wasn't willing to make things easier on them by allowing the other kids to give away their location, not after the first time a trap of his had worked.

Before he could still the rising clamour, Plirs had called out in delight, and Anakin's sharp reprimand followed swiftly. However, their tension was abruptly cut short by the distant growl of approaching hounds. In a frantic scramble, they attempted to flee, but Eshie had slipped down a mound, becoming ensnared beneath shifting debris. Anakin rushed to her aid, his mind already reaching out with the Force to free her from the rubble. Yet just as he prepared to act, the first lizard came into sight.

It was only through the rigorous training with Cam, Master Dooku, and Instructor Kefe that Anakin managed to evade the incoming bolts. His hasty retreat led him and the others to the far side of the mound. Amidst the chaos, Eshie's desperate cries pierced the air, calling for his help. But Anakin understood the harsh truth—rescuing her would endanger everyone else. The others, displeased with the decision to leave her behind, blamed him for failing to uphold his vow of protection. Despite their discontent, they followed him still, their trust wavering but unbroken.

The pain of experiencing Eshie's death through the Force, and his fury at himself for failing her, and the lizards for hunting them had dominated his thoughts ever since, and he'd struggled to get a good rest whenever they stopped. Knowing that he'd see her panicked face, and relive her final screams if he closed his eyes, Anakin had thrown himself into creating more traps, with the one that had just detonated being the fifth trap since that first one, around three days ago. While not all of the traps had gone off, they had slowed the Trandoshans, and those that had gone off had wounded or killed several of the creatures hunting them.

The first trap had been a lucky find as Snaxiu, a Rodian, had spotted a downed fighter. There had been a moment of hope that they could get it flying, but once Anakin examined the Cloakshape fighter, he knew it was unsalvageable. Still, whoever had sent it to this junk world hadn't stripped it for everything of value, as the reactor core still contained some fuel.

Anakin had started the engines and disabled the overrides, knowing it would lead to the fighter exploding, and they'd scrambled away, leaving it for the Trandoshans to find. While Anakin didn't think it had killed any of them, the number of beasts had decreased ever since, and that had helped as not only were the lizards more cautious from then on, but they kept their beast on leashes. Anakin had discovered that when, as they moved through one particularly large mound of debris, he'd seen a pair of beasts all but dragging their lizard handlers forward.

The second and third traps were less flashy, and more a case of him and the other kids moving debris around to create pits and unstable piles. The first of those simple traps hadn't seemingly done anything, but the second one had. Or at least the unstable powercell Lena, a human girl, had discovered and given to Anakin, had detonated.

The fourth trap had been something slightly more complicated, using a tripwire and makeshift grenade. It had detonated but Anakin hadn't sensed anyone in pain or suffering from the explosion, so he assumed it had failed. The fifth, having just detonated, had been successful, and Anakin smiled as he sensed the life of at least one Trandoshan fade into the Force.

Anakin had felt the pain of the Trandoshans whenever a trap had worked, even felt some passing away through the Force, and while he knew he shouldn't – as it was not the Jedi way – he had enjoyed causing those hunting him and his remaining friend's pain. To let them experience some of the suffering he and the other kids were enduring because of the lizards. Anakin knew Cam wouldn't scold him for taking pleasure in the Trandoshan's pain. Cam, while he tried to keep the feelings hidden from him, hated the race with a passion. Until recently Anakin hadn't understood why Cam had despised the race, but after nearly two weeks under their care – on their ship and now being hunted on this junkworld – he was beginning to agree that Trandoshans were nothing but trouble. Even more so than he'd believed before they'd captured him.

The other side to it was that Anakin, through Cam, was a Mandalorian, and as he had said, no warrior should go down without a fight. While he knew that he couldn't win, that eventually he and those with him would run out of time, tricks, and space, Anakin intended to make sure that the lizards paid in blood. And then, when Cam arrived – as Anakin knew he would – those that remained would understand the mistake they had of capturing and hunting children. Just as Decca would one day die at Anakin's hands for killing his mother.

Anakin closed his eyes for a moment, bringing forth the last happy memory he had of her, drawing hope from it. He missed her dearly, but even if he didn't like that she was gone, he'd accepted her death. It was the natural state of the galaxy. Something Cam, Bo, and Master Dooku had explained, though each used vastly different words to say that. His mother lived on through him and Lia, and Anakin had sworn on his first night on this world that he'd see his sister again.

"Come on," he said sharply to the other kids with him, knowing they couldn't linger here, nor could he let himself be distracted by thinking too long on his mother, Lia, or Cam. That, as Cam and Bo had preached, only led to you missing something important in the here and now, leaving you exposed to danger, and Anakin had enough of that already.

As the trio of kids still with him started moving as well, Anakin paused, sensing a shift in the Force. Looking upward, he smiled as a familiar presence reached out to him. Cam was near, perhaps even in the system. Anakin wished he knew how to communicate with Cam through the Force, but that wasn't something he'd yet displayed the ability to do. Instead, he closed his eyes and, as best he could, broadcast into the Force. Cam should be able to sense it and focus on his location.

Once his eyes opened, Anakin felt himself fill with renewed hope. Soon, very soon, he'd be reunited with his father, and then the Trandoshans would pay for their mistakes. All Anakin had to do until then was ensure that he, and his new friends, remained alive and free.

The latest trap had only been maybe an hour behind them, so they didn't have much distance between themselves and the lizards, but Anakin knew that he'd do everything he could to ensure those beasts couldn't capture them.

… …

… …
(Cam's POV)
I watched carefully, tracking the movements of the Trandoshans outside their vessel. The vessel was the same one that had taken Anakin from me, as the damaged sublight engine and scorch marks along the hull were easily visible to the HUD. Through the Battlenet I was receiving feed from HK and Simvyl who were approaching the vessel from the other side so that we'd catch those outside, and any exiting the ramp, in a crossfire. That said, I didn't plan on gunning them all down from a distance.

As the HUD traced the movements of the Trandoshans outside, a deep well of fury began to churn within me. Though the ease I was able to do so was recent, I wrestled it down, channelling that primal rage into purpose rather than succumbing to the baser demands of the Force. I harboured no illusions; the Trandoshans were destined to suffer, to die, but their demise would come only after they grasped the depth of their transgression and surrendered every fragment of knowledge they possessed.

Anakin's presence was a distant echo, lingering hundreds of kilometres to the southwest, but his armour was here, or at least most of it. The moment we breached the atmosphere, my Battlenet had linked to his, and I would not leave it to the whims of these wretched beings.

"Steady," I commanded, placing a firm hand on Fenrir's head as he approached with a low growl. His yearning for combat, for the taste of enemy flesh, was palpable, and though I would not deny him his desire, I ensured he remained still until the moment was right.

Time was scarce. I sensed a dozen souls near Anakin, most of whom were little more than targets eagerly awaited to be erased from existence. Yet, some were not. I could not afford to let this vessel or its occupants linger as a threat or offer any chance of escape before I reunited with my ad. Such risks were intolerable.

The idea to simply attack them from Raven, letting her missiles obliterate the vessel and remaining crew had been considered but discarded. That wasn't guaranteed to take the ship out instantly, and it was probable that any who survived the first volley of missiles would alert the others, and that was if they didn't have some open channel to the vessel in place as I would do in their situation.

Using the Force to Teleport closer, or even from orbit as I'd done on Mandalore at the start of the civil war was also discarded. I hadn't even started remastering that ability, though it was one I would regain before the time came to leave the Jedi. It might have limitations for combat use, but the ability to traverse vast distances – or at least what I could see or sense nearby – in an instant wasn't something to cast aside and forget. Something, I had to admit, I'd done far too often in the years leading up to taking Natural Selection and freeing my connection to the Force from the Interface.

A growl, one worthy of the tuk'ata at my side, slipped from my lips, though none heard it because of my sealed armour. A new lizard had emerged from the ship, and moved to place a head – that of a young Togruta with purple skin – on a pike, placing it beside ten others. Those were their trophies, the victims of the lizard's deranged and unworthy beliefs. The children had died horribly and painfully – the expressions on each head made that clear – and while they deserved a proper burial, which they would get, those who had inflicted such terror on them before killing them deserved death.

A signal in the Battlenet told me HK and Simvyl had their targets, the pair knowing that they weren't to go for outright kill shots. I wanted the Trandoshans alive and in chains before they died. I wanted them to understand their folly before I ripped what I needed from them and their ship.

The moment the vessel was secure, Raven would arrive. While we raced to Anakin, R2 and Hondo would remain behind, the droid to access the vessel's core, and the Weequay because I wasn't leaving him alone on Raven.

That came after though, now it was time to hunt those who deserved a painful death.

"Oya!" The command echoed through the Battlenet, a primal cry that shattered the silence of impending conflict. I summoned the fury that roared within me, channelling it into a relentless force that surged forth like a storm unleashed. My will carved through the chaos, casting a shadow over the battlefield, imbuing the very universe with a stark, unyielding claim: this world was mine.

… …

… …
(Anakin's POV)

He halted abruptly, the Force twisting and churning around them. It wasn't just a disturbance near them but a shadow sweeping across the very planet.

"What's wrong?" Plirs's voice was a sharp whisper, betraying his alarm as Anakin fixed his gaze eastward, toward where the Trandoshan ship lay hidden. Anakin's response was silence, his focus turned inward, reaching into the depths of the Force.

The shift in the Force was unmistakable—it was Cam's presence, but it pulsed with a weight and gravity unlike anything Anakin had felt before. The familiar essence of his father was there, but now it radiated an oppressive power, a storm so fierce it threatened to overwhelm everything in its proximity. Beneath this tempest, there was an eerie silence, a void that swallowed all else.

When Cam had tried to save him on the station, Anakin had felt the raw might of his father's power—unleashed like a sandstorm, ruthless and all-consuming, a force capable of eradicating everything it touched.

Now, however, this power was different. It was immense, its presence nearly all-encompassing, yet it was concentrated, almost refined. At the eye of this relentless storm, there was an unsettling emptiness, as if Cam's connection to the Force had been devour-

"Wh-what's happening?!"

Anakin pulled his thoughts back to his surroundings and looked down at Lena. She'd been the one to speak and was now looking pale, as were Plirs and Snaxiu or at least as pale as they could for their species.

"What's wrong?" He asked, wondering if they could sense whatever it was Cam was doing within the Force. He'd not felt any of them had a strong connection to the Force, but perhaps Cam's actions were affecting more than just those who could touch the Force.

"I…" she paused, shivering as if they were on some frozen wasteland instead of in the middle of a temperature junk field. "I don't know. I feel cold."

"Me too," Plirs added to which Snaxiu nodded.

"It's C… my father," Anakin said, changing his answer mid-sentence into something the others might understand. "He can use the Force though he's far better at it than I am."

"H-he's here?" Snaxiu asked, surprised that help was coming in his voice.

"Yes. We just have to keep moving," Anakin replied, wishing they'd start moving again. Yes, He'd been the one who'd stopped first, but that had been a mistake. The Trandoshans were close behind, but at least they didn't have the last two beasts to help them track him and his friends.

Turning, not wanting them to remain still any longer, he resumed moving, his mind turning back to how he'd taken out the beasts. It'd happened earlier today, and the lizards controlling the hounds had flanked them, cutting them off from a way they wanted to go by climbing over a large mound of debris. Knowing they couldn't escape the beasts before they rushed down at them, not with the lizards readying their blasters, Anakin had panicked, which was when the Force had responded.

The voices deep inside him had made clear that he wasn't meant to die here; that he was destined for greater things alongside Cam. They told him to act, to keep himself safe. Not fully understanding how he knew what to do, or that it would work, He'd thrust out his arms, willing the Force to help him.

It had done so as the mound the beasts and lizards had been standing on shuddered. The group had stumbled, unsure of their footing and then fell back, going over the crest of the mount; back to where they'd come from. Anakin hadn't stopped there though, and remembering the lessons on using the Force to push objects, and put every ounce of desire he could into ensuring the Trandoshans didn't get up quickly, or that the beasts they'd brought with them didn't rush after them in the chaos that was unfolding.

The Force had responded, and the mound those hunting him and his friends had been one shifted. He'd not seen what had happened on the other side to cause it, but one moment the mound had been there, and the next it moved backwards, flattening out and burying those on the other side.

He'd managed to get the others moving, not wanting them to remain where they were and be attacked by the main group of Trandoshans hunting them. Though as they'd scrambled away, the trio had asked what had happened. Wanting the matter handled, or at least them to stop talking so loudly while they were being tracked, he'd told them he could use the Force. That he was both Mandalorian and Jedi.

They'd struggled to believe him, but as he'd kept moving quickly to stay ahead of the lizards, and they'd not wanted to fall behind it had quietened any questions they might have.

"Is he a Jedi?" Lena asked as they moved around one mound, not going over the peak and thus exposing themselves to fire if any Trandoshan saw them break the skyline.

"Yes," Anakin replied, feeling a smile come to his face. "He's a really powerful Jedi and a respected warrior."

"You're just saying that because he's your dad."

Anakin ignored Plirs. The Weequay was right that Anakin was going over the top, but Cam was powerful. And one day, he'd be just as powerful, if not more so. That day wouldn't come if he died before Cam could reach them, which meant focusing, as Master Dooku would put it, on the present and what was, and not on the future and what might be.

After ensuring his friends were behind him, Anakin cast a final glance back to where he knew Cam was. The change in Cam was incredible, and Anakin would be lying if it didn't frighten him a little, but he understood that he, by being kidnapped by the Trandoshans, was the source of that change. Because of that, he found renewed courage to keep pushing forward. It would only be a few hours at most until Cam reached them, and then they'd finally be free of this Hutt-spawn of a world.

… …

… …
(Cam's POV)
I leaned back, moving before the vibroblade swinging toward me had even gained much momentum. A slight shift in stance and my hand thrust out, grasping the blade.

The beast holding the weapon grunted, surprised that I'd stopped the attack so easily growing when I twisted my arm to the side, my beskar limb and the mechanics within granting me the strength to shatter his weapon.

Using the movement of one arm, I stepped forward with my other foot. The lizard grunted as my beskad thrust into its gut. A twist of the hilt and as I withdrew the blade, the tip severed the creature's spine.

It fell to the ground, the strings of its legs cut, along with an arm as I flicked my blade down, severing the muscles at the shoulder. The limb hung pathetically, offering no help as the beast fell to the ground upon the destroyed arm.

As I turned, seeking my next victim, a scream filled the air. Looking toward the sound I saw Fenrir's maw rattle to one side, most of another lizard's leg removed by his bite.

The beast threw a punch at the tuk'ata, driving Fenrir away for a moment. Before it could attack again, a bolt slammed into the shoulder, sending it tumbling to the ground. "Fenrir!" I called out as the tuk'ata spat out the chuck in his mouth, anger at the punch and a desire for vengeance flooding from him into the Force. "Alive!"

Fenrir shook, his snarling maw closing, and the wounded and down lizard felt it was safe. A false hope, which was proven when Fenrir pounced. The claws on his front paws easily embedded themselves in the lizard's chest and drove it backwards awkwardly.

Another scream from the lizard filled the air even as the HUD alerted me to a nearing Trandoshan from the ship. A blaster rang out, and the lizard – in the middle of its charge – fell forward.

The lizard fell, a bolt from HK catching both legs as the knees of the lizard Fenrir had pounced on cracked under the combined mass.

I smiled at the chaos, Simvyl pulling his vibroblade from the back of the final unwounded target. A minute had passed since we'd attacked, and the battle was over. Though calling it a battle would be an insult to our skill. This was a culling; one I was enjoying.

"Wh…" the lizard at my feet struggled to speak over the pain that bled into the Force more freely than its blood onto the dirt of this scrapheap of a planet. "What do you want?"

I looked down at the prey, savouring the fear I saw in the beast's eyes even as its remaining good hand clutched desperately to stem the blood flowing from its stomach. "That is a very long list," I replied, using the tip of my beskad to lift the creature's chin, forcing it to lift its head while I spoke to it. "All that concerns you is that you tell me where my son is before you die."

The creature's face twisted, hatred flowing freely from it as it understood it was going to die. "Don't know," it got out with pained breaths. "Wouldn't tell you if I did."

My free hand, the one coated in beskar, stretched out and I closed my fingers. The beast began gasping; the Force restricting its throat. "I was hoping you might say that." I smiled under my helmet, enjoying the look of panic that dominated the beast's eyes as it struggled to understand what I was doing.

While it continued to thrash against the lack of air entering its lungs, I secured my beskad against my lower back and then reached into a pouch on my belt. Around me, HK emerged into the clearing, his blaster singing out still, targeting the limbs of any lizard that still worked. Simvyl had secured his first walking handbag while Fenrir continued to pin his prey to the ground.

"Wh-wh-at ar…" The lizard stopped as my hand removed itself from the pouch and revealed restraining cuffs. The panic in the lizard's eyes turned to delicious fear as I pulled out restraining cuffs, and it began thrashing wildly. Or as wildly as it could with its legs and one arm immobile. "No! You c-an-t!" It bellowed; terror swarming its tone as I moved toward it.

"I can and am," I said as I moved closer, the fingers on my replacement limb closing slowly, cutting off the air to the beast's lungs. It was harder to focus the Force through the replacement, but since all I was doing was ensuring this pathetic creature couldn't attempt any pitiful escape, there was no issue.

Kneeling I slammed the cuff onto the flailing, useless arm. The other arm came up, in an abysmal attempt at an attack. My beskar hand moved, catching the fist. "That was unwise," I said slowly, increasing the pressure on the limb. Because of the mechanics inside, the limb was capable of deforming durasteel.

"Arrgh!" the beast screamed. With bones far more brittle than durasteel, they shattered and cracked loudly as I crushed the hand.

Once sure the offending limb was destroyed, I attached the other cuff to the wrist. "Consider yourself lucky that I don't have longer to entertain myself," I said with a vicious smile. As I stood, my flesh and blood hand moved around, exposing the palm to the beast's head. "And that what is to come won't last anywhere near as long as it should."

The beast's lips parted, poised to utter a question or a curse, but all that emerged was a guttural, pained groan. For a fleeting moment, the Force seemed to wrestle against my will, but soon I bent it to my purpose, shattering my way into the beast's mind. Though the ship promised valuable intel, I knew that the most crucial secrets lay hidden within the crew's thoughts. This would inflict agony on the creature before me, and after the suffering they had wrought, pain was the least they deserved before they were dispatched to confront their god.

… …

… …
(Anakin's POV)
"Kriff!"

The curse flowed easily from Anakin as he looked around in panic, seeing if there was any path they could take that would get them out of the dead-end they'd stumbled into. The Trandoshans were right on their tail, following along the faint path that led between two mounds of debris into the small enclosure Anakin and his friends had found themselves herded over.

When they'd rounded the corner, he slid to a stop, understanding what the Trandoshans had been doing, and cursed himself for falling into their trap. He understood now, far too late, that the Force had tried to warn him, but in his haste to ensure he and his friends stayed clear of those hunting them, he'd ignored it and rushed down the small path instead of attempting to traverse either pile of trash that sat at the side of the path. Because of his mistake, they were now trapped.

The path ended before a circle of debris, each mound far too high and unstable for them to climb over before the lizards emerged down the path. They might also be waiting for him to lead his friends over the peaks, and likely had rifles trained on the area, ready to either kill any who tried to escape or drive them back to the ground, leaving them easy pickings from the group just behind.

"What do we do?" Lena's panicked voice matched the fear he could sense from Plirs and Snaxiu.

Anakin didn't reply instead he had an idea. Closing his eyes, he dove inward, finding the Force within himself. At the same time, he sensed where the Trandoshans were, sensing that a group of six were coming down the path. Understanding that there were no beasts with them, nor did it seem as if any were moving to either side, Anakin lifted his hands.

"Got y…"

Whatever the lead Trandoshan was about to say was cut off as the Force did as Anakin wished. Opening his eyes, he saw that the ground between him and the aliens had exploded toward them; debris of various sizes and shapes hurtling toward the alien, taking it off its feet.

"Hurry!" Anakin shouted, turning to his friends. The trio were looking on in shock at what had just happened, their minds unable to understand what he'd done. They might know he was a Jedi, but they'd never seen it displayed like that. Nor had Anakin ever used it like that, but with no choice, and the whispers saying if he didn't do something his friends would die, and he'd never see Cam, Lia, or anyone else ever again, Anakin had acted.

A push on Plirs had the group moving, though before they could begin climbing the junk hill blocking their escape, blaster fire entered the area. Lena screamed, all but dropping to the ground, and after pushing Plirs toward Snaxiu, trusting the Force saying they'd be safe, Anakin moved to Lena.

Grabbing her arms, and ignoring her groans, he pulled her toward what looked like an overturned speeder. As they darted behind the cover, bolts slammed into it, causing Lena to let out a panicked scream. "What do we do?" She asked again, her voice barely reaching his ears even though he was sure she'd shouted the words.

Anakin looked around, trying to find something that he could use even as he desperately tried to ignore the flood of terror surging from Lena, as it and similar sensations from Plirs and Snaxiu started to overwhelm his connection to the Force. Seeing there was nothing nearby to use, he reached into his pocket, pulling out whatever pieces of junk he'd gathered and not yet used.

As he placed them on the ground, he closed his eyes and slowed his breathing. The training, first with Master Dooku, and then with Instructor Kefe, had taught him to focus only on what mattered and push aside everything else. Lena's voice, the sound of bolts slamming into their cover, and everything else around him faded away. All that remained was the sound of his slowed, calm breathing and the junk in front of him.

His hands moved over the pile, guided without conscious thought as they moved pieces around, melding them together. Time became irrelevant as he worked, the junk slowly changing, forming something that he knew would be of use.

Once the creation was finished the moment of clarity passed, and he picked up what he'd made. He knew it was a bomb, though one that would likely explode if shaken badly. Given their location, that wasn't a major worry, and he turned to Lena, offering a wide, and he hoped reassuring, smile. "Trust me!" He called out, not sure she'd hear him of the chaos of bolts slamming into everything around them.

Without waiting for a reply, he seized the freshly crafted bomb and edged toward the lip of the overturned speeder they sheltered behind. "I can do this," he murmured to himself, his voice barely a breath. Closing his eyes, he summoned the Force, channelling its raw power to sharpen his senses, quicken his reflexes, and clear his mind. Master Dooku, Cam, and Instructor Kefe had each imparted their wisdom in their own way, but the essence remained the same.

He felt the Force surge through him, bending to his will, fortifying his body for the task ahead. When he opened his eyes, Lena's screams pierced the air—twisted and distorted, deeper and more chilling than they should have been. A blaster bolt whizzed past their cover, its energy rippling in slow motion as it narrowly missed.

A grim smile flickered across his face, a sign that he was in tune with what needed to be done. Trusting in himself and the Force, he emerged from cover. The arm clutching the bomb drew back, primed to launch his creation at the lizards. Amidst the chaos, he glimpsed Plirs and Snaxiu huddled behind the wreckage of what appeared to be a Z-80 fighter. He couldn't afford to fail them; he demanded the Force's aid with unyielding resolve.

His gaze turned toward the source of the blaster fire, but before he saw them, he knew where they were. The Force was helping him as he wanted, marking out a threat before he knew where it was.

His arm came around, the Force enhancing the muscles in the limb, and the bomb sailed away, arcing toward the centre of the Trandoshan position. He pulled back once his creation was airborne, not wanting to be exposed to the explosion. As he pressed his back against the speeder, and pulled Lena back, Anakin felt the Force shifting.

His smile widened as a cold, almost oppressive aura rushed toward them. Cam was nearby. It wouldn't be long before…

His eyes widened as the Force warned him of danger and without thinking, he pulled Lena down. A moment later, as his mouth tasted the dirt of the planet, his device exploded. The speeder they'd been using for cover was lifted off the ground; the damage taken by the bolts having weakened it enough that when the shockwave struck it, it shattered.

Lena shrieked and Anakin knew she'd been hurt by some of the debris from the speeder. Anakin had felt some of it strike his back, but the armour there had done its job, and nothing felt broken or bleeding. Still, the cloud of dust driven over them by the explosions forced his face into the dirt again, and as it faded he started coughing, trying desperately to clear his mouth and lungs before the Trandoshans recovered.

He pushed himself upward, the Force warning him of a new, more violent danger, yet before he could turn to see what was approaching or check on Lena, something grabbed his back, and he was hauled up. A second later he was soaring through the air and crashed to the ground. The air was driven from his lungs as his back bore the brunt of the landing, and he bounced away, ending up on his side.

Before he could move or think, something slammed into his chest. The armour took the brunt of the blow, but whatever air was still in his lungs was driven out and he started coughing even as another blow struck him. A third and fourth blow came in, all striking his chest though the last blow was a touch lower, the armour only taking some of the strike.

"Oof!" he gasped out, feeling something inside him crack, though he had no time to think on it as someone grabbed his armour and he was hauled upward.

With his legs dangling, he found himself staring at the enraged expression of one of the lizards. "You little schutta!" It snarled; razors-sharp teeth clashing against each other it spoke. "You killed my brother!"

Before Anakin could react, he was slammed to the ground. "Ugh!" he grunted as he hit the dirt, his leg twisting painfully but mercifully not breaking. The air around him grew cold and suffocating, each breath a struggle as he fought to regain his footing and brace for the next assault.

"You're nothing more than prey! Stop pretending otherwise!" The beast roared, stepping toward him as it pulled a long, curved blade from its belt. Anakin scrambled back, trying to get away from the creature, but it was faster, and its foot came out; the toe of the boot striking him in his knee, causing him to slump to the ground again. "This hunt is about to end!"

Anakin looked around the Trandoshan and panicked as he saw his friends being dragged together. All three were screaming in fear, though Plirs was at least trying to escape while the other two seemed broken.

He pulled himself to his knees, his chest hurting with each breath even as the Force willed, demanded, he stand. The voices in his mind grew louder, telling him that if he didn't do something, they'd all die soon. He closed his eyes, commanding the Force to help him. He felt it move around him, readying itself for his command.

"There is but one upside to the chaos you've caused," the Trandoshan that had attacked him snarled as it moved closer. "You will be worth more to the Scorekeeper."

Anakin lifted an arm, wanting to strike at the lizard, but his action was too slow, too weak. The beast grasped him by the hair and lifted him painfully upward. Anakin's legs swung out, trying desperately to kick the creature even as he watched the other beasts circle his friends.

"NO!" He shouted as a lizard moved close to Plirs, a blood-stained blade in-hand. "LEAVE THEM ALONE!" The creature holding him laughed, and he was tossed down, landing face-first because he'd been trying to kick the creature as it let him go.

"The hunt is over. You will be presented to the Scorekeeper." Anakin looked over at the new speaker even as the one who'd been attacking and tormenting him stalked closer. That was the same one who'd spoken to him after his capture and was the elder of the group. What Anakin saw now though was the similarities between the leader and the one who was reaching down to grab him. "The Mandalorian is a worthy first kill, my child," the leader spoke as the one approaching him stopped. "Prove your worth by ending its mewing."

The younger lizard turned to the elder and lowered its head. "Yes, father." It then turned back to him, letting Anakin see that the blade in its hand wasn't a vibroblade. It was simpler, meaning any cut from it, like those from Cam's beskad, wouldn't do as much damage, allowing a target to stay alive longer.

As the Trandoshans advanced, blades raised to slaughter his comrades, Anakin's gaze met theirs. They looked to him for salvation, but uncertainty gnawed at him.

The whispers crescendoed in his mind, a haunting symphony of dread.

'Was he going to let his friends die like his mother?'

'Was he going to let these beasts kill him, and fail Cam?'

'Was he going to leave Lia alone in the galaxy, at the mercy of Decca and other Hutts?'

He closed his eyes, but not to try and force away the voices. He heard them and knew what they offered; what they wanted. The Force was his to command, and he wouldn't let himself and his friends die here. The Trandoshans needed to die; they needed to suffer for what they'd done.

Opening his eyes, he rose to his knees, defiant. The Trandoshan advancing on him faltered, its gaze caught by the steely resolve in Anakin's eyes. It bared its teeth, smirking at his resistance. "Good. You underst—"

The creature's taunt was cut off as Anakin thrust his hands forward. Driven by fury and the terror of failure, he unleashed his wrath.

The Trandoshan was yanked from the ground, hurtling into the air. The other lizards recoiled in shock; some were thrown back as Anakin's target flew further. The beast flailed desperately, its blade slipping from its grasp until it was driven into debris with a savage impact. Metal pierced its chest, pinning it against the wreckage.

Anakin slumped, tired after what he'd done, but a smile came to his face as everyone processed what'd happened.

"NOO!" The scream of the elder Trandoshan caught Anakin's attention, forcing him to forget the enjoyment he'd had in winning. The elder had sunk to its knees, its eyes wide as it looked at the impaled offspring.

Anakin looked at his hands, shocked and proud of what he'd done. He'd saved himself and his friends. Now they just needed to…

"YOU!" The snarled shout of the elder lizard snapped Anakin's train of thought. "YOU KILLED HIM!" It added as it leapt to its feet. Anakin started drawing on the Force again, knowing he had to kill this one as well, and then all the other beasts. But he was tired, downright exhausted. Whatever energy he'd had left was gone after using the Force to attack.

The elder lizard stalked toward him, slowing only to grasp the young beast's blade. "I'll KILL YO…"

The air around Anakin grew suffocatingly dense, the very atmosphere pressing down with a weight that threatened to tear the planet asunder. As the elder Trandoshan staggered, its hands clawing at its throat, Anakin's lips curled into a cold smile. He knew the source of this malevolent pressure—he knew who was at work here.

"You."

The word was a blade, slicing through the veil of fear and doubt. Anakin felt a profound clarity—he was shielded, and the struggle was over. His father had arrived, and the price for their crimes was about to be exacted.

"Will."

The second utterance sent the Trandoshan crumpling to its knees, blood oozing from frantic claw marks. The creature's own madness became its undoing. The other Trandoshans stood paralyzed, their fear of Cam's presence rendering them motionless. Anakin cared not for their terror; his thoughts were only of retribution for Lena, Plirs, and Snaxiu, whose frozen tears mirrored the encroaching storm.

"Not."

With this command, a towering figure emerged, a silhouette of menace. Cam's armour drank in the light, casting a dark halo around him, with only the blood-red visor piercing through the gloom. All eyes turned to this harbinger of doom, except for Anakin's, who felt only a fierce joy and relief. The nightmare would soon end, and they would leave this accursed world behind.

"Touch."

At this word, Cam's fingers closed into a fist. The Force twisted and obeyed, and the elder Trandoshan's convulsions grew more desperate. Cam's other hand revealed a blood-stained beskad, carving a trail of death in the dirt.

"My."

The final command roused the remaining Trandoshans from their stupor. Anakin opened his mouth to shout a warning, but before the lizards could react, bolts exploded through the air. Three of them fell; their legs shattered. The remaining pair was swallowed by a colossal shadow.

"Son."

As Cam spoke the final word, Fenrir descended. The beast's maw gaped wide, engulfing one Trandoshan's torso. A powerful hind leg swept the other lizard aside. As Fenrir's jaws closed around a Trandoshan's arm, two bolts struck the stumbling creature, severing a leg and a hand in a brutal symphony of violence.

The Trandoshan Fenrir had bitten screamed, which turned into a call of terror as the tuk'ata pulled back its head, ripping the lizard's arm clean off. Blood squirted and gushed from the wound, though while Anakin could sense some revulsion and fear coming from his friends, his attention remained on Cam.

He pushed himself to his feet as Cam moved closer, but didn't rush to greet him. Anakin understood that Cam wasn't finished. He couldn't see Cam's eyes, but Anakin knew the gaze was focused on the kneeling Trandoshan, who was still frantically clawing at its neck, trying anything it could to regain its ability to breathe.

Normally, Anakin wouldn't want to watch this. He knew what Cam was doing would be seen as wrong by many, including his mother, but after a week of struggling to stay alive on this world because of that alien, Anakin didn't care. It deserved to suffer before it died. It needed to feel as Eshie and the others had before they were murdered.

Yet, as Cam reached the kneeling alien, Anakin wondered why Cam hadn't already snapped the Trandoshan's neck and ended things.

…
(Cam's POV)
I looked down at the disgusting creature before me, the urge to reduce it to atoms far weaker than I'd feared it might've been. Until landing on this world, I'd not been sure if Adas' meditation techniques were working, but as I looked down at the face of the one I knew was responsible for Anakin's kidnapping, along with those of the other three children – and those children these feral animals had killed – I understood it had. The voices were still there, but now only offered suggestions, not ideas that I felt I had to obey. That was a good thing for me, as I didn't want to lose control and miss out on ensuring the lizard understood the depths of its folly by targeting Anakin. For the Trandoshan, those here with it, and the ones I'd already killed today, it was far from a good outcome.

This creature didn't deserve the quick and painful death the whispers were suggesting I grant it. No, it needed to suffer; its pain and terror needed to last until its mind and body became unable to endure my rage. The others here would also suffer, as those back at their ship had, except now there was no need to rush, no need to push too hard too quickly. I could enjoy what was to come.

I lowered my arm, releasing the beast from the Force's grasp. The hand slipped to my belt, resting comfortably on the hilt of my shoto. While not my main blade, the crystal inside was attuned to me and I could almost sense it wishing to be ignited to help me educate the things before me.

"Wa…" The beast failed pathetically to get a sound out. My fingers began tensing around the hilt of my lightsaber. "What. Are. You?"

I smiled, enjoying each pained breath the thing took trying to put its fear into words.

"Stupid, you are," I said mocking as I knelt in front of the beast. The head tilted to one side, exposing the neck. The urge to flick my blade out and remove the offending thing passed through my thoughts harmlessly. It would die, but not soon and not cleanly. It was unworthy of such a death.

My beskad rose, its tip pointing at Anakin. "I am his father," I declared, the blade drifting beneath the beast's chin, forcing it to lift its head away from the lethal point. "You, and those who follow you, made a fatal error by laying a hand upon him."

The Force warned me of a threat, and the beskad flicked downward. The beast grunted in pain; its resilience evident as I severed three of its fingers before it could reach for the blaster at its hip. "Unwise," I muttered, even as a grim satisfaction welled up inside me. The beast could endure pain, which meant it wouldn't easily succumb to what awaited it. I relished the thought of its forthcoming death. "You will die, as will every one of your minions. Your place in the galaxy is no better than that of a womp rat."

The snarl that had twisted its face, which only heightened my anticipation, faltered. "Womp rat?"

"Indeed," I replied, my voice tinged with amusement as I savoured its confusion. "Though perhaps that's an insult to womp rats." The snarl returned, now edged with a flicker of intelligence, though it remained blind to the gravity of its situation. As long as it clung to the hope of rescue, believing that the ones I had already sent to their gods might come to its aid, its despair would only deepen. The more it hoped, the greater my satisfaction would be when it finally realized that death was all that awaited it.

My beskad flicked out again, slicing through the flesh of the beast's arm. It grunted, showing further, encouraging resilience. "The womp rat understands its place in the universe. You, and these other overgrown lizards, don't. Though I'm more than happy to educate you," I stood as I continued, wanting to be outside the beast's range before I finished. "Just as I did with those on your ship."

The Trandoshan blinked, and I watched in amusement as it processed my words. A growl rose from its throat as it prepared to attack me, and I lifted my hand. The Force bent joyously to my demands as I closed my first. The unmistakable sound of bones shattering was followed by a groan of pain as the untouched arm abruptly buckled.

I chuckled deeply, savouring the pain this thing was feeling, and sensing the first embers of fear forming inside it. Moving forward again, the beskad flicked out. "Soon you'll rejoin your friends," I spat out the word as my blade sliced clean through the animal's limb, cutting the flesh to the bone, and disabling the other arm, "When you greet your god as nothing but a broken, destroyed, and pointless waste."

"Statement:" I turned to HK as he spoke, the HUD having reported he'd emerged into the clearing sooner than I'd expected. "All targets are secure and the astromech reports the last of their vessel's datafiles have been downloaded."

I nodded at the report even as I watched Simvyl step toward a Trandoshan missing both legs. The beast panicked, threatening wildly when it saw the restraining cuffs in the Cathar's hand. Before it could be any threat, Simvyl casually shot it in both shoulders. The bolts weren't enough to remove the limbs, but it rendered them as useless as the beast's missing legs.

"You can't do this!"

I turned back to the elder Trandoshan, aware of the rising fear coming from Anakin's friends even as he looked on patiently. "Oh, but I can," I said to the pitiful defeated creature that lay before me. "And I will. The only remaining question is just how long it takes you to meet your god," I added, not even trying to hold back my fury and disdain for him and his species.

With my piece said, I sheathed my beskad. I'd barely managed that before a euphoric explosion of delight and relief overwhelmed the darkness I was projecting into the Force. As Anakin leapt into my arms, I braced, and caught him easily even as I sunk to a knee, ensuring his feet returned to the ground.

"I knew you'd come," He said as he pressed his head into the nook of my armour. The HUD reported on his condition, but I didn't need that to know he was tired, hungry, and in need of a good, long rest.

"Always for you An'ika," I replied, feeling the rage I'd been focusing on the Trandoshans lift in an instant. Anakin, my son, was safe, and those who'd captured him were nothing but bodies waiting to be destroyed. I felt him sob and patted his back. "It's okay. I'm here."

I held him there, letting him release all the pent-up emotions he'd been carrying for nearly two weeks pour out. "I knew you'd come," he said as I felt his fear of dying, or never seeing me, Lia, or others, or gaining revenge, fade away. A few weeks ago, I'd have been pleased with that, seeing it as a sign he was committing to the Jedi training of accepting what was and not dwelling on his emotions. However, I knew now that it wasn't the path for either of us. That would mean a change in his training, but that, along with a hundred other things, could wait until later.

As I felt him calm, the worst of his emotional turmoil easing, I pulled him back slightly. One hand came from his back, planning to remove my helmet, but before the hand could slip around his body, his hands were already there, and I tilted my head to grant him easier access. A moment later, the hiss of the seal breaking could be heard, and I let him pull my helmet off.

I blinked, adjusting to the unfiltered light of this shithole of a world's sun. Once I recovered, I looked at Anakin and ran a hand through his hair while smiling. "I'm not leaving, An'ika," I said, once more using his Mando'a nickname. "And I'm proud of you."

His head tilted to one side, and I chuckled at his confusion; enjoying the first non-stressed moment I'd had in weeks. "You survived here, without weapons or much training for over a week," I said, giving his hair a ruffle. For what was possibly the first time ever, he didn't scowl at the action. "Plus, you kept others alive," I added, looking past him to the trio of kids cowering together, keeping their distance from me, Fenrir, and the others. "Though perhaps you could introduce us?" As I asked that, I offered the trio a smile and wave, the Weequay being the only one to return the gesture.

I understood why they'd be scared of me. I'd not entered this area gently, and been aggressive toward the Trandoshans, but I didn't regret it. Those beasts needed to understand their place which sure as osik wasn't anywhere near the top of the food chain.

"Oh, right." Anakin turned, looking at his friends though he kept a hand on my armour as if scared I might disappear. "Lena, Snaxiu, Plirs, this is my father, Cameron Shan. Dad, these are my friends."

"Hello there," I said, offering them another wave and widening my smile. "I'm sorry if I scared you with my arrival."

"I-it's ok," Plirs replied slowly. The other two looked at me with wide eyes, taking in my face and armour. From all three the terror was slowly receding, and I understood why they were reluctant to trust me. after so long constantly on the run from the lizards, they were slow to trust anyone not in their group. "Th-thank you."

"There's no need to thank me," I said, keeping my smile wide and voice soft. "I only wish it hadn't taken me so long to find you."

"Yeah, how did you?" Anakin asked as he turned back to me.

I chuckled and shook my head. "A story for another time. First, I want to get all of you onto Raven, and then we'll see about contacting your families."

The trio of kids all looked at me as if I'd grown another head, making clear that they'd all but given up hope of going home. That spiked my anger, though before it could rise and push past the gentle appearance I was projecting, I smashed it down. I'd draw on that fury soon enough once Anakin and his friends were out of sight. They didn't need to see what was coming.

A roar filled the air, and the trio ducked down, huddling together. "That's my ship," I said, using the hand not still resting against Anakin to point upward just as Raven slid into view. "She's not the biggest, but there's sonic showers, fresh food, clean bunks, and provided you're okay with wearing some of Anakin's stuff, fresh clothing."

The trio looked at each other and then at Anakin, making clear he'd assumed command of the group. That made me proud as while I'd not started any training on command, he'd shown initiative in trying to keep his friends safe. I didn't need to ask to know that some of the heads of the murdered children had been with this group when they died, and I'd have to talk with Anakin about losing someone under his command. It was a tricky thing to deal with for someone who formed bonds as easily as he and I did, but overall, I felt he'd done an excellent job in ensuring they survived this long.

"It's fine," Anakin said reassuringly. "Raven's amazing! She's really fast and…" Anakin paused and looked around before turning back to me. "I didn't know R2 could fly her."

I laughed as I realised Anakin didn't know about Raven's evolution. "She's flying by herself now, at least so long as the flight path is simple." Anakin's eyes widened in shock, which drew another bout of laughter from me. "When you were captured she knew I couldn't waste time getting back to her, so it came to me. We still weren't fast enough to stop those beasts from getting away, but it seems you're responsible for her latest growth."

"Wizard!"

While chuckling once again, I ruffled his hair. "Aye, it is." I stood, easily lifting Anakin with one arm. The armour added a decent amount of weight, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle without help. "Fenrir!" I called. The tuk'ata lifted its head, blood from the limb it was chewing on – the lizard it'd come from secured by Simvyl and along with the others under the watchful gaze of HK. "Drop that! You don't know where it's been!" Fenrir shook his head, not wanting to give up his toy. "Get over here." The tuk'ata snorted but did as I asked and after spitting the remains of the arm out and then, with blood flowing over his maw, sauntered over to us.

"Hey boy," Anakin said, lowering the hand not wrapped around me to the tuk'ata. Fenrir leaned into the touch, happy to enjoy Anakin's scratches again.

"Fenrir," he looked up at me, though didn't move away from Anakin's hand, "I need you to escort Anakin and his friends to Raven." I sensed a spark of fear and looked at my son's friends. The trio had pulled back, no doubt concerned by the fearsome impression Fenrir projected with blood matted into his jaw and front paws.

"It's ok, Fenrir's a giant softy. Aren't you?" Fenrir snorted, not liking being called soft, but he made no move away from Anakin's attention, which helped to prove the boy's point.

Without breaking that contact, I moved closer and gently lowered Anakin onto Fenrir's back. The tuk'ata enjoyed carrying around younger children at times, though I'd seen many adults in the Lokella and elsewhere look on in shock and fear at watching the giant beast – his head was at my shoulder if he held it up – walk around like a trained pony.

The trio watched my actions, and how Fenrir accepted Anakin's presence on his back, before sharing a look. As a group, they slowly moved toward the beast, their eyes struggling to see past his blood-soaked mouth. Once they were closer, Lena attentively stretched out a hand. Fenrir stayed still, aware of their fear, and when the hand touched his neck he leaned as softly as he could into the touch.

A short, barking laugh slipped from her lips, only to be stopped when her free hand raced up to cover her mouth. When neither Fenrir nor Anakin reacted to her behaviour, she relaxed and began moving her fingers. Fenrir growled quietly, letting her know he enjoyed the touch. A moment or two later, the two boys added their hands near Lena's and Fenrir beamed with pleasure at the attention.

I couldn't help but laugh at what I was seeing. Fenrir was bred for war, yet all it took to turn him into the galaxy's biggest softy were children in need of protection who wanted to scratch him. "Go on," I said to my friend, giving him a gentle pat on his hip. He turned, giving me a side-eye suggesting he didn't want to move if it meant missing out on scratches. "I'm sure once they've washed and eaten, they'll be happy to keep petting you."

"Yes!" Lena agreed happily, placing her head against Fenrir's neck. "I'll pet you whenever you want until I'm back with my parents," she added.

Fenrir snorted at that and started moving, the kids heading with him. Lena didn't know what she'd just committed herself to, but after what she and the others had endured on this world, I didn't think she'd mind having to spend every waking hour pampering the tuk'ata.

Simvyl offered them a smile as they passed, moving out of the area we were in and toward where Raven was landing. As the group slipped from view, I slid my helmet back on. The rage I'd been keeping constrained hungered for release, and with those I didn't want seeing what I had planned gone, I knew the rage and I would be satisfied before we left this waste of a planet.

A glance inside the helmet sent a command through the HUD. Simvyl turned, heading off with the children as while I knew Fenrir would keep them safe, I wasn't going to risk losing Anakin again. The Cathar did as ordered, happy to make up for any perceived failing when Anakin had been kidnapped as I turned toward the group of lizards.

All were kneeling, wounds bleeding along with wherever they'd lost a limb. Impressively, they all looked aggressive, as if challenging me even though I'd captured them. whatever points for their god that they'd gained throughout their disgusting lives were gone. Under their bravado, I could sense their fear. My words earlier about sending them to the Scorekeeper pointless having the desired effect.

"Now," I said as I slowly moved toward them, bearing down on their leader, "Before your miserable excuse for lives are extinguished, I'd like to know everything you do. I'm told there are other groups like yours prowling this region of the Rim targeting children for your sick sport. I want to know where they are."

"Kriff you Mandalorian!" The leader snapped back. "I'm not telling you anything!"

"I had hoped you'd say that," I said as I moved closer, I lifted my organic hand, showing him my palm. "I find I enjoy this far more when you resist."

The mind of this beast, and those I'd already shredded for intel along with the others here, wasn't a place I wished to enter. It was beneath me. However, it was effective and caused the lizard's incredible pain. Or it did before their mind shattered under my assault.

Already I had enough intelligence that any halfway decent Republic security officer could use, let alone the Mando'ade I planned on hiring to wipe out this rabble. Not just for other hunting parties and the planets they used, but also the locations of a dozen pirate and black-market ports. While I could clean them out myself, I didn't have the time or interest in dealing with such minor matters.

"Now," I said, my voice deepening as I focused every ounce of my rage toward the lizard, demanding the Force assist me in what was to come. "This might hurt a bit, but I'm sure I'll enjoy it."

… …

… …
"A-are you sure it's safe?"

I stood back slightly, letting Anakin deal with Lena as she looked from the two Zeltrons speaking to her to my son. Unlike Plirs and Snaxiu, when we'd gone to the world Lena had been abducted from, we'd not found any remaining family. Instead, we'd come across a dozen ruined buildings. Everyone there had been killed and the building looted and burnt. I wasn't sure if that had taken place during or before the massacre, but regardless of how it had happened, it meant Lena had nowhere to go.

After cleaning up the mess, giving any remains that we found a burial, and then letting Lena see if there was anything for her to salvage and then grieve for her family and friends, we'd left. It had been a long few days since then with Anakin and Fenrir doing their best to help cheer her up. For a while I regretted having killed every lizard before we'd left, as while I knew it wouldn't bring back her family or ease the suffering she, Plirs, and Snaxiu had gone through and would need help recovering from, it would've given them some closure to execute at least one of those responsible for their pain.

Regarding what to do with Lena, I'd quickly dismissed the idea of heading to a nearby Republic world and dropping her off with local child services. Those were always underfunded and lost track of kids so much it was such a disgrace that the Senate and the planet's government chose to ignore the matter. Nor was the idea of adopting her into Clan Shan viable. I had very specific plans for Anakin's training, and Lena lacked anything like the Force potential to make it worthwhile for her to endure the same training. I had considered asking Adonai or Torrhen to adopt her, but I wasn't sure she was ready now – or if she ever would be – to become a warrior. Thus, in the end, I'd reached out to the Lokella, and their council had dispatched a CR70 Corvette to meet me at the orbital station we were now on.

"Yeah. I lived there for a few years before Cam adopted me and began my training," Anakin explained to Lena while wearing as comforting a smile as he could manage. Her hands were resting on Fenrir, the tuk'ata still serving as her comfort blanket as she came to terms with everything that had happened.

"I know this is hard, sweetie, but you won't be the only youngling among our people." That response came from Surmi, as she stood with her twin sister Syshe. The Zeltron pair had chosen to head the group sent to collect Lena, though after last night I suspected the pair had ulterior motives for taking the assignment, not that I was complaining.

"All of us have suffered pain," added Syshe to support her sister's words. "We were once slaves of a Hutt before the Lokella freed us. And now look," she gestured behind her to where their shuttle rested on the other side of the bay from Raven. "We've got command of a ship with which we use to free others from suffering."

"You'll make lots of friends and no one will force you to talk about what's happened. Not if you don't want to." Surmi added the pair was comfortable finishing each other's thoughts when speaking. A skill that extended to other, more pleasurable endeavours. "Maybe one day, if you want to, you could command a starship as well."

"O-okay," Lena said slowly, accepting the Lokella's offer to take her in. I was pleased to hear she'd be going, and my smile grew when she turned to Anakin. "You'll stay in touch?"

"Yes." He coughed gently. "I mean, I'll do so when I can. Cam wants me to continue my training and I'm not sure how long that will take, or where we'll go. But I promise that when I can, I'll call. And not just you but my sister Lia as well."

Lena smiled widely at Anakin, and I could tell the pair would remain friends. Perhaps, in five or six years, it might even become something more, but the future wasn't certain. Not least because of my choices. She turned to the twins and nodded. "Okay. I'll go with you."

The twins shared a look and then approached Lena with matching smiles. "Good," Syshe said before they turned to gesture to a Togruta male who was standing outside their shuttle. "Head to Felxi and he'll get you settled aboard the shuttle. Before we go we'd like to speak with Cam first."

"Anakin, why don't you help Lena with her stuff?" I suggested, sensing the spiking desire from the Zeltrons, and having a hint that he'd not want to be around when they flirted with me. Something they'd been doing heavily since they'd arrived yesterday morning.

Anakin looked between me and the Zeltron twins, both of whom were giving me wide, encouraging smiles. "Yeah, um, I…" He paused and shook his head, clearing some of the redness in his cheeks. "Okay."

I watched him walk off, taking Lena to Raven. Her stuff was already loaded on a hoversled, but getting the pair away gave me the time alone with the twins that I suspected they wanted.

"He's cute when he's flustered."

I turned to Syshe and grinned. "I can call him back if you'd like."

"Oh no," Surmi replied as she and her sister moved toward me. "We much prefer the older model," she added as he reached my left side; Syshe taking the right. They each took one arm, pulling it against their body. "It's powerful, experienced, and has remarkable staying power."

I chuckled as I turned my hands around so my fingers could brush against each girl's exposed midsection. "I do my best," I said as my fingers pinched their skin. "Though as much as I'd enjoy a repeat of last night…"

"So would we."

"… I need to return to my travels and training my son."

The Zeltrons smiled. "It's okay," Syshe said as they moved closer.

"We understand," Surmi added before they each kissed one of my cheeks. "Though we look forward to when we might next partake in the pleasures of the flesh."

"Perhaps you might ask your Jedi and Mandalorian friends to join us."

I chuckled, enjoying the rush of mental images that thought created. Bo would be more than happy to experience what the Zeltrons could do. Force, I was still in awe of several of the tricks they'd used against me last night. Serra, however, was another matter, and not just because of her recovering from the death of Drallig and being taken on by Windu.

"We can but hope," I said before offering first Syshe and then Surmi a tender kiss. That was the reverse order of the last act we'd shared last night – well, technically this morning given how long we'd been enjoying ourselves – and I made sure to never favour one sister over the other. Something they seemed to appreciate.

"Until next time M'tael," Surmi said as Syshe slipped a hand down and pinched my arse.

I watched the pair as they moved toward their shuttle, escorting Lena and Anakin as they pushed the hoversled toward the craft. Once they reached it, Anakin shared a few final words with Lena, followed by a hug and then turned around and walked back to us.

Taking that as my cue, I turned as well and moved toward Raven. Simvyl was leaning casually against one of her landing gears, though the way his eyes scanned the bay, and a hand rested near a blaster made clear he was anything but unalert to potential danger. While I had forgiven him for what had happened, he still hadn't and was now taking his duties very seriously. Too seriously perhaps, and I wondered if I'd need to drag him to a pleasure house – one where the females weren't slaves – so he could unwind a little.

"How do you do it?" He asked once I was at the base of the ramp.

"Hmm?" I replied as I looked back and then guided Anakin into the ship.

Simvyl looked past me, toward the now departing shuttle and sighed. "A girl on every planet."

"Technically we're not on a planet," I shot back with a smirk.

"You know what I mean."

"Aye, and my answer is… Jedi secret." He rolled his eyes and, understanding I wasn't going to explain, he turned and moved up the ramp after Anakin.

Taking a moment, I turned back and watched the shuttle as it left the bay. Outside the Lokella's CR-70 waited which would take my latest companions back to their people. Truthfully, Syshe and Surmi weren't important to me, unlike Bo and Serra, and when they'd first offered their bed I'd rejected it. I'd only just moved to a more intimate stage with Serra and didn't want to risk that.

Things between me and her were up in the air, and while I hoped that we'd recover what we once had, I wasn't going to sit around and pine after it. I cared deeply for her, but not enough that I'd try and force her to return to my side, or mope around waiting for her to do so. She had the right to choose her path irrespective of mine.

Thinking on Serra and our situation my thoughts turned to the path I was taking my first steps along and Maul. Regarding Maul, I knew one day Serra would learn of my choice to keep the Zabrak alive. How she reacted to that would determine if our paths remained joined or if that was the end of what we shared. I hoped for the former but understood that the latter was possible. Probable even if Windu's teaching before she was knighted sunk in deep enough. However, if I had the chance to do things differently after the battle of Naboo, I wouldn't.

Maul represented a potentially vast reservoir of intelligence—not only about Sidious' schemes but also about the inner workings of the Banite Sith and their broader objectives. He might even be – unlikely though it was – someone whom I could recruit to my cause. At the very least, he could help fill in the countless gaps in my understanding of the Sith's motives, goals, and strategies for eradicating the Jedi.

I was aware that the Clones were pivotal to this plan—at least in the timeline I had witnessed. Yet, there had to be more to their scheme than merely employing them and issuing an Executive Order to annihilate the Order and neutralise them as a threat to the Banite agenda.

Still, I knew it would be some time before I faced Maul again. At least until I felt my skill and power had returned to the point that it had been when I'd managed to capture the Sith Assassin. I had the time to get there. or at least felt I did as it would take Sidious and Plagueis time to consolidate their hold over the upper echelons of the Republic and cultivate a replacement for Dooku.

That alone was perhaps a greater help to granting me the time I needed to train myself and Anakin, but I knew it wouldn't stop the plan indefinitely. That was why, at least before Anakin's kidnapping, I'd spent almost every evening going over the decrypted records from the Scimitar. Maul was smart enough to wipe the astrogation computer regularly, meaning I couldn't determine where he'd travelled before coming to Naboo – though I suspected he'd been on Coruscant as in the other timeline.

The problem was that only about ten per cent of the Scimitar's data had been decrypted, with most of that being the basically empty flight log and data-recorder of when he'd refilled the fuel tanks. If I was only looking at a single planet, then it would be reasonably easy to use that data to determine likely locations that the vessel – and thus Maul – had travelled to. However, with almost an entire galaxy to work with, it was like trying to find a needle in a haystack as big as Coruscant, Corellia, and a dozen other Core worlds combined. HK and R2 were working to crack the encryption on the rest of the Scimitar's files, but they didn't expect to have any success for at least half a year, and that was their most optimistic projection.

Once up Raven's ramp, I moved through her corridors. The ramp was closing before I'd even stepped off it – Raven once more anticipating my needs – and moved toward the cockpit. Our destination wouldn't be Kro Var, as I'd been intending before Anakin's kidnapping, but Eshan.

While we would still be heading at some point to the Shapers, as I wanted to learn what they did with the Force while controlling elemental powers, I felt a more combat-oriented focus would appeal to Anakin after recent events. Plus, it would put my mind at ease to know he knew more ways to defend himself and others.

I could've chosen to go Mandalore and enrol Anakin in the Institute there that Serra and I had joined, however I wanted to broaden my horizons as well. Like Mandalorians, the Echani were regarded as one of the best warrior cultures in the galaxy. The difference was in composition – while a decent majority of Mando'ade were Human, not all were – and the fact the two groups disliked each other intently to the point the Echani had often allied against the Mando'ade in previous wars simply to test themselves against them.

Because of those issues, Anakin and I would be removing most of our armour while there. Some would remain, and even if there were questions about me having armour made of beskar, the fact I could publicly show I was a Jedi – thanks for that belonged to Palpatine who'd ensured I was front and centre when the liberation of Naboo had been a major news cycle – would counter most of those issues. Plus, as the two people hadn't been at war for centuries, and the issues between them were more of attempts to prove which culture was better than any major ideological issue, we shouldn't face too many problems.

It would take us at least a few days to reach Eshan, and during that time I'd speak with Anakin about his ordeal. While we'd had some conversations about it, those had often involved the other kids. Now it was just again, I wondered if he might open up a little about how he'd felt, and what he'd done that he'd not wanted to mention around the other kids. The obvious one was that, just before I arrived to save him and his friends, I'd sensed him drawing on his desire to protect others and make the Force do what he wished.

He needed to know that I wasn't angry about it, nor would I hold it against him. We both just had to be careful of how he handled that experience. He was young and unable to handle his emotions to anywhere near the degree I could, so it would take training to ensure he didn't become unstable in the way I felt Obi-Wan had ignored and then Sidious had exploited in the other timeline.

I wasn't worried about others sensing his mistake with the Dark Side. When I'd gone for him on Tatooine, I'd have struggled to sense him if I'd not been looking for him. While whatever protections he'd naturally developed were weaker because he'd begun his training with the Force, it was still incredibly impressive. To the point that I planned to ask him how he did it. While my defences were decent, any help in improving them wasn't something I was going to ignore.

Plus, while I had little intention of doing it soon, I knew I'd have to return to the Temple and interact with Palpatine and Damask. If I could harness how Anakin kept his Force presence hidden, I could ensure that neither group learnt of the changes I'd undergone or would undergo, when we next met. Otherwise, the moment I set foot on Coruscant, I'd have both groups out to capture, imprison, or kill me.

That would, to be blunt, put a major dent in my plans for the next few decades.

… …

… …
A/N: All's well that ends well. Unless you're a Trandoshan/slaver in which case you got what you deserved.
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This story is cross-posted on Fanfiction.net, Archive of our Own, and Royal Road.
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USSExplorer · Sep 11, 2024

A/N: Thanks to those helping me write and plan out this story and checking it for continuality and logical errors.

This chapter was released to those on the story's Discord, and who those support my writing anywhere from 1 to 4 months ago.

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Also: May you rest in peace, James Earl Jones.

3.06 Masters and Fathers
… …

Time drifted in the dim corridors of the Raven like the slow, inexorable turning of the galaxy itself. My steps were measured, and deliberate, each footfall a meditation of intent. Barely thirty minutes had passed since we'd left the station where Lena had been delivered into the hands of the Lokella. But the weight in my chest had grown heavier, more insistent. With the ship now threading through hyperspace toward Eshan, I could no longer defer what had to be done.

I needed to speak with Anakin.

In the days following his rescue, I'd busied myself with the duties that allowed me to avoid this conversation. Returning the children to their families—those that had any left—kept my mind occupied, hands steady. Lena was another matter. Her family was gone, her future handed to strangers. I'd done the best I could for her. But for Anakin? That was a different question.

The emotions I felt from him on the junk world remained at the forefront of my mind. I could feel the storm inside him, roiling beneath the surface. Fear, rage, desperation. They had surged like a broken dam, unleashed at the lizards that had threatened his life, and his friends' lives. And though I would never fault him for using the Force to defend those he loved – how could I, when I had wielded it for far less noble reasons? – what he had done, the decisions he had made in that dark, metal graveyard, needed to be examined. Understood. Controlled.

I reached his quarters. Outside, Fenrir lay sprawled in the half-light, the tuk'ata's gleaming eyes watching me, ever vigilant. The creature had barely left Anakin's side since we'd pulled him from that hellish place. I knelt beside the beast, scratching behind one of his ears, the familiar rumble of contentment vibrating beneath my fingers.

"Hey, boy," I murmured, feeling the tension of the coming talk press heavier against my mind. "I'm going to be in there for a while. Just… keep watch."

Fenrir gave me a slow blink, his head settling back onto his paws, ever patient.

As Fenrir stood and moved enough that I could reach Anakin's door, I used the Force to press the buzzer. A moment later the door slid open, and I entered his cabin. It wasn't as large as mine, though it was close and had formerly been Fay's quarters on Raven. A bed that could, in theory, just about hold two people was at one end, while a small desk/table with a chair was next to it. A fresher was sealed away in the wall along with various drawers and cabinets, though most of those were empty as Anakin didn't have a large number of worldly possessions.

He lifted his head as he sat cross-legged on the bed as I approached. His face was drawn and the sense of despondency I'd been feeling from him ever since we'd passed Lena over to the Lokella only grew stronger now I was inside the same room. "I won't ask if you're well," I said as I moved toward the chair at the desk, "what you endured would change anyone, as would what you did to defend yourself and your friends. However, before we talk I want to make one thing abundantly clear." I sat in the chair and gave him my full undivided attention. His head perked up when I didn't immediately continue, though once he focused fully on me, I spoke again. "I'm proud of what you did and why you did it."

"Why?" He asked softly, his voice lacking much of its regular emotion. "I failed."

"How did you fail?" I countered, keeping my tone gentle and my posture as relaxed as I could without surrendering my position as the adult in the room. He needed to see that my actions and emotions matched my words, and that, whatever he said or felt, I was here for him.

He shifted on the bed, pulling his legs up and then dragging his knees toward his face. "They died because of me," he said as his arms wrapped around his legs, holding them tight for protection.

I gave him a small, sad smile and shook my head. "No, Anakin, they didn't. They died because of the Trandoshans."

I knew this would be coming, knew how personally, even as a boy of not quite ten, he took everything bad that happened around him. How he felt a need to feel responsible for everything that had gone wrong. It was both part of his mentality and how Shmi had raised him, however, in this situation, it was a dangerous and incorrect road to head down.

"I…" He paused and I thought I saw him gulp. "I wasn't fast enough. Wasn't strong enough." His head dropped so his forehead rested against his knees. "Kesh, Eshie, the others…"

As his voice trailed off, and understanding what he was feeling, I shifted from the chair and moved to sit beside him on the bed. I moved slowly, not wanting to scare or confuse him, even as the first sniffles reached my ears. Once beside him, I extended an arm and placed it over his shoulders.

I wasn't going to pull him close, as that might be overstepping things, but as soon as my arm came to rest, he leaned toward me. My other arm came around, pulling him in tight even as his chest crashed against my chest. The sniffles quickly turned to sobs and wails, and as I let him grieve and release the worst of his emotions, I gently drew circles on his back with the palm of one hand, hopefully reassuring him.

Knowing he had to work through this, I stayed quiet though as I did so, I closed my eyes and focused inward. His emotions had been like a solar flare in the Force ever since we'd left the station after handing over Lena, but with him now next to me, it was more akin to a supernova. I knew that I couldn't allow myself to be overwhelmed by his emotions, otherwise, the message I needed him to hear might get lost.

I wasn't closing myself off from the Force, as he would sense that and feel, in some way, that it was his fault, which was the last thing I wanted. Instead, I brought forth memories of happier, innocent times I'd spent with him, Bo, Serra, Dooku, Fay, and others. I hoped that by doing so, not only would it help me not drown in the explosion of emotion that was rushing from Anakin, but that he'd sense I wasn't angry, and was here for him.

I might have only adopted him less than half a year ago, and known him for a few more before that, but by adopting him, I'd made a vow – to myself, him, and the Force – that I'd do everything I could to protect him. I knew that such a vow had the potential to be dangerous, even without the Force able to influence and bend to my will, but it was the right thing to do. I had already lost control once. Already let my desperation lead me to the brink of ruin when I was searching for him. But if it came down to it, I knew—I knew—that I would burn worlds to ash, shatter stars, and tear the very fabric of the galaxy apart, if it meant keeping him safe from the horrors that sought to claim him.

Because he wasn't just Anakin Skywalker. He was my son. And that meant more than the Force, more than the galaxy, more than anything.

Time had little meaning as he cried and I continued to sit there, silently offering support, but eventually, his cries grew quieter. Eventually, I felt him shifting, and feeling him press against my arms, I loosened my grip. He lifted his head, letting me see the red eyes and cheeks and wet face. My robes would be wet as well, but that was a trivial issue, and I lifted one hand, brushing back bangs of hair that had stuck to his forehead as he cried into my chest.

"Why?" His voice was low, and rough, as if the question had clawed its way up from deep inside him. I could see it in his eyes, the pain, and the confusion. The loss. I reached out, brushing the hair back from his face, a small gesture of comfort. But his eyes, they burned. There was more than just pain there. Rage flickered in the Force, simmering beneath the surface, waiting for release.

"Why did they do this? Why did my friends have to die?" The words came slower now, each one weighed down with grief, but the anger was growing, feeding on the sorrow, threatening to consume it entirely.

I held his gaze, feeling the storm of emotions building inside him. I couldn't let myself get swept into it. "The Trandoshans," I began, my voice steady, though I could feel the anger rising hot in my throat. "They did what they did because of their god. The Scorekeeper, they call her."

I kept my disgust buried, as much as I could, but even now, I could sense the revulsion twisting my tone. "Their entire existence revolves around earning her favour. They believe that every kill they make, every life they take, earns them points—points that bring them closer to her grace. And while they could hunt beasts for those points, it's the sentient lives, the people, that grant them the most."

I could feel his anger sharpen at that, a knife edge in the Force, and I didn't blame him. There was no justifying it. No words could make sense of it. "That's why they feared dying so much when we captured them. For a Trandoshan, to die in captivity is to lose everything. Their points, their honour, and their connection to their god. It all resets to zero."

I let that hang in the air for a moment, watching as the understanding settled into his mind, but the rage still flickered. "That's why I made sure to take as many of them alive as I could. To break them, not just in body, but in spirit. To strip them of everything they believed mattered."

"Because their god would be angry?"

"Aye, exactly." I gave him a small smile as I continued. "Being sent to the Scorekeeper pointless is not just an insult to them, but to the clan they come from."

"I'm glad they're dead." Anakin's words came out almost violently, but as soon as they left his mouth he blinked as if scared at what he'd said. Yet before I could respond, the shock vanished, replaced by the rage he felt toward them.

"As am I," I said softly, keeping my emotions regarding the species in check. While his showing anger toward them was understandable, I didn't want him to lose himself in that rage. He wasn't ready for what it would bring, nor how to handle the danger that would place him in. "By law, I should've turned them over to the nearest Republic security force. However, outside of a handful of situations, I retain doubts about the effectiveness and efficiency of the Republic in enforcing its laws. Add in that the Trandoshans have been members of the Republic for millennia, yet the Republic, knowing full well about Trandoshan culture and customs, has never once attempted to reign them in." I paused, taking a moment to calm myself as I felt my intense dislike toward the species rising and didn't want that influencing Anakin, or making him think that hunting Trandoshans was something I'd encourage. "That, along with other failings of the Republic, is a topic for another discussion. One that we can have once you are older and more attuned to how the galaxy truly works against how it should work." He would know some of that having been a slave, and then growing up in a commune of former slaves, but he only had a very narrow understanding of the way the galaxy worked, or should work. "For now, and to repeat myself. What happened to you and your friends, nor the actions you took, are not your fault."

"But!" I placed a finger to his mouth, cutting off his response.

"No buts, An'ika," I said. "I've reviewed the interaction you had with the first Trandoshan before you were taken." I took a longer breath than normal, settling the spike of anger I felt whenever I considered the species of walking handbags. Anakin knew I disliked them, but I couldn't risk my anger merging and enhancing his toward the species. It was up to him how he judged them, not me. "While you were, to be nice about it, short in your comments to the beast, you were far nicer than I would've been." A flicker of a smile flashed over his face, and I suspected he knew exactly how I'd have handled that rude lizard. "The group that came at you from behind never heard your words, nor did they intervene in the discussion before attacking. That, beyond anything else, places the entirety of the blame, and what came after, at their feet."

"However," I continued, changing tack slightly to shift Anakin's focus, "while you are without blame, I am not. Not because I let you wander the station. Simvyl is a capable warrior and more than able to handle most issues that might arise. Getting flanked and attacked by heavily armed aggressors was not something anyone could've seen coming. No, my blame lies in, when trying to reach you to save you, I lost control of my anger; letting it cloud my decision-making and granting them the time they needed to escape."

"That wasn't your fault!" Anakin shot back after pushing my finger, which was still over his mouth, out of the way. "If not for that, then I'd not have been able to try and save my friends!"

"Yeah, that's true," I agreed with a smirk, "and it was because of my failure on the station that you were in the position to help those newly made friends." Anakin blinked as if seeing he'd walked into the trap I'd laid out with my words. Hopefully, it would also help him understand that he was truly without blame for what had happened. "Without you there, would any of them have survived? For those that didn't make it, would they have lasted longer if you'd not been there?"

Anakin blinked again, my words driving home the point. "No," he said quietly, taking his time, I hoped, to process what I was saying. "But they should never have been taken to begin with."

"No, they shouldn't," I agreed with a shake of my head. I wasn't trying to shift blame for events to the Republic, but given that outside of the Core worlds, and maybe The Colonies, the Republic generally gave zero fucks about the rest of the galaxy, it wasn't hard to develop an opinion on it. Now, the Republic had tried before to regulate space beyond the Inner Rim, but not since before the New Sith Wars. "However, as I said a few moments ago, the flaws and failures of the Republic are a matter for another time. For now, let's stay focused on recent events, and the actions you took."

"O-okay."

I offered a reassuring smile and placed one hand on a shoulder. "Anakin, as I've already said, I don't blame you. Nor am I angry with what you did, or why. I'm proud of you. Not only did you survive something that many would not, but you worked as hard as you could to save others. Yes, Lena's family wasn't there to take her back, but she along with Plirs and Snaxiu survived their kidnapping because of you."

"B-but the others… E-Eshie, Ke-Kesh…"

I squeezed his shoulder. "We cannot, no matter how hard we try, save everyone, Anakin. Death, as much as it hurts, is part of the cycle of life." I paused and looked away. There was a topic I wanted to bring up to help him, but I couldn't make it seem like I'd planned to do so otherwise the lesson might not be understood and taken in. "I learnt this when I was a little younger than you." Anakin frowned in confusion. "Do you remember when I told you how I was raised by my grandfather, at least until I discovered I could wield the Force and the Sith came for me?" He nodded after a pause, vaguely remembering the talk. That was a relief as when I'd told him of my grandfather before, Anakin hadn't been aware of how to sense subtle shifts in the Force, and I'd had the Interface to help regulate my emotional reactions permeating into the Force. "In the moment when they came, I knew I had to run, to hide, and if forced to, as much as I might not have understood it, to fight. That said, the ideas only became prevalent when I heard my grandfather – his final words being to run – die. The moment he died, I was equal parts furious and frightened." I offered him a small, wry smile at that, as it was exactly how he would've felt when he was released for the Trandoshans to hunt him and the others. "I drew upon that, used it to help me escape, though I barely did so; only surviving because of a mistake of the Sith apprentice." The look on the Sith's face, as I killed her with a lightsaber summoned from my Inventory, was one I'd never forget, even without Eidetic Memory to ensure it. "As you know, after that, due to damage to the hyperdrive of the ship I was on, I ended up at the Jedi Temple." Minus a slight detour to Dromond Kaas. "The reason I'm bringing this up again is not because of that story, but of what happened during my first mission as a Padawan." Anakin was listening intently, my speech/story distracting him as I'd hoped it would. "I was sent undercover to try and locate, and if possible, stop a kidnapping and extortion ring that was taking place on Coruscant, not far from the Senate building and the Jedi Temple."

"But how?" Anakin asked with a creased brow. "Coruscant is the safest place in the galaxy."

I chuckled at the innocence in his tone. "Coruscant is the Shining Jewel of the Core, the centre of civilization, and the heart of freedom and democracy. Or at least that's what the Holonet loves to claim," I added with a shake of my head. "The beauty, the ideals, everything that people say about Coruscant and its grandeur, is only skin-deep. Go a few sectors from the Senate or Jedi Temple, or drop down a handful of levels, and you'll see the truth. What might once have been a pristine gem is now nothing but a cracked counterfeit. At a distance, it looks real, but the closer you get, the more carefully you examine it, the more apparent it is that it's anything but what it claims to be." I chuckled again. "Of course, as I already said, the failings and flaws of the Republic, and by extension Coruscant, is a topic for another time," I remembered well the flaws and failings of the systems of government and laws from my former life, but what Coruscant, what the Republic had become, dwarfed them all. Not just by the obvious metric of size, but by how far the Republic, with its twisted, corrupted heart, had fallen from the ideals it claimed to embody.

"Returning to my story," I continued, noting that Anakin was focused entirely on me, and not concerning himself with his self-believed failings. "I, along with two other, and older, Padawans, were placed undercover with roles that should, in theory, draw the attention of the kidnappers. I was assigned as the distant, long-lost nephew of a Senator and spent months living with him and his staff waiting for something to happen." Anakin was leaning forward, being drawn into my story, which was what I'd hoped for. "Which it finally did, much to my embarrassment.

"I'd sensed myself being approached, felt the inkling of danger gathering and thought I could handle it," I grunted in amusement. "Of course, I failed, and when I awoke I found myself, much as you did, inside a cage. There the kidnappers confronted me, telling me that if my uncle didn't pay the ransom, then I would be sold into slavery." Anakin's face twisted, his opinions on slavers clear for anyone to see. "Like you, I didn't reveal I could use the force right away, preferring to keep it up my sleeve so that I could use it later. I did so once I was left alone, and once sure there was no one nearby, I escaped my cage."

"How?"

"I Phased through the bars. One day, I will teach you how to do that," I added quickly, not wanting him to consider trying it for himself. Certainly not until I rediscovered how to do it myself. "However, you aren't yet ready for that lesson." He huffed, much to my amusement, as I returned to my story. "Once free, I began scouting the ship I was on. It didn't take long for me to discover that my fellow Padawans had been captured before me, and to realise that my captors did more than just kidnap and sell people. They did things that…" I paused and pinched the bridge of my nose. "That they deserved to die for."

"Why didn't you know they'd been caught? The other Padawans, I mean."

"That is a very good question, and one I put to the Jedi Council once the mission was over. Their answer, while making some sense, wasn't one I agreed with. Then or now. I still believe that their not alerting me to the capture of the other Padawans placed me in greater danger than informing me of the change would've done. Of course, knowing what had happened, might have altered how I'd behaved, preventing me from being captured, and thus being in a position to free the others." Anakin frowned, and while he didn't seem to fully be grasping my point, I hoped he was getting some of it. To be sure, I added a little extra. "Sometimes, as much as we might dislike it, it is necessary for those in command of a plan to not provide full details to those they command."

"Like when you freed Naboo?"

I blinked, not expecting that pivot. "Yes, though that was a very different situation," I quickly replied. "The commanders of the various battles, be it those on the plains, targeting Theed and other cities, or in orbit above, know the overall plan of battle. The way their elements all linked together, and how, however, were only known to a handful." Anakin gave a nod of understanding. "Returning to my story, after discovering my fellow Padawans aboard the ship, learning their condition, and the status of the other children taken, I turned my focus to the slavers. All were taken out, and only a few were able to be turned over to Republic security forces once we reached a safe world."

I might not like Jon Savos, but what he went through I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. I could still see his face, still hear the pained, terrified wails he'd emitted when I'd discovered him strapped to a table. My anger at the time had been easier to control, due to Player's Mind, but my reaction to the discovery, and my choice to take out every slaver on the vessel without concern of their condition was not something I regretted.

What I had to be careful of, as with each memory that I'd touched on today, was that Anakin didn't pick up on my feelings; or more accurately, didn't think they were because of him. That was why, when I finished telling him the tale, I took a few moments, ensuing I took deep, slow breaths to calm my nerves.

"What happened after?"

"Along with my fellow Padawans, I returned to Coruscant and was greeted by our Masters." I paused, memories of how nervous Bultar had been about seeing Master Giiett again coming to the fore. "One of my fellow Padawans had been nervous about seeing her Master again, worried he might punish her for getting captured. Instead, he simply stated that even when we do everything perfectly, bad things can happen."

"But I didn't do everything right," Anakin cut in, seeing the message I was trying to pass along. "I couldn't get everyone to come with me."

"Yes, but even if you had, can you be sure that everyone would've survived?" I countered with a small smile. "All we can ever do is the best we can. Most of the time that won't be enough, but as long as we try, that is all anyone can ever ask of you. We're not droids, after all. We all have needs, intentions, and drives. Sometimes these align with others, but at other times they don't.

"Often, that isn't an issue. However, in critical or tense situations, such as your kidnapping, the fact everyone is unique with their own desires and wants, can cause issues." I lifted my hand from his shoulder and ruffled his hair. "You did all that you could to convince them to follow you. They chose not to, as is their right. That means their fate, their deaths, aren't on you. It lies only with those who placed them in that situation in the first place."

"I hate them."

I blinked, trying to hide my reaction to Anakin's comment. Not so much for the comment itself, as I despised the Trandoshans as well, but for the eruption of rage mixed with certainty that radiated from him within the Force. The lights in the room flickered, suggesting Raven sensed Anakin's fury as well, which meant Fenrir probably had as well. While he lacked the depth of connection to them that I held, Anakin was close with both and we were all, in our odd little way, family.

"That is understandable," I said careful of my tone and how I reacted to his outburst in the Force. "What you went through was beyond terrifying. If you had come out the other side, acting and saying that nothing had changed, then I would be truly worried for you, I'd be deeply concerned. Yet, while being angry, upset, or enraged over anything is an entirely natural reaction because we not only can sense the Force and draw upon it but because our connections to it are, potentially, stronger than any other in the galaxy, we have to be extremely wary of allowing our emotions to rule us. Our feelings and desires can easily bleed into the Force, altering it in ways we might not understand or be able to predict, which can easily alter and unbalance us."

"Is that why Jedi aren't meant to seek vengeance?"

"Yes, exactly. Vengeance is the act of seeking revenge for an injustice. Now, I'm not saying that justice, peace, and the rule of law aren't worth fighting for. What I'm talking about, and I admit it is a lesson I'm still learning, is knowing how to temper our need for revenge with our demands for justice. How to find that point where, if we go further, we no longer are interested in upholding the rule of law, but in sating out thirst for retribution." I sighed and shook my head, letting down some of my guard so he could sense some of how I felt about protecting those important to me. "Like you, I'm an emotional person. I want to do everything I can to help others, especially those I consider friends or family." That drew a flicker of a smile from him. "However, I know that if I get lost in my need to protect others, to seek justice for wrongs, I can lose myself. Something that, when I was captured by the Bando Gora, almost cost me my life in my battle with Komari Vosa. Since then, I've spent considerable time trying to learn how to temper my emotions so that, in the heat of conflict, I am the master of my fate, and not them or the Force."

"Bo said that Mandalorians use vengeance to help them through their darkest hours."

I sighed again and shook my head, making a note to discover what else she had taught Anakin, and how to best punish her for actions. "Bo isn't wrong. However, while we are Mando'ade, the strong connection we have with the Force, and to each other and others, means that we have to hold ourselves to higher ideals than most other Mando'ade. If not all other sentients."

"So I shouldn't seek vengeance? Shouldn't I want to kill others for hurting my friends and family?" There was an edge to his tone, one that made clear his dislike of what he thought I was saying. At the same time, I sensed his thoughts shifting toward his mother and the promise I'd made to train him so that he could kill Decca the Hutt for ordering the attack that killed Shmi.

"As I said, seeking vengeance isn't the same as wanting justice," I replied, gently squeezing his upper arm. "Your mother deserves justice, and when the time comes, when you are ready to do so, I will stand beside you when we strike at the Hutt responsible. However, just because we seek to kill that Hutt, doesn't mean we should widen our need for justice to every other Hutt in existence, or every sentient that Decca hired for the assault. That would be seeking retribution beyond the need for justice and, given the number of beings we'd have to kill to get to every Hutt, would mean the death of a substantial percentage of the galaxy.

"Like you, I have an intense dislike…" I paused and shook my head. "No, that's the wrong word. Like you, I hate the Trandoshans and despise the Hutts and what they stand for. However, I know that those feelings are irrational even if they are a part of me. Because of that, and the fact I can wield the Force, I'm left with three possible paths down which to travel.

"I can, as the Jedi insist we should let go of all my anger. Or I could, as the Sith are claimed to preach, give into it, and hope it never betrays me. Or, and I admit this is very much a theory at the moment, I could use those feelings, however irrational or not they might be, to empower me; to help me shape my path and prepare for whatever threats – be that Trandoshans, Hutts or others – that await me in the future."

I took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling, gathering my thoughts. That last path was the one Adas was preaching, and it was the one I'd stepped onto to retain control of my emotions when I saved Anakin. In that moment, it had been the right path, but I feared that it wasn't one that I should head down. Or that if I did, I would become no better than the ancient Sith King, or the Banite Sith Lords, in my need for power and control.

"I have tried, ever since first learning I could wield the Force, to do as the Jedi insist it should. I've tried, sometimes desperately, to release my feelings – good and bad – into the Force and move forward with my life. To give my fate over to the Force." I chuckled as images of everyone that had ever mattered to me flashed through my thoughts. "For better or worse, that path didn't work for me. Nor, if I'm being honest, do I expect it to work for you. However, over the coming years you need to attempt following it; to see if I'm wrong and that you can be the good Jedi others would wish you to be."

I was all but certain that Anakin, like me, would never be able to follow the Jedi path of letting go of his emotions or letting events play out without attempting to alter them to protect those he cared about. That was the flaw that Sidious exploited over a decade to turn him into Vader. However, this Anakin wasn't that one, and I at least had to attempt to see if the Jedi path might work for him. To do otherwise would be a failure on my part as both his Master and father.

"What about the other ways?"

"Those paths… are ones that, clearly, the Jedi – and others – wouldn't agree with," I answered carefully, mindful of my words. "For now, for your training, we'll focus on trying you on the path of the Jedi. It is the one you have the most exposure to, both from myself and from Master Dooku. The other paths… we can discuss them in a few years if you feel unable to be a Jedi."

I wasn't going to hide those paths from him, nor deny him the chance to at least learn about them. However, I was reluctant to discuss them currently. Not least as I was still determining what exactly the third path, the one offered by Adas, truly demanded from those who took it. So far, from what little I'd adapted of Adas' teachings into my thinking, it felt like the correct path, but I wasn't going to dive headlong down it. Not when such a thing carried the risk of me becoming a Sith.

Adas wasn't a Sith in the sense that Sidious and Plagueis were. He was an older, perhaps even truer, style of Sith. One born of the species and not those that came later having been expelled from the Jedi. However, like the Banite Sith, the path Adas had walked, and that I knew he wanted me to walk, was one many would consider dark if not outright evil.

I knew there was darkness inside me, and not just because Eidetic Memory prevented me from letting go of my feelings. I had always been capable of doing dangerous things, something that had carried over from my former life. The issue that I was facing, and needed to reconcile myself with, was that, when taking out the Trandoshans that had kidnapped Anakin, I'd enjoyed what I'd done. As much as it concerned me, I'd revelled in the terror I'd induced in them once they understood I would send them to their god as failures, and enjoyed watching as the spark of pitiful intelligence they possessed was extinguished by my hand. That was something I needed time to process, to resolve so that I didn't go forth in this life seeking out those moments merely to find a, for lack of a better term, contact high.

"Wh…" Anakin's stuttered start to a sentence drew my thoughts back to him. "What if the Jedi path doesn't work for me like it doesn't for you?" His head had dropped down to rest on his knees again, seeking solace in the position. "What if… what if I do what I did again and enjoy it?"

I gave his arm another squeeze and shifted closer, placing my free hand on his other arm. "Then, if that day comes, we'll work on finding a path for you that does work. One that won't see you getting lost in the enjoyment of such acts, that won't see you surrender your humanity, your individuality, in some need for further enjoyment."

This topic would be returned to in a few years, regardless of whether Anakin could follow the Jedi path or not. All I could hope was that by then, either he had committed to the Jedi, or I knew the path I wished to follow and felt safe in seeing if he was capable and interested in following me along it. I won't force him to follow, he was his own person. I might be his Master and father, but that gave me no right to determine his fate. All I could do was ensure that, when he made his choice, I was capable of supporting it and helping him grow into the man he was always meant to become.

I knew that if I wasn't careful if he attempted to follow me now down the path I was considering currently, then all I'd be doing was creating a monster. One that would be a threat to not just me, but everyone else. That path was one I knew would see everything I'd done, everything I was trying to do, to alter the future of the galaxy, fail miserably. The visions I'd shared with him weren't certain futures, but there had been enough in them, and others since, that made clear that, if we were to prevent the Banite Sith from ruling over the galaxy, from bringing forth whatever darkness they sought to unleash, we had to stand together. Otherwise, we and everything we cared for and loved, would be destroyed.

… …

… …
There was the now-familiar whimper of disappointment from Raven as we exited hyperspace. It wasn't any sound the ship generated, but a sensation in the Force that reminded me of a child's wail of regret. However, it was soon replaced as she felt the light from a new star, once more enjoying the fresh experience.

Ahead of us, deeper into the system, lay the homeworld of the Echani, Eshan. That planet was one of six they controlled that formed because they were generally ruled by a matriarchy, the Six sisters. The only planet not controlled by the Matriarchal Council was Thyrsus, which was male-dominated and the planet from which the Sun Guard originated.

I'd encountered those whenever I'd met with Magister Damask as he employed them as guards. I was curious if he still used them now, or if, like Palpatine, he relied on the Senate Guard for his protection now that the pair were Co-Chancellors of the Republic.

The Echani and the Sun Guard were regarded, along with the Mandalorians, as some of the galaxy's greatest warrior societies and preeminent combat specialists. While the Mandalorians and Sun Guard favoured heavier armour and power, the Echani preferred light-fitting clothing; fast, fluid combat and personal shielding devices. The difference in style was one reason I'd chosen them as a group to visit as, while he would mature in time, for the next few years, Anakin would always be surrendering mass, power, and reach in any battle he entered. The Echani combat style – which bore the name of species – would suit him better, and even once matured, would be adaptable into whatever style of combat – with and without a lightsaber – he focused upon.

Both groups had fought regularly against the Mandalorians, often allying with the Republic during times when they had crusaded and invaded Republic space. That meant there was some remaining animosity between the various groups, but nothing that should cause us any issues with finding an Instructor to teach us. Still, to be on the safe side, to make it easier to find someone willing to teach us, and as Echani – the combat style – relied on light to no armour, we'd be spending our time here in Jedi robes. That meant Anakin would have to grow out a Padawan braid, but I'd already promised him that if when our time here ended and he disliked it, he could remove it.

That had come up in the various talks we'd had since I'd first spoken with him about his actions against the Trandoshans and on the path that he'd been training toward for the next few years. The initial conversation had gone on longer than I'd expected, touching on matters I'd not planned to bring up with him, but that was fine. The same was true of subsequent chats, though those were generally as Anakin had wanted to know about my life before we'd met, specifically my time as a Jedi Initiate.

When he learnt I'd been born on a Core world, even if it were a relatively unimportant one, he'd wondered why I'd not been discovered by the Jedi much earlier. I'd explained that my mother had hidden my potential from the Order and explained that she'd done so because she felt my father was a Sith, and had left me with my grandfather to grow in safety. At least until I displayed Force Potential that my grandfather couldn't hide.

To help him learn more about my past, I'd given him free access to my mother's holocron. There was nothing on there that would pose a danger to him, as Ressa had used it primarily as a journal for me to discover once I was ready. I'd not mentioned where I'd found it, nor had Anakin yet asked, as the Vault was something I wasn't bringing up until I felt he was ready. The cave had held a good number of surprises, not just my mother's holocron and HK's head. The beskar there, or at least the half that belonged to my clan, would be used for his armour once Anakin was older and had completed his verd'goten, which he was still adamant about completing.

The data files that were with Alor Torrhen, however, were something that outside of him, Lady Asta, and me, none were privy to. The files there, while millennia out of date, held designs that were believed lost to the galaxy. I suspected House Ordo was working on modernising them, but so far I'd yet to hear anything from either of the House leaders regarding that.

Those files, along with the fact my mother had believed my father was a Sith, could be used against me by members of the Jedi Order as proof that I was a threat to them. However, the only way they might learn of either was if someone spoke to them about it, and as the circle of knowledge for either was small and trustworthy, I wasn't concerned about that fact. Haran, the only reason I had to return to the Temple at any point, outside my promise to one day show it to Anakin, was my friends within it.

There, one name, one face, dominated my thoughts. Thanks to Tedra, Darihd, and Aayla, I knew Serra was out of seclusion. However, when I'd attempted to contact her directly, the Temple's communication centre informed me that if I wished to speak with Serra I had to contact Master Windu first. Given that I was still working on getting a handle on the changes brought on by Natural Selection, I'd decided against speaking with one of the Order's most senior and powerful members. Even over the Holonet, there was a chance he might sense something was different and insist I return to Coruscant.

To get around that issue, I had to rely on the aforementioned friends to relay messages to Serra. They couldn't outright reveal her replies over the Holonet since, given all calls to and from the Temple were recorded, someone might review the conversation, but they had been clear that she was getting better, and that she was happy to hear I was still thinking of her. Eventually, I knew I'd have to speak with her face to face, but for now, the indirect communication would have to do. Plus, the longer I held off on that meeting, the more time I had to consider how to broach the fact I'd captured and not killed Maul.

The last report I'd gotten from Torrhen was that the Zabrak was still heavily sedated and isolated in the prison. His sustenance, along with vital functions, were controlled by machines that monitored everything about him to ensure he remained in an induced coma while keeping him as isolated from the Force as possible. I knew that couldn't be kept up indefinitely, but it would have to do until I felt I was ready to face him again.

Regarding Darihd, I'd learnt from him that Sia-Lan was actively bad-mouthing me to other Padawans. At least whenever the Knights and Masters weren't aware. She still blamed me for what had happened with Drallig and Serra, and even though it wasn't her business – beyond the fact she was meant to be a friend to Serra and me – she had chosen to ensure that as many Padawans as possible knew her side of the story, not caring what Serra or I felt about the matter.

I'd discovered that Darihd and Master Sifo-Dyas were soon to depart on a mission to Felucia. From what little he'd told me, it was to handle some form of trade dispute, but I could feel the shifts in the Force as he spoke. I felt it was time for Sifo-Dyas to be removed by the Sith to hide their involvement in the Clone Army being created by the Kaminoans. As I couldn't outright warn him of a threat– since I didn't know from whom or where it would appear – I'd instead hinted that I'd felt the Force moving, suggesting that the pair would be in danger.

It was frustrating that I couldn't divert myself to help Sifo-Dyas and Darihd to ensure they remained alive, however, I'd accepted this was likely to be the case around the invasion of Naboo. The Clone Army was needed by the Sith, and if I inserted myself into the matter now, I'd end up squarely in their targets as a threat and while I would have been willing to risk my own life Anakin was still too vulnerable. As such, I'd accepted that I'd be losing a friend because of my folly of taking the Changing Fate quest for Sifo-Dyas, though that didn't mean that, when the time came, whoever had been chosen to replace Dooku wouldn't feel my wrath.

As much as it might anger people if they learnt of my choices, and the reasons why, Anakin was far more important than Master Sifo-Dyas and Darihd. This growth, his evolution into the warrior he was meant to be meant more in the grand scheme of whatever plan the Force had activated by creating him. As was, as much as I might not want to admit it, I. The Force had accepted my presence into its plan -whatever that was – for seeking balance, but I was reasonably sure how I might go about it was far from how it had hoped for Anakin to bring the balance it sought.

A gentle nudge from Raven drew my attention just before the communication console beeped for attention. "Thank you," I said to the empty cockpit. Simvyl was resting while Anakin was training with HK, R2 and Fenrir, no doubt, was lazing around in the main area.

Accepting the call, a small hologram of a young-looking female appeared. "Salutations and greetings. On behalf of the Matriarchal Council of the Six Sisters, I welcome you and your crew to the Eshan system. However, as your vessel isn't a scheduled arrival, nor one that our databanks have a record of, I must ask as to who you are and why you have travelled to Eshan."

I chuckled at the polite but firm introduction the Echani had given. Most of the time, whenever I neared a planet, the responses had been – at least in the case of a new location – blunt, and that was putting it nicely. Here I'd been greeted warmly, but it was still clear that I was unknown to the locals. The other thing was that we'd exited hyperspace well back of Eshan, close to the innermost gas giant of the system. There were ships and stations around it and its various moons, but our arrival point, as was common of most hyperspace exits, was far from any intra-system commuter traffic.

"Hello there," I felt my smile grow when I once more used that line, "I'm Jedi Knight Cameron Shan aboard my personal vessel, Jade Raven." The woman's eyes widened at the reveal of me being a Jedi, and unless it was a trick of the emitters, a fraction more as I stated my name. "Along with my Padawan and my co-pilot, I was hoping to spend some time, perhaps up to half a standard year, on Eshan studying the way of the Echani."

The woman blinked a few times as if she was taking time to process what I'd said. "Thank you for the information. For now, remain outside the orbit of the fifth planet of our system. Someone will contact you shortly with further information." The hologram faded away as the channel closed. I assumed they needed to run my arrival up the flagpole simply because I was a Jedi. As far as I knew, there were no issues between the Echani and the Jedi, but I'd only encountered … Echani Jedi in my time in the Order, and I wasn't exactly keeping up with current Jedi business, so perhaps there was something I was missing about the situation.

We continued moving forward, deeper into the system, and it only took about ten minutes at a leisurely cruise to reach the orbit of the fifth planet. That was on the far side of the sun, but knowing we weren't meant to go further, I had Raven slow, and we hovered in place, watching as other ships – which much have been regular transports – moved to and from the inner system.

"They're taking their sweet time," Simvyl commented as the chronometer in the cockpit showed it had been twenty minutes since we'd been welcomed to the system.

"Observation: I suspect they are trying to confirm your identity, Master, and then once they have, they'll be determining where we should head. While meatbags, the Echani are capable combatants with decent, for organics, security measures."

I chuckled at HK's comment, which for him, was about as complimentary as he could get with most sentients. He might be firm in his belief that droids were superior to 'meatbags' but he respected cultures and individuals that understood warfare. That wouldn't, as he'd just proven, stop him from burying insults in with his praise, nor me from enjoying every time he made such a comment.

The communication console beeped a few moments after HK's remark, and opening the channel we were greeted by another Echani. This one appeared older, and given the increased number of badges, pips, and markings on their uniform, this one was far senior to the earlier Echani. "Greeting Master Jedi," she began, lowering her head slightly as she spoke, "I am Arch-Justicar Ren Dalka; senior commander for Eshan orbital security." My brow rose, wondering what I'd done to warrant being greeted by the head of this branch of their military. "On behalf of the Matriarchal Council, and Eshan High Command, I am honoured to welcome one such as yourself to our planet. From the report that crossed my desk, I'm led to believe you and those with you wish to study our ways?"

"Yes. I have more than a passing interest in the various warrior cultures of the galaxy and had hoped, alongside my Padawan and pilot, that I could study at least the basics of your martial art."

"That is more than agreeable," Dalka replied with a faint smile. "Perhaps we might even learn something from you." Well, that explained why I was getting the high-roller treatment. "However, before I suggest a particular Academy for you and those with you to study at, perhaps we might speak in person on this and other matters?"

"It would be my pleasure."

Dalka's smile widened. "Excellent. My adjunct is transmitting a flightplan to you," the communication console beeper to signal the arrival of the file. "Please don't deviate from this path, and I look forward to judging you in person once you arrive at my location."

The channel closed abruptly, though given how busy this Arch-Justicar must be, it was understandable she'd only have a minute or two to speak over an open comm.

"Course entering into Raven's computer," Simvyl reported and as I dove deeper into the system, I noted the path would take us toward the northern pole of the third planet, which according to the Holonet was Eshan proper. That station seemed to be one of eight that hovered over the planet. Each of those, which seemed to have a permanent orbit over their location, was impressively large, twice if not thrice the size of Mtael's Gift. In other places around the planet, Raven's scanners detected over a hundred orbital defence platforms. All in all, it was an impressive defensive screen, though lacking compared to what I'd seen over most Core World planets.

I suspected that the Arch-Justice would determine which Academy was best for us by sparring with me. The Echani placed immense importance on the idea that you only saw someone's true face when you sparred with them. I just hoped I didn't embarrass myself by taking on a career officer such as the Arch-Justicar.

… …

… …
I watched as impassively as I could from a balcony that overlooked and encircled the Sparring Square down below. There Anakin, wearing the standard training clothing of this Academy of tight-fitting but thin shorts and t-shirt, was stepping forward. He would be going again against one of the other students in his Creche. That was the term the Echani used for groups of students of similar skill – and in the younger groups, age – of trainees who were studying with them.

Just like with my Creche and the one Simvyl was in at another Academy a few hours' flight away, the majority of Anakin's Creche was composed of Echani. However, while I was able to hold my own, at least against those from other planets, Anakin had been struggling since the first day. He was improving, and after three months at the Academy, that was easy to determine, but it was slow going. Thankfully, he wasn't put off by the challenge, instead, much as I did, he was enjoying it; almost losing himself in the spars he partook in.

This academy had been Arch Justicar Dalka's recommendation after I sparred against her—and lost. Badly. I hadn't drawn on the Force, fighting her on her terms, with nothing but skill and muscle memory to guide me. She took me apart though not without effort. After the match, she'd spoken at length—well, as much time as she was willing to spare—about my previous combat training and what I hoped to gain by studying under an Echani Master.

The Echani martial art itself was vast, with sub-branches and specialized forms, but amusingly, the Interface categorized it all under one umbrella: Echani. No subtleties, no nuance. Just Echani. Yet, in three months, I'd seen significant progress, thanks to the Interface's assistance and my ability to pull from other combat arts I'd already studied. The Interface had generated a training quest specifically for mastering Echani, though I managed to tweak the system, bending it to my will. Rather than requiring new quests with each milestone, I streamlined it—one continuous quest, with all targets and ranks embedded within.

The rewards for lower ranks, like reaching Adept:1, which I'd achieved by the start of the second month, were modest—small amounts of XP. But once I crossed into the higher tiers, from Professional:50 onward, the rewards scaled exponentially. Maybe I was missing out on some extra XP by consolidating the quests, but the efficiency of this method aligned better with my long-term focus.

The Academy's Battlemaster praised my progress, calling it remarkable, even when accounting for my prior combat experience. Yet, she made it clear that it would be months—perhaps even half a year—before I'd be ready to move on to one of the sub-forms. It was a hard truth to swallow, both understandable and frustrating. I knew it took time to build a foundation in any martial art before branching into specialized disciplines. But I also knew I wouldn't be spending another six months on Eshan.

At best, three or four months more. As valuable as this training was, we couldn't afford the time to stay here indefinitely. Not when I'd budgeted only two to three years for us to learn from different cultures across the galaxy. We were approaching a year since the invasion of Naboo. Time was running out, and there was still so much left to do.

Anakin and his opponent, a local girl in his Creche, bowed to each other and then assumed their positions. The girl was from one of the other planets in the Six Sisters and was considered the best in Anakin's Creche, though not in the year group the Creche sat in. A gong sounded, signalling the beginning of the spar, and I watched as the pair slowly moved around the Square. The girl wore a confident smile, which made sense as Anakin had yet to come close to landing a blow, never mind defeating her. However, Anakin didn't react to it.

I could sense a spike in his annoyance at her behaviour, and at having to surrender the initiative when she thrust out her hands in a flurry of quick attacks, but at least he wasn't losing himself in that annoyance. Nor, as he avoided the flurry, was he drawing too heavily on the Force, at least to bend it to his needs, as he moved forward to counter. He had a decent base in Beskar'pel as Bo and I had shown him the foundations, along with some elements of Teräs Käsi, but he was focusing on only using the Echani forms taught to him by his instructors.

What he was doing, which was what I'd instructed him to do before we'd entered the Academy, was drawing on the lessons with Instructor Kefe of the Matukai, and using the Force to increase his abilities slightly and slowly. Faster reactions, quicker movements, and greater processing of the world around us were key factors that Kefe had us focus on while only drawing upon a sliver of the Force that we could access.

While anyone with even a weak connection could do that, since Anakin and I had incredible potential with the Force, the fact we could do that, and still maintain a massive reserve of ability with the Force without risking exhaustion was a boon I really wanted him to focus on. I knew that, so long as he kept following the path I'd created for us, he'd grow into a powerful warrior. I just needed to be sure that he was the one who remained in control at all times.

The Echani girl swept out her leg, forcing Anakin to move back. As he did so, she moved the leg back in, yet she kept the momentum of the attack, twisting with it. There was a moment where Anakin could've attacked her while she had turned away from him, but an arm came out, sweeping forward of her turn as protection.

The leg that had started the move came around again, this time sliding out further as the girl leaned into the attack. Anakin leapt back, letting the flowing, graceful attack miss. That was a mistake I'd seen him make repetitively during our first month, as he didn't understand that Echani relied on moves that flowed into each other, creating something akin, at least at the highest levels, to an almost rhythmic dance.

Anakin feinted to attack, but instead pulled it back as the Echani slid forward. He was being cautious to avoid falling for any trap the girl might be laying. Another sign he was improving as he wasn't rushing into the fore without thinking and was learning from previous spars with the Echani. The girl's attack missed, and Anakin countered, moving into the space she had left. His action was wise, but there was the faint hint of delay before he moved; something the girl used.

As her arm came around, knocking away Anakin's palm strike before it could land, I realised Anakin was still hesitating. It was less obvious than when he'd started, but it was clear he was reluctant to fully trust the Force, to let it guide him in the spar. I'd talked with him about that, and I knew it was because of what happened with the Trandoshans, but while it was getting less prevalent, it was still there, and a gentle click from my right meant my latest friend, Giulia, had spotted the issue as well.

"He still hesitates," she said quietly, not wanting her voice to carry beyond us. Not least as the Master overseeing the spar, and the one that was with us and our Creche up on the balcony, would force her into remedial training for disrupting the flow of a spar. "He is still haunted by whatever troubles his thoughts?"

"More by the emotions connected to them," I replied, not turning to face her. Giulia was much like the girl Anakin was fighting, the best in her and my Creche. Given her training since childhood and her lineage as the grandniece of Arch Justicar Dalka, her skill was no surprise. What was surprising was how she'd taken an interest in me since my arrival at the Academy.

I wasn't sure whether her interest stemmed from my status as a Jedi, my semi-fame due to Naboo, my connections to the Mando'ade, or some mix of all three and other factors. Whatever the reason, she'd been a frequent presence in my vicinity since my first week. Because of my skills and background, she'd tried to ensure we were each other's primary sparring partners.

What I hadn't fully grasped at the time was how deeply an Echani invests their soul and passion into their fighting. When engaging in a no-holds-barred battle, it could be more than just a spar—it became a dance, a way to lose oneself in the intensity of the combat. As I grew more accustomed to enjoying combat through Natural Selection, much of that enthusiasm carried over into my sparring with her. By the end of the second week and after our tenth nearly unrestrained match, Giulia had entered my room one night and made it clear she wasn't leaving until I allowed her to stay. That was when I learned the truth.

"Understandable. However, the issue continues to hold him back when he fights," Giulia said, her voice soft as she shuffled around. I felt her leg brush against mine, her hand resting near me on the railing. "It distracts him from the battle, costing him any chance of victory."

I ignored her proximity, keeping my focus on Anakin. After nearly three months, I was accustomed to her presence and attention, though I remained vigilant not to let it distract me from observing my son.

"I'm well aware of that, and it was one of the reasons why I had us come to Eshan for training." As I spoke, Anakin seemed to relax, and I felt the Force subtly shift around him. He wasn't delving deeply into the Force, but I could sense him letting it suggest how he should move, how he should counter his opponent's actions before they were even taken.

It was that ability, along with my greater real combat experience, that allowed me to quickly rise to third best in my Creche, and fifth best in our ability level. I knew I'd not catch Giulia before my time on Eshan was over, but I hoped to crack the top three rankings before that day came.

"Yes, but it continues to plague him," She added, her hand moving closer, and her fingers sliding over the back of my hand. "Until he learns to trust his emotions, to flow with them, he will struggle." She turned, drawing her sight toward me. "A failing, I am pleased to say, you don't possess," she added, her other hand coming around and resting gently against my chest.

I knew what she was doing, trying to draw my attention from Anakin and toward her. She loved pushing the boundaries of what the Masters and Instructors of the Academy would allow. Normally, I'd be fine with that, however, she was trying to stop me from watching Anakin, which was why I leaned my head away from her to again have a clear sight of my son. "If you ever wish to see what I am capable of again, then I would advise you not to distract me from watching my Padawan."

"Ooh," she cooed, her hand pushing against my chest. "How protective, as a father should be."

"A Padawan is not the same as a son," I reminded her even as Anakin was driven back. His opponent's strikes were coming in fast now, and while Anakin was able to protect himself, each assault was forcing him to concede ground, something he was fast running out of.

That was often how his spars ended nowadays, at least when he didn't overcommit or fall for a trap his opponent set for him. The first week or so of spars for him had all been lost because of that last reason, and while it still happened from time to time, that was more because the opponent was doing something Anakin wasn't prepared for instead of his emotions getting the better of him. Two more attacks came in before one of Anakin's feet slipped from the Square, and the gong sounded again, signalling the end of the spar.

Giulia's smile widened at the sound. "It seems the spar is over," she said, slipping across to block most of my view of the Sparring Square. "And with that, so is his class and the ring. Since it is now free, perhaps you might be interested in stepping inside once more?"

I opened my mouth, readying a response, only for it to die as I hissed instead. Before I could respond, Giulia had slipped a hand low and grasped somewhere she really shouldn't in public. Given how we were standing no one should see us, she'd get away with it, but the action had caught me off-guard.

This girl, who I didn't intend to keep in contact with once I left Eshan, was exceptionally good at distractions. Which, since I was highly focused on my and Anakin's training, might be why she'd sought me out. The idea of driving a Jedi to distraction must hold some appeal, as it was a trait she shared with Bo. I wouldn't deny that the thought of the two together had crossed my mind from time to time, but I wasn't dwelling on it as the odds of ever seeing it happen were slim. Instead, I was enjoying my time with Giulia, as it helped pass the evenings when I couldn't see Anakin, kept me occupied, and however slowly, helped me improve a group of skills I'd barely used since Naboo.

"That depends," I replied, not bothering to push her hand away. "What are your terms?"

I stepped closer, looking over her shoulder at the Square below. Anakin was moving off with the girl he'd just sparred with, the pair joining the rest of their Creche to head to their next lesson. That would be a meditation session as I knew Anakin's schedule like the back of my hand.

"The same as usual," she replied, blowing as best she could, on my ear. She then slipped under my arm, the hand tracing a path around my waist.

I let her go, keeping my eyes on Anakin. My son had settled into his Creche well, and I was relieved that he was far too young to be aware of what a full, unrestrained spar meant to the Echani. I knew that talk was coming at some point, and that he was probably dreading it more than me, but the longer I could put it off the better I'd feel.

Turning, I followed after Giulia, my eyes fixed on her shoulders no matter how much she swayed her hips. Around us, the other members of our Creche watched. Some male and female, glared at either of us, not liking we were enjoying each other's company. A few, again of both genders, seemed interested, but I wasn't sharing her with another male, no matter how much they might desire her. So long as I was here, she belonged to me, and I supposed, I did to her.

… …

… …
While Raven raced through the undulating eddies of hyperspace, taking us from Eshan, my mind wandered to how the last few months had gone. While the training there, along with the companion I'd found, had been intense, they had been worth it.

Five months had passed since we'd first entered the system, and at the end of that time, along with some help from the Interface, I was now rated as Master:1 for Echani. Truthfully, I'd finished the time on the planet at Professional: 21, but the use of spare Skill Points had helped boost that to the start of the Master tier. I could've spent the remaining Skill Points to raise it even higher, but I felt safer keeping them in reserve. Levels were harder to gain the higher up I went, and having spare Skill Points for future training quests, or others that tracked a skill, was worth keeping.

The training quest linked to learning Echani had finished with us leaving the system, but it wasn't the only one that came due while we were on the planet. Cash in Hand had finished when I'd turned eighteen, and with that, along with the sixth of my current level I got for my birthday – which wouldn't continue now I was eighteen – and the training quest had taken me to, and then a decent amount beyond Level 31. There was no extra reward for reaching Level 31, but Level 32 would bring about another Perk Point, and unless there was something massively impressive added to the list, I was leaning toward taking Stat Limit Boost to raise my physical stats to a combined maximum of 75. If I understood things correctly, that would take me to, or possibly just beyond, the accepted peak stats for a Human – possibly even most of the various sub-species that had evolved or been altered over the last twenty-thousand-plus years – in the galaxy. While it was relatively simple to boost my abilities with the Force, a higher starting point was never something to be ignored.

A downside that had occurred not long after my birthday was that, as I'd been expecting for some time, the Changing Fate [Sifo Dyas] quest had failed. I'd known the news was coming, and been bracing for it, yet when it hit, I'd needed to take a day away from the Academy to recentre myself. My bond with Darihd wasn't that impressive, at least compared to a handful of others, but he had been a friend, and losing him hurt more than I'd expected. That had to be a downside to not having the Interface filter my Force connection, but one that I accepted.

I'd miss Darihd and Sifo-Dyas – though not as much as Dooku would once he learnt of his associate's passing – but I'd known since Naboo this was going to happen. That said, the way my emotions turned in on themselves when I learnt Darihd had died, had been a surprise. It also had me concerned that if I didn't get a better grip on channelling and controlling my emotions, I'd be in a far worse state whenever anything happened to Serra, Bo, or – Force-forbid – Anakin.

The other penalty for failing the quest linked to Sifo-Dyas was minor, as I knew I was already in Sidious' crosshairs. However, I had to work from the position now that, before my friend and his Master had died, they'd revealed something of the Coalition. That group had fallen by the wayside a good bit since it had been formed, but it was a useful group within the Jedi that shared many, if not all, of my concerns about the coming darkness the Banite Sith were bringing forth. All that changed now was that the Banite Sith would be aware of me being aware of their presence in the galaxy, if not who and where they were. Still, it meant that whenever I next encountered the Sith Lords cum Co-Chancellors of the Republic, I'd have been even more mindful of my words and actions without letting on that I was doing so.

The one upside to Sifo-Dyas dying was seeing Changing Fate [Dooku] complete. Apparently his not being responsible for Sifo-Dyas' death was the spark the Interface was waiting for. It wasn't an objective of the quest, but it did make the end of that quest. That meant that Dooku was no longer bound to become Darth Tyrannus, and that, in theory, I could be more open about my plans for the future with him.

Now, we were both still Jedi, though neither of us were exactly loyal to nor trusting of the High Council, but we retained the inclination toward doing what was right. The change was in how we saw that. I knew he was having deep reservations about remaining with the Order, but now I felt I could be honest in my feelings regarding that as well. Perhaps he might even be willing to detail what his plans were there, including the hints he'd given on occasion about taking certain objects – what I assumed were holocrons – from the Jedi Archives before he left.

What the two quests finishing also confirmed, though I had no proof of it, was that a replacement for Dooku as Tyrannus had been found. While that was good in freeing Dooku from that path, I now had no idea who the new Sith Lord – or probably more accurately, Sith patsy – was, nor what they would do or how dangerous they were.

The doors to the cockpit opened, and I turned to see Anakin enter. "Hey," he said slowly, clearly nervous about something.

"What is it?" I asked back, gesturing toward the free co-pilot's seat.

He moved to the seat and sat, and only once comfortable, did he speak again. "I was wondering," he began quietly, "why are we heading to the Lokella?"

"What? You don't want to see your sister, Ferox, Lena, and your other friends?" I asked back, curious as to how this conversation was going to go. I knew it was coming ever since I'd told him we'd be heading to Mtael's Gift before continuing to the Shapers of Kro Var – the next group I wished for us to train with – after a side trip I had to make, but I hadn't expected it to come less than an hour after we'd entered hyperspace. It seemed Anakin was more alert to what was not being said than I'd given him credit for.

"I do, but there's more to this isn't there?" His question made clear he was aware that I was keeping something from him. "It's got to do with that call you got last week, doesn't it?"

I chuckled and shook my head, taking the moment to gather my thoughts for the conversation I'd not expected this soon. "When did you get so smart?" I shot back, one hand moving out to ruffle his hair. Anakin frowned at that, possibly thinking I was going to avoid his question altogether. "But yes, it has to do with the call. That came from Chancellor Damask." The call had been about the galactic premiere of Fellowship of the Ring, and while I couldn't not attend when the Co-Chancellors knew I was the 'creator', I didn't want Anakin with me. I smirked as Anakin's frown vanished as his eyebrows rose halfway to his hairline. "What? You didn't think I'd be in contact with him, but only Chancellor Palpatine?"

"No!" He shot out, only to blink as if caught out by the abruptness of his response. "I mean," he continued as one hand moved to scratch the back of his neck as I pulled my hand from his hair. "It makes sense, I guess, that you'd know him as well. I just don't see what that has to do with the Lokella, Not unless they're in danger."

"They're not, don't worry," I said cutting off that line of thought before it became an issue. "The reason we're going there is that I had a long-standing invitation come due with the Chancellor and I have to return to Coruscant because of it." I could see and sense his excitement rising as I mentioned the Republic capital. "Ah!" I added, cutting him off before he could begin. "I know I promised to take you there, and I will keep my word. However, it is better, and safer, for both of us if this isn't the time you visit."

"But why?" he half-whined. "I'm your Padawan and son, and should go everywhere with you."

"Because, among other reasons, of the second thing you've just said," I replied with a warm, and hopefully, fatherly, smile. "If the Jedi ever learnt that I'd adopted you, especially via Mando'ade traditions, at best, they'd demand that I no longer train you."

"I won't tell them."

I smiled, impressed by how earnest his statement was, both in voice and in the Force. "I believe you; I truly do. However, you wouldn't have to say or do anything for the Council to discover the truth." I leaned forward, closing the distance between us and placing my mechanical hand on his shoulder. "You're not skilled enough to hide your thoughts and desires from Jedi Masters, never mind those on the Council. Nor anyone else that might be interested in you being my Padawan."

Anakin's face twisted, as he thought on my words. A moment later, his eyes widened. "The Sith!" he blurted out, seeing part of the bigger picture.

"Yes. At least in part," I said as I removed my hand from his shoulder. "The one I fought, and barely defeated, on Naboo was powerful. However, I believe, and the Council agrees, that the Zabrak was but the apprentice and not the master. Which means that, wherever this Sith Lord is hiding, I have drawn his attention. The last thing I want to do is have him discover your existence, and choose to focus on you as well. At least not before you're ready."

I leaned back and sighed before continuing. "For a long time, perhaps ever since I arrived in this time, I've sensed a darkness in the universe. One that is malevolent, twisted, and growing stronger with each passing day. Now, while I was a Padawan, I didn't understand what the shifting of the Force meant, nor how to react to it. It was only when Masters Dooku, Fay, and others told me what they thought it meant, and what they could sense, that I understood it was a sign that the Sith weren't as gone as the Jedi liked to believe and that they were growing stronger in secret."

"Now, I don't know if these Sith are the same as those defeated a thousand years ago, a splinter of that group, or of the nearly countless other factions of Sith that have arisen over the millennia. What I do know is that they are active and growing stronger, and because of that, I'm wary of spending time on Coruscant. Can you think of why that might be?"

The idea of turning this into a teaching moment had been there ever since I'd known this talk was going to happen. I knew telling him the full truth wasn't possible, but if I could use this time to have him start understanding some of my concerns with the Jedi Council and Senate, then it would be useful for him later in life. I didn't want to scare him, to have him looking over his shoulder for threats that might not be there, or worry that the Banite Sith would seek to control and shape one or both of us because of our potential, but I also knew I couldn't avoid the topic entirely. I'd just expected this to take place a little closer to Mtael's Gift.

While he was there, Dooku could oversee his training for the short time I'd be away, and then when I returned, I could, if he so wished, go into greater detail regarding my concerns with the state of the galaxy, and what the future might bring forth. He might be young for learning even part of the truth, but I wasn't going to hide things from him. That was, I suspected, something Obi-Wan had done in the other timeline, which Sidious had exploited to turn Anakin against his friend and Master, and by extension the Jedi and Republic. I needed to work on making sure such cracks in my bond with Anakin never appeared so that when the time came, we wouldn't be driven apart.

There was some of the Changing Fate quest for Anakin in my thinking, along with him now being my son, but the greatest part of my logic came from the Force, or more accurately, the visions it had granted me and Anakin. Those were clear in that if we were to survive the oncoming darkness, we had to do so together. If I did otherwise, if I failed, then not only would I be letting myself and Anakin down, but I'd be betraying Shmi as well. She might be gone, but Anakin was her child, and she'd want the best for him.

"You think the Sith are on Coruscant?!" Anakin blurted out, shock and surprise evident in his voice.

I smiled and shook my head in response. "No. At least not directly. However, I, Masters Dooku and Fay, and others, suspect that, as these Sith move in the shadows, keeping themselves hidden from the Order, they have a way to monitor the Senate. And through that, the Order."

"Almost every Council meeting at the Temple, and much of the more public locations as well, are recorded, and the Senators and those working for them in the Senate can access those recordings with relative ease. Because of this, if the Sith wanted to monitor the Jedi, then gaining influence and control of certain people in the Senate would be the easiest method to do so."

"But wouldn't the Jedi realise this and stop it?"

"You'd think so, wouldn't you?" I replied with a question of my own. "However, the Jedi Council has, at least in my eyes, grown lax in its monitoring of any threat the Sith might pose. Much of that has to do with the Ruusan Reformation, and how it placed the Order needing Senate approval to act. Add in that with no Sith to counter, the Jedi turned inward and only engaged with the Republic via the Senate, especially the Chancellor's office, then their mistake was an easy one to have happened, but still a problem I have to consider."

"Do you think one of the Chancellors is a Sith?"

"Force, I hope not!" I replied with a loud chuckle, hiding how close to the truth Anakin had come. "The idea that one of them might be a Sith is, concerning, even if not technically illegal. But no, I don't think either is a Sith, but I wonder if perhaps someone in their close circle is, or works for a Sith Lord."

"Why don't you tell the Jedi Council about that?" His question was asked earnestly, but there was a faint hint of doubt in his voice. That might well be due to some of the distrust toward the Council that I and Dooku maintained, or perhaps it was a sign he was beginning to question everything he was told. While I'd prefer the latter, even if it would make raising him harder, that doubt might be another sign that he regarded me far better than he did the Order.

"Until about two years ago, I was like you; a lowly Padawan. While my Masters believed as I do, the Council wasn't going to take our word for it. Not without proof."

"But the Zabrak you killed on Naboo is proof!" Anakin shot back. "They have to see the danger now!"

"They accept that the Sith were not as dead and buried as they had once stated, but beyond the fact the Zabrak used the Dark Side – something confirmed by Serra and Master Jinn – and killed Master Drallig, that is the extent to what they will confirm believing. The suggestion that the Sith have any influence in the Senate wasn't one they were willing to discuss when I spoke to them on Naboo."

"But they have to do something!"

"What would you suggest?"

"Send out every Jedi to hunt down the Sith!"

"Why?"

"Because the Sith are evil!"

"Only the Sith deal in absolutes," I replied with a chuckle, "or at least that's what the Jedi proclaim." I waved my hand, pushing the comment away. "To the Sith, I'm certain they consider the Jedi evil, if not weak and stupid for not using the Force to shape the galaxy. Because the Republic stands with the Order and has always done so when the Sith have grown strong enough to declare open war, the Sith would surely consider it evil as well.

"Another issue is that, while the Jedi are meant to root out and destroy the Sith, they cannot hold Republic office. Rather amusingly, there is nothing in the law that says a Sith couldn't, nor to make following the teaching of the Sith, regardless of which branch those teachings are from, illegal." That little fact had amused Adas greatly when I'd explained history from the New Sith Wars until now. "Also consider that while all Force users are under the purview of the Jedi, according to Republic law, the Republic is, bar along the major hyperspace lanes, all but a distant power in the Outer Rim.

"Returning to your idea of sending out all the Jedi to hunt down the Sith," I continued, changing tack as he processed what I'd just revealed to him, "consider that there are, at a rough estimate, perhaps ten thousand Jedi of Padawan rank or higher. Now, how many of those of Padawan rank do you think could defeat me in a spar?"

"None." I chuckled at the faith Anakin had in me. "Well, maybe one or two."

"Okay, now consider that I barely beat the apprentice. Against the Master, I'd be a dead man walking. The same would be the case for most if not all, Knights. Meaning none but a Jedi Master, and one focused on combat, would stand a chance against a Sith Lord." Anakin gulped, getting the seriousness of my point. "Thus, sending out groups of lower-ranked Jedi to search for a Sith Lord would only end in their deaths. The only way to take the Sith Lord down would be a group of Jedi Masters. Thus, given the number of Jedi versus the number of sentients in the Republic, to say nothing of those outside of it, then the chances of the Jedi discovering the Sith Lord unless they want to be found, is close enough to be treated as zero."

In theory, by collectively meditating in the Force, the Council should be able to find the Banite Sith. However, the pair had done something when or before I had arrived in this era to dampen the Jedi's ability to peer into the Force and locate and find events happening elsewhere. That was allowing them to move even easier than they already were while further limiting the Jedi's ability to find them.

This, for lack of a better term, Dark Side shroud, hadn't been something that I'd understood before losing the Interface's filtering of the Force. Or more accurately I'd not understood what was going on. I couldn't claim to do so now, but thanks to Natural Selection and conversations with Adas, I had a clearer picture of what the shroud was. Adas, since he wasn't alive, couldn't be certain, but he felt I should if I allowed my desires and wants to shape my thoughts, be able to either pierce the shroud or possibly even use it to enhance my ability to sense others over distance. However, I was reluctant to do so on the chance one or both Banite Sith sensed me doing so.

Perhaps, in a few years, once I was more comfortable with the path I would be walking, and accepted my choices – whatever they might be – I could do so. I certainly would need the insight once war broke out across the galaxy. Until then, however, I would be cautious whenever I searched within the Force.

"They can't just do nothing! The Jedi have to try!" Anakin protested, his annoyance at what I was saying flooding into the Force. At the same time, I felt that hint of doubt grow stronger, confirming it was linked to the Jedi and their failings. Interestingly, I hadn't planned for this conversation to head to this topic, at least not during the first time the matter came up, but considering what we'd already touched on, and what I planned to bring up, it made sense my words were causing him to lose ever more faith in the Jedi and Republic.

"They do, but as I said, because of the Reformation, they are restrained as to how they can search for the Sith. At least without the approval of the Senate or Chancellors. If as I, and others such as Master Dooku, suspect that the Sith have influence with one or both of those entities, then it would explain the Jedi's lack of drive. It also feeds into a theory I have that the Sith were directing the Trade Federation to invade Naboo. I can't be certain of that, however, as Viceroy Gunray died before he could reach Coruscant. Yet, the fact he was murdered before he reached the Republic capital suggests the Sith moved to silence him and protect their interests." I'd been the one, through HK, to remove Gunray, but suggesting that the Sith had been responsible was an easy way to accredit blame to a believable party, and it was something I'd mentioned to Master Shaak Ti when I'd last spoken to her.

I went silent after that, letting Anakin ponder what I'd said. While there were other things I wished to cover, either today or later before we reached Mtael's Gift, I wasn't going to push him toward those until he'd had time to digest what I'd said so far. It was unlikely that he'd suggest anything that I hadn't already thought of, but Anakin was insightful and smart, and sometimes the innocence of youth allowed one to see something an older, more jaded mind might miss.

"That's why you helped the Lokella, isn't it? And why you became a Mandalorian." I smirked at his thoughts going there, at least to the point he was willing to voice them. "You were making friends for fighting the Sith."

I shrugged as I replied, pushing aside the concern that the Banite Sith had realised my intentions as Anakin had. "For the Lokella, it was a stroke of luck, or the Force guiding me if you wish to believe that that led me and Master Dooku to intervene there. As you know, a transport we were travelling aboard was attacked by slavers. Sensing something about it, we decided to follow the breadcrumbs back to their source. In the process of ending the operation, we created a colony of freed slaves who now work to pass along that freedom to others."

"But I'm right about Bo and the Mandalorians."

"Partly. I didn't go to Mandalore seeking allies, nor to find a lover." Anakin's forehead creased there, showing he was thankfully still too young to understand the enjoyment a lover could bring. "I was twelve at the time. However, as I learnt more about the danger threatening the Republic, I did my best to grow those initial friendships further, going so far as to secure alliances with two of the most powerful Houses of Mando'ade culture." I chuckled, finding amusement in how I'd first used those alliances. "Something that, while not the original purpose for them, the Naboo and Gungans are grateful for." Along with a certain queen and at least one of her handmaidens. "The issue there though, is that now the Senate, Jedi, and the Sith through their spying, are aware of my connections to both groups and that the Mando'ade are not as broken and uncoordinated as they might've believed." The reveal of the Ne'tra Tal'ade, which I'd known bugger all about was a nuisance, but it would serve to worry others. Maybe even force the Sith to alter their plans in a way that might, perhaps, delay them bringing about the destruction of the Jedi and Republic.

One thing I was overplaying, simply because I wanted to avoid going into detail, was how much support I had among the Mando'ade. Dukes Adonai and Torrhen supported me, as did many of the clans who followed them, but that support was far from universal. I'd had to pay everyone that came to fight for Naboo, and while it hadn't cost anywhere near as much as I'd feared – due to the reward I'd been given for organizing the liberation force – and the losses would soon be recouped by the holomovies, it had spread my name further among my fellow Mando'ade. That, I suspected, was going to be useful in the decade to come.

"Bo said you should become Mand'alor." I coughed hard, caught out by the shift in topic and choking on nothing. My hand slipped from Anakin's arm as I leaned forward, trying to recover.

"Wh-when did she say that?" I asked between coughs.

"During the celebration on Naboo. When I stayed with her." I shook my head as I recovered from the surprise, making a mental note to punish Bo for placing such ideas in Anakin's head. That said if I wasn't careful then knowing Bo, she'd enjoy being punished. "She thinks you'd be a good leader to her… for our people."

"That is a discussion for another time," I replied slowly, not outright dismissing the idea, as even if I felt it unlikely to happen, it was one I'd had before, "after I've spoken to Bo about putting ideas into your head." I knew that while Bo might like the idea, there were many other Mando'ade, perhaps a majority even, who'd never accept a former Jedi as their leader. And that was without counting those like Pre Vizsla who sought the title of Mand'alor for themselves, challenging me if I tried to take the role. "For now, let's stay on topics at least linked to why I don't want you to come with me to Coruscant this time."

Anakin nodded and I gave him time to think on my earlier words. "I think I understand," he said carefully as I swore I saw the gears in his head turning. "You don't want the Jedi, Chancellors, or anyone else, knowing that you've adopted and are training me in the Force and Mandalorian traditions. If they learnt of it, then the Sith might, and they'd send someone after us, which would be dangerous for us and others."

"That's the gist of it, yes," I replied with a smile. "I don't fear the Chancellors knowing of you per se," which was a lie, "but that by them learning of you, and your potential with the Force being greater than any Jedi ever, would leak to the Sith. In their shoes, I'd move planets to capture you so they could either remove a threat or bend you to their desires and use your power to destroy the galaxy." I held up my mechanical hand, cutting off before he interrupted. "Yes, I know you'd fight to not let that happen, but I have, thanks to the Bando Gora, an inkling of the pain they would inflict to break you. I wouldn't wish that suffering on anyone, not my worst enemy, and certainly not my ad. However, as things stand, neither of us is even close to the point where we could survive an encounter with a Sith Lord, never mind trying to defeat one. Nor do we have the support and allies that would be able to do so for us."

Anakin gave a single nod; his face having drained of some colour while I'd touched on the dangers we faced if his existence became common knowledge to certain people. Seeing that, I leaned forward and squeezed his upper arm. "I'm not saying this to scare you, An'ika. I just believe that you need to be aware of the truth behind my reasons. Or at least as much as I feel you are ready to hear." One day I'd bring him in on everything, but it would be a good five years or so before I felt he'd be ready for that.

"I… I know," he said quietly even as he made sure to meet my gaze. "I just… I didn't think that this… that the vision we shared…"

I smirked, knowing exactly what he was talking about. "Yeah, I know. That vision was different from any I've had before or since. Though I should say that I don't get many visions," I added with what I hoped was a comforting smirk. I did get visions and had seen a few since taking Natural Selection, but none had been as vivid or detailed as the one he was speaking about had been. "That one was unusually strong and intense, but no vision is a certain to coming to pass. I learnt that the hard way on Naboo."

Serra had visions of me dying if I fought Maul alone, which was why she'd come. I'd worked to not have that happen because of my visions of seeing Drallig dye at Maul's hands and Serra potentially mortally wounded. I'd not managed to keep her away, and because of that Drallig had arrived. In my arrogance, I'd thought sending them to another part of Theed, somewhere I'd not expected Maul to be, would keep them safe. Yet, that had only resulted in them meeting him, and my vision coming true which was a mistake I'd not be making again. The counter to that, and why I was reluctant to believe every vision was certain, was Serra's vision, which didn't come true.

I had touched on the topic briefly with Dooku when I'd been hopping between Naboo and Mtael's Gift, but I wanted to go into the topic of visions, and their potentially conflicting nature, before I headed to Coruscant. Outside of Fay, there was no one I knew who should know more about Force visions and that I trusted to listen honestly to my concerns.

Fay was, of course, unavailable as she was still somewhere in the Deep Core seeking out Typhon. I knew she was alive, as even with my ability to sense others in the Force not what it once was – at least for the time being – I could feel her at the edges of my mind if I focused on her. However, that was all I knew, and I just had to hope that Satele Shan's holocron was leading her as intended to the spiritual homeworld of the Jedi.

"Why does the Force show us such things?"

I blinked, surprised at the insightful question. "That's a great question, however, I cannot provide anything close to a good answer for it. Master Dooku might be able to shed some light on the matter, but I suspect even he and Master Fay would struggle to give a definite answer. The Force is something beyond our ability to understand. It's as alien to us as must seem to a blade of grass or grain of sand. Yet it is because of the Force that we, along with others with strong connections to it, can use it to influence ourselves, others, and even events happening around us." I paused as I saw my wording was veering more toward Sith thinking than that of the Jedi. I'd promised him that he could try following the Jedi teaching first, so I had to alter what I was saying because of that. "The Force is there to help and guide us if we so wish, and empower us if a need to do so arises. It is not, however, something we can ever hope to understand. You understand that it seeks balance," he nodded, "and it works through those of us with strong connections to achieve this. Or at least that is my, admittedly limited, opinion on it."

"It wants to end evil?"

I chuckled. "Possibly," I began, reminded of how I'd first viewed the Force, Jedi, and Sith back when I was far younger, less jaded, and long before I'd been reborn in this galaxy. "It is certainly what many Jedi believe at any rate. I, however, am beginning to think that isn't the case. If it were, then every Force sect outside of the Jedi would either be brought under the full control of the Order or, in the case of the Sith and other Dark Side sects, sought out and destroyed with the support of the Force. This, however, never occurs, nor do the Jedi seek to reign in the other Force sects, such as the Matukai, that exist in the galaxy. Some of those sects use what the Jedi consider the Light Side while others use the Dark Side. Some, such as the Witches of Dathomir, have subgroups that use the two sides while all being regarded as the same overall sect."

Anakin nodded as I spoke, taking in my words as the conversation once more drifted. We had talked about the Force before, and what it allowed us to do, but this was getting into a more serious, possibly even philosophical, discussion. Anakin was, as always, interested in trying to understand the Force, but there was only so much I could teach him given my understanding of it being limited and twisted by my ideals.

"If the Force doesn't want to remove evil, then what does it mean to say it wants balance?"

"That's another good question," I said with a smile. "I wish I could give you a clear, definite answer, but I can't. Nor I suspect, could any Force user no matter what they believe or sect they're a part of. I can, however, offer an analogy that I think fits well for understanding what the Force might be trying to achieve." He nodded and I pulled back, settling properly into my seat. "The Force is a, pardon the pun, force of nature even if it is not fully part of nature. Like nature, be that in flora or fauna, it seeks balance within its ecosystem, but again, like nature, when one element, one area, grows dominant, then everything falls out of alignment."

"If a predatorial species grows too numerous, then the prey dwindles, affecting the entire food chain. If a foreign plant is introduced to an ecosystem and then starts starving local plants of nutrients, then the system falls out of balance. What I'm beginning to suspect is that the Force behaves in the same way, with those who can access it like the animals and planets within the system."

A hand moved toward one of the consoles, and the lights in the cockpit grew bright; almost painfully so. "Don't cover your eyes," I said, knowing he was doing that even as I struggled to see him. "Look around. Tell me what you see?"

"Light!"

"Is that all there is? Look carefully."

I closed my eyes partially, dimming the room. In blurred images, I saw Anakin lift an arm to shield his eyes even as his head moved around. "There's shadows. Not as many as before, but they're still there. and darker."

"Exactly." I touched the console again, lowering the light back to normal levels. "The brighter the light becomes, the smaller but darker the shadows it generates." Another press at the console and the lights turned off leaving us, minus Raven's running lights that blinked and flowed along her skin and the swirls of hyperspace, in darkness. Another press and the viewport darkened as well. "If the light is removed, even totally, the darkness seems to consume everything. Yet, once we adjust to the darkness, we can still see. Light still exists in such a place, even if it's hard to see; much like with shadows in the brightest room." With another few taps the room once more returned to its normal level of brightness. "This, at least to me, is what balance in the Force is about. Neither side of the Force can be allowed to dominate, a least not for too long. If they do, then it creates an imbalance that the Force will seek to correct. As for how it does that," I shrugged, "I don't know, and that is another topic for another day. Not because you're too young," which he was, but it wasn't the biggest issue, "but because I haven't got much more than a wild inkling of how to go about it." Anakin smirked at my reasoning, which was accurate. "Again though, we've strayed off topic slightly. However, I think this, and the rest of our talk have helped explain my reasoning for you to remain with the Lokella when I head to Coruscant."

"Yes," he said slowly with a weak nod. "I mean, I still think it would be fine for me to go now, but I think I understand why you're scared." Not the words I'd have used, but close enough. "and as you'll only be there a short time, it should be okay." I smiled, glad to see he was willing to accept my order on the matter. "But, when you go, can you get me something?"

"Such as?"

"I… I don't know."

At his sheepish reply, I laughed and leaned forward, ruffling his hair. "Well, you've got until I depart for Coruscant to decide." I pulled my hand back and as he worked to flatten his hair, turned back to the controls.

It was going to take a few days to reach the Lokella system, and by then I expected him to know what he wanted. That, however, was a minor matter, and I was glad that, in the end, he understood and accepted my reasoning for him not coming with me. Minor bribe aside. There were other reasons, the obvious one being not revealing the Chosen One to the Jedi and Sith, but those were matters he didn't need to know currently.

What I could now turn my attention to, at least in part, was facing Dooku once I reached Mtael's Gift. I wasn't sure if I was ready to face another powerful Force user, but if I were to face the Banite Sith Lords I had to test my resolve and barriers. Because he knew me as well as anyone, and I didn't think he'd be as concerned as Fay or others would be about my Dark Side taint, Dooku was the ideal person to test my defences. Anakin could no longer sense that within me, not unless I let it out, but Dooku should be able to find and help me fix the gaps in my mental protection. At least enough that, when I faced the Co-Chancellors-cum-Sith-Lords, I'd not give away the truth of what I was capable of, or that the barrier holding me back was gone.

… …

… …

"Ferox!"

The excited cry came from Anakin as we stepped down from Raven onto the deck of Mtael's Gift and he saw the old Corellian. Several of the Lokella working in the bay turned at Anakin's call, but most returned to their work, unconcerned or uninterested in his behaviour. A few, those that I suspected had already been watching Raven, offered nods that were a hair from being a bow to me. Those were likely the older members of the Lokella and while I wished they'd move past the almost idol worship they held toward me; I knew there was nothing I could do to demand they stop.

As my feet touched the deck, I turned to those following behind. "You're free to wander Fenrir, but behave yourself," I said to the giant beast. The tuk'ata whined as if insulted by the suggestion he would misbehave. "Don't give me that," I shot back with a smile, "we both know you enjoy causing chaos almost as much as you enjoy a hunt. Haran, if you behave, then I'll speak with the Lokella and Dooku about allowing you to head down to Gaia for some fun.

There were beasts on the planet, and almost all ran free as the settlement there was centred around the phrik mines. That meant Fenrir had when I allowed it, almost free reign to head into the forest and jungles of the planet to hunt and establish dominance over the local fauna. So far, he'd not encountered anything that could challenge him, but I knew that might not last. Still, I wasn't going to deny him his fun.

That had him walk forward happily; head held high as he surveyed the bay. "HK," I said to the droid as he and R2 brought up the rear of our party. "Don't start anything, not even by inciting others to attack first."

"Indignation: I would never do such a thing, Master. Addendum: At least not toward your allies." That made me smirk and drew a series of excited beeps and whistles from R2.

"That means everyone on this station," I stated so he didn't try anything with any visitors. While the system was isolated, I'd seen a few freighters moving to and from the station and since they weren't Lokella owned, that suggested they'd begun trading with others. Hopefully, it was only a small amount of phrik as I didn't want the wrong groups – mega corporations or pirates – thinking about attacking the system to take control of the mines. However, I wasn't going to stop the Lokella from trading, though I might suggest a few groups to avoid. "R2, the same warning goes for you." The astromech beeped in indignation and rocked from side to side. "No playing innocent. You're getting as bad as HK for trickery. Thankfully, you're minus almost all of his weaponry."

Thanks to Anakin and HK, R2 had been upgraded to be able to defend himself. He only carried a pair of concealed – and at HK's insistence, jammed from scanners – holdout blasters, but it meant he wasn't as defenceless as he had been. Anakin and HK had other plans for upgrading R2, but those had been on hold for a while as I didn't want to turn the astromech into a rolling death machine. One such droid like that was enough for now.

"I'll have the technicians refuel and service Raven," Simvyl said, drawing my attention to him, "so we'll be ready to depart when you want."

"Thanks," I said, giving him a nod before turning and heading to one side of the bay. As had happened before, I could sense Dooku was above me on the gantry that overlooked the bay. While I was grateful that I'd not have to head down to the planet to locate him, the fact I felt Vosa was nearby wasn't something I was happy about. Before taking Natural Selection I felt I was almost ready to face her again, but since then I'd been reluctant to do so. Especially now, when I needed Dooku's help to hide the changes that happened to me with the Force free of the Interface. That said, having her nearby, but not too close, would be a useful way to gauge how well I was doing in controlling my emotions and maintaining control when near those I'd rather not be close to.

There was a small chance that because she'd gone bat-shit crazy – even if she wasn't now – that she'd sense the darker side of me behind the shields I'd created easier than Dooku. That was a concern, but I felt she'd not react to that. Or at least I hoped she didn't.

Those thoughts lasted until I reached the top of the gantry and saw Dooku standing nearby, looking as regal as ever. "Master," I said as I approached, lowering my head slightly. "I'm pleased to see you again." Vosa was at the back of the gantry, near the hatch that led out of the bay. There was a moment as Dooku turned to face me where it seemed she was excited, but she pushed it away and remained where she was; something for which I was grateful.

"As am I Cameron, though I sense that you have undergone something of a change since we last spoke." A single eyebrow rose as he finished, making clear the question he wasn't going to ask but wanted me to answer.

"Yes. After Naboo, and handling running back and forth between here and there, I spent time in isolation on a remote world. There, with some meditation and no distractions, I understood how to overcome the limitations surrounding my ability with the Force. And now I can draw fully on it when I require."

The eyebrow rose higher. "While not perhaps how the Council would enjoy hearing you phrase it, it is an accurate description nonetheless." He took a step toward me, his eyes examining me clinically while I felt his mind press against mine through the Force, probing for changes I'd not mentioned. "Your presence within the Force is far stronger than it was before, even with your attempts to restrict that for my examination. The moment you arrived in-system, the change was obvious to myself and Komari," my eyes drifted to the former leader of the Bando Gora for a moment. "It was clear even then that you were attempting to limit how obvious the changes you've undergone are, however, you forgot to consider that those trained with the Force can sense such things for great distances. What I sense from you now is a barely sufficient barrier to hide the change, but because of what I have just said, it is for nought. Especially to one such as I who has spent considerable time around you and is aware of how you should feel within the Force. This is something Komari can also sense."

My gaze returned to the former Bando Gora leader, seeing her smiling at me, her tongue just slipping through her lips. The gaze, while lacking almost all the viciousness of what I remembered, was effective in bringing forth memories of my time under her tender mercies. Knowing I couldn't dwell upon them, as they'd breached the shroud I'd created – under guidance from Adas – to hide my power and mind, I pushed the memories, and the connected emotions back down into the depths of my mind. The lid that sat over them and other painful and enraging memories slid back into place, sealing them away again.

"Impressive." Dooku's comment had my eyes snap to him. "I sensed the residual anger you feel toward her rise, however it was soon dismissed. Still, you would do well to not allow even a fleeting memory to influence your actions in the present."

"Might I infer from your comment that you have moved on from your mistakes with Vosa and upon Galidraan, Master?" I asked with a smirk. I knew I was striking a nerve, but I wanted to make clear that unless he had done so, he wasn't speaking from high ground on the matter of moving on from past experiences.

For the longest time those two events, even though I'd never know about them until after being reborn, had been drivers in what shaped his path into, in the other timeline, becoming Tyrannus. Yet even though he had become a Sith, he hadn't, from what I knew, ever lost himself in the Dark Side, never surrendered to its insanities. Something I believed was what caused the yellow eyes some Sith developed. His mind was far too rigid and disciplined to allow any but himself to control it, even if that belief – verging on arrogance – was probably how Sidious had decided him for nearly a decade.

There was a slight movement of Dooku's lips, though that was the only outward reaction to by barbed response. Nor was there any hint in the Force of anything regarding my words. "I feel I have done so sufficiently that those events, and others you remain unaware of, no longer provide unwanted influence and impetus upon my actions. However, I do not feel you are close to achieving that, nor that Komari is ready to return to playing a larger role in galactic society."

I snorted, not bothering to hide my feelings on the matter. "With respect, I doubt she ever will be. Though perhaps that might not be an issue."

Dooku's eyebrow moved slightly. "I sense you have an idea that might provide Komari with unexpected motivation."

"I think we all agree that she'll never rejoin the Order." Dooku nodded in agreement. "Yet you can't keep her locked at your side. Eventually, she will grow to resent that, and problems that existed before, but are now more manageable, might resurface. Letting her run free in the galaxy is dangerous, and not just because I plan to mention that, along with the Sith I defeated on Naboo, the Bando Gora were involved in the attack that forced Chancellor Damask to wear the mask he now has to."

"Is it wise to reveal that to the new Chancellor? We know the Sith are close to the orbit of the Senate, so informing the Magister of this fact would soon find its way to the attention of the Sith."

"Perhaps it's not wise, but keeping it from him means sitting on information that he would want to know. The Sith targeted him for a reason, perhaps that was so he didn't become Co-Chancellor, or maybe it was another reason that we aren't aware of. Regardless, he deserves to know there's a threat toward his life." Which he'd know was coming from Sidious. It was unlikely the information would cause any friction between the pair, but it was worth seeing if it might. Plus, from an 'I knew nothing' perspective, Damask was an ally, and alerting him to the potential danger was something I should do.

Dooku took a moment to consider my words, a hand coming up to stoke his beard. "I will admit that the thought that the Sith were targeting the then Magister had occurred to me as well. However, sending any message via Holonet would risk being intercepted and traced." Dooku paused, the hand coming down. "That, I suspect, is a partial reason for why you and your Padawan have returned to this system."

"As always, Master, your insight is correct. The Chancellor contacted me directly about a week ago. A long-standing invitation to the premiere of the Fellowship of the Ring holomovie has come due."

"He and Chancellor Palpatine are aware you are the creator of this work?"

"They are," I replied, ignoring that I hadn't created anything, simply copying over the work of someone from another universe into this one. "Due to his connection to the Banking Clan, Magister Damask wished to determine the author of the series. When we spoke about it, he expressed his surprise to discover that a Jedi was the author, which was during our meeting with then-Senator Palpatine regarding the threat posed by the Vong."

"I recall you mentioning that meeting."

I nodded at his recollection. "Because both Chancellors are aware of my involvement in the project, and that Chancellor Damask is a fan of the series, I promised that when the holomovies were premiered, I'd attend the gathering alongside them. None of us expected that by that point they would be Chancellors of the Republic, and I'd have helped free Chancellor Palpatine's homeworld from invasion."

"Normally, an invitation from a Chancellor for a newly Knighted Jedi to attend such an event might raise eyebrows. However, as you mentioned, your role in the liberation of Naboo grants you a valid reason for such an invitation to be extended. Some will still question your presence, but they would question anything happening around politicians, so you should not attract undue attention. At least from those not attuned to the Force. Which, I see now, is the primary reason for your visit, along with your Padawan being the only recorded Force user with a greater midi-chlorian count than your own."

"That and, as I explained to him on our voyage here, introducing him to the Chancellors, and bringing him to the attention of people I'd rather remained unaware of who and what he is." I sighed rather loudly. "As you know, I don't place great stock in prophecy or vision, or at least I didn't before Naboo. However, I understand that Anakin, because of his potential, will have a role to play in facing, and I hope defeating, the darkness we know is gathering. The longer the Sith remain unaware of his existence, the less chance there is that they move to either remove him or Force-forbid, turn him."

"And what of the Council? Should they not be made aware of Anakin's status as your Padawan, and his possible role as the Chosen One?"

I fought back an urge to snort. Dooku's opinion on the Council was lower than mine, and he'd agreed along with Fay about keeping Anakin hidden from the Order when we'd first 'discovered' him on Tatooine, I knew he'd never agree to have Anakin trained at the Temple. And certainly not by anyone who fully obeyed the Council. "If I recall the words correctly, the teaching of a Padawan is entirely at their Master's discretion. Something you and Master Fay reminded the Council after one of my misdemeanours as your Padawan." There was a faint twitch of Dooku's lips, meaning he got the point and found it amusing. "However, disregarding that, given the changes I've brought about in my connection to the Force, and how, as you commented on when I arrived, I still have work to do on controlling that change, I feel it safer if I give the Temple a wide berth. At least for the time being. Which is one reason why I shall be leaving him here for the week or so while I return to Coruscant."

"Your Padawan has accepted this?" I nodded. "Impressive. Both that you managed to convince him, I suspect without revealing all of your concerns," I nodded again, "and that he has the wisdom to understand and accept your reasoning."

"He is far brighter than most his age. A result of his upbringing before we discovered him. Still, while he doesn't know the full details of why I am reluctant for him to accompany me this time, he had agreed to remain behind."

"It speaks well, both for you and him, that he can think rationally, without emotion clouding his judgment, and follow concepts and ideas that would normally be beyond him. How long before you must arrive on Coruscant?" Dooku said, shifting topics.

"The premiere is a little over two weeks from now, but I plan to arrive several days before so that I might speak with the Chancellors."

"Hmm. While not ideal, that should allow me time to help you strengthen your defences and hide, to a degree, the changes you have undergone from most cursory examinations by a Force user. It will also allow me to examine what effect this change has caused to your form."

"About that," I said slowly with a slight grimace, "because I don't yet feel entirely comfortable with the changes I've undergone, I hadn't yet rebuilt my lightsaber. For the time being, I'm relying on the shoto blade and the beskad."

"Has that not left you vulnerable while you have traversed the galaxy with your Padawan?"

"For the most part, it hasn't, Master. I've been hiding my status as a Jedi beneath the Mandalorian armour I have." I was wearing some currently, but as with when I was behaving more as a Jedi than Mando'ade, it was aligned with what was worn by Jedi in times of war than the full armour one would expect of the Mando'ade. "As I'm also, generally, avoiding major systems and places that might have significant Jedi presence, it's been enough to keep me safe. For the most part."

"Would the other part be related to the ripples of anger I sensed from you nearly half a year ago?"

I'd hoped to avoid this coming up, but the chances that Dooku and Fay – to say nothing of others who might know my Force presence well – not having sensed my reaction to what had happened were slim. As such, I knew I couldn't avoid the issue.

"Yes, Master. Anakin was, through no fault of his own, kidnapped by Trandoshans for a hunt." My tone was as calm as I could keep it, but I knew I wasn't doing a perfect job. When I mentioned the hunt, Dooku's brow creased, an outward sign of his distaste for the practice, or perhaps the species in general. "I was able to locate him quickly enough that he wasn't physically harmed. However, of the dozen younglings with him only three others survived; something only possible due to Anakin taking command of the situation."

"I'm pleased you didn't avoid the topic. For the record, I was aware of what happened from speaking to young Lena. Komari has taken to protecting the girl while she is here, possibly as she senses something in her that reminds Komari of herself at such an age." I gave a brief nod, not wanting to return my thoughts to Vosa. "The girl has settled well, and is currently on Gaia, learning at one of several youth houses for those children the Lokella have rescued and taken in who cannot locate any relatives."

"I'm glad to hear that. What she and the others endured is not something I'd wish on any youngling. I also suspect that Anakin will wish to speak with her while here."

"That can easily be arranged." He paused for a moment. "Returning to the Trandoshans. The, shall we say, burst of unrestrained anger that I and Komari sensed from you was deeply concerning. I feared that perhaps, you had succumbed to the madness such actions can bring forth. While I now understand what brought it on, and that you appear to have maintained your composure after the event, I would remind you that emotional displays, particularly such negative ones, are unworthy of a Jedi. Especially one that I have invested considerable time and energy toward training.

"Yes, Master."

"I shall not ask what became of the Trandoshans, only wish confirmation that they received a punishment worthy of their heinous actions." I nod to confirm that, neither of us wishing to have him fully aware of how I'd punished them. I knew Dooku wouldn't care that they'd all been executed for their crimes, as he considered such creatures, along with many others, beneath him. What I wouldn't be revealing, nor focusing on, was the methods I'd used to dispatch the Trandoshans and how I'd extracted anything useful from them before their deaths. "Excellent. Yet, while you have recovered from the incident, I can still sense the lingering after-presence of that anger. While an inability to truly let go of your emotions has been a flaw you have long since possessed, I believe that with the changes I can sense from you, you require greater work on if not removing this flaw, then overcoming it."

"I have been trying, Master."

"I can sense that. However, your improvement, while acceptable to many, is far from the standards I expect from a former Padawan. As I cannot test your resolve and progress through a spar, I will have to determine other methods while you are on the station to see where you stand, and what additional training I can offer to further enhance your defences."

"Yes, Master."

I'd known that I'd have to endure this once the invitation from Damask had come in, and been preparing myself for it. I wasn't looking forward to it, as Dooku was harsh, almost to the point of expecting perfection, taskmaster. However, outside of Adas, who I was reluctant to turn to currently, there was no one else I felt could help me sufficiently in the time I had to prepare before I came face to face with the two Banite Sith that stood as Co-Chancellors of the Republic.

… …

… …
A/N: That's the 2nd of 4 sects/groups Cam and party will visit covered. Next chapter... well, time to head to a holomovie premiere and catch up with some 'friends'.

...
This story is cross-posted on Fanfiction.net, Archive of our Own, and Royal Road.
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USSExplorer · Oct 17, 2024

A/N: As always, a huge thank you to those helping with lore and planning for this and my other stories.

And again, this chapter was released to those of sufficient rank on the story's Discord (it pays to talk) about a month ago. For those who support my writing, then it was released between 1 to 4 months ago (and those supporters can also access chapters that far in advance).

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3.07 Chancellors and Royalty
… …

Feeling a gentle prod against my mind from a familiar source, I slowly pulled back from the deep meditative trance I'd been in. While I felt safe against losing myself to the Force, at least barring something dramatic affecting those I cared for, or a large enough group of people that it echoed through the Force across the galaxy, I was still mindful of my actions.

The Force was, for the most part, there to help me, but I knew that it wasn't always going to agree with my intentions and ideals. I had to secure myself against it, and others who could wield it, if I wanted to survive the coming decades. As one such situation was fast approaching, that was why I'd been in a trance every time Raven soared through the mysterious energies of Hyperspace.

As my eyes opened, I looked at the cockpit's chronometer and a small smile came to my face. Moving one hand to an organic section of the room, I reached through the Force for Raven, letting her know I was pleased and thankful for her alert. Around my hand, lights flickered and danced as I felt her pleasure in serving me. We were still a short while from emerging from hyperspace, and I wanted to be alert when I did. Not only to handle the system's flight operations but to prepare myself for what awaited me in the Republic capital.

Checking the displays, I ensured that everything was working within expected parameters and that nothing had changed too dramatically while I'd been meditating. Nothing was, but a few readings were slightly out of sync with where I'd wanted them to be, so I'd have R2 check the mechanical systems linked to those readings once we landed.

Along with HK, the astromech were the only other ones coming with me to Coruscant. The droids were the only ones that the Banite Sith couldn't read with the Force. Or at least the ones least likely to be at risk of being probed by the Banite Sith. There were accounts, according to records I'd read not long after being knighted, that spoke of a Dark Art that allowed a Force user to sense, manipulate, and even control mechanical devices such as droids. I'd never spent any time learning how that was done – mainly as the knowledge of Mechu-deru was restricted to Jedi Masters – but it was something Plagueis and Sidious might well be able to do. Because of that, and wanting to ensure no one tampered with Raven while we were on Coruscant, the droids would remain with her.

Anakin, as intended, had remained on Mtael's Gift with Simvyl and Fenrir also remaining behind. The Cathar chose to stay as he wanted to atone for what happened to Anakin about half a year ago. I'd told him several times that I didn't blame him for the Trandoshans kidnapping him, but it seemed he still needed to absolve himself. As for Fenrir, the tuk'ata had never felt at ease on Coruscant, choosing to spend most of his time on Raven. Allowing him to stay with Anakin, and thus free to hunt on the various uninhabited continents of Gaia, would keep him happy. I just had to hope that he didn't pick a fight with something that was currently too great a challenge for him. Dooku had assured me that when Fenrir travelled to the planet, either he or Vosa or both would remain nearby to protect the creature. While I was reluctant to have that bitch anywhere near Fenrir, Dooku felt she was trustworthy enough to do so, and I was willing to accept his word that she wouldn't step out of line around the tuk'ata. Of course, I might've suggested to Fenrir that if Vosa got too uppity, close, or aggressive, he was free to remove a limb or two to remind her of her place.

As Raven raced toward the hyperspace exit point for Coruscant, I again wondered if perhaps I should've waited a few more days before arriving. There was still a week to go until the premiere, and the less time I spent around the Co-Chancellors slash Banite Sith, the better it would be. However, arriving the day before the premiere and then leaving the day after carried a chance they might fear I no longer trusted them; or at least was distancing myself from them without reason.

When he'd contacted me, Chancellor Damask had hinted that he and Palpatine wished to speak with me about a private matter, which I inferred was a reference to the Vong. I didn't know what the pair had dreamt up to counter an extra-galactic race of invaders who were seemingly unconnected to the Force, but I wanted to remain in the loop regarding those plans as, regardless of which of us won the coming war, the galaxy needed to be ready for the threat the Vong posed.

According to Dooku, the shroud I'd created around my mind – to hide both the change in my Force connection and my thoughts – was acceptable. He did, however, warn, that when pressed even gently by a Jedi Master as experienced as himself, to say nothing of a member of the High Council, there was a good chance they'd detect the slight flaws in the shroud. While he felt a Jedi wouldn't choose to slip through those flaws, I knew the Banite Sith wouldn't hesitate to do so. Because of this, I'd spent the voyage to Coruscant meditating on both strengthening that shroud and also on creating a partially false layer just behind it. The layer drew on the truth of what I was hiding, but only exposed some of it while mixing in falsehoods that, I hoped, would shield my deeper, more dangerous thoughts and memories from all but the most concerted of mental probes.

If either of the Banite Sith, never mind the pair working together, tried to smash through my defences, there was fuck all I could do to stop them. However, if that happened, Raven would sense it. She was under orders if the connection we shared felt broken or suppressed she was to alert the droids. They had a set of protocols – which, for safety, I wasn't aware of – to use, with the worst-case scenario being to contact the Jedi and, I suspected, alert the High Council to the fact the Co-Chancellors were Banite Sith Lords.

Returning my thoughts to Dooku, with him now safe from becoming Darth Tyrannus, I had spent time wondering just when and how deeply I should bring him in on my concerns and plans. I trusted him, but I knew he saw the galaxy through rather blunt lenses. Either someone was a useful tool or a potential threat. I had caught the faintest of hints during the times he'd been testing my mental defences, where I felt he might feel I was something different. That didn't mean he necessarily cared for me, more that he saw me as someone who could, maybe, carry forth his ideals and legacy.

I knew that he maintained great doubt about the Jedi, and while I'd not asked directly about it, I suspected it would only be a few years at most before he left the Order. If he returned to Serenno and became Count, that was something I could greatly use to my advantage. Not least the access to credits that would dwarf anything I'd earned or would earn, from the Lord of the Rings and Knights of the Old Republic series and my various musical creations. However, there were a few issues with that happening.

The most pressing was that, when he was taken as a Jedi, he'd forfeited all claim to becoming Count of House Dooku. While he was still a member of the house, which was the greatest of six houses that ruled the planet and accompanying sector, his younger brother had inherited the title a few decades ago, and he had a son who would inherit after him. In the other timeline, I suspected that not caring about them, Dooku had them removed, probably via an accident. While the Dooku I knew might well see no issues with taking such actions, I couldn't count on it.

While he'd not clearly stated his intention to leave the Order, the way we'd spoken about how certain artefacts inside the deeper sections of the Jedi Archives, and how he wished to 'redistribute' them, hinted that when he did leave the Order, he wanted to take those items with him. I didn't know what they were exactly, but I suspected some, if not most of them would be holocrons. While I'd only scratched the surface of what Adas could teach me, mainly as I was concerned that learning more from him risked heading down a path I wasn't certain I wanted to travel, the idea of hidden knowledge appealed. Not just because it might help me defeat the Banite Sith – and if needed, the Jedi Order – but because lost abilities and techniques might help with whatever came after the wars were over and I had to rebuild the galaxy.

The biggest issue with gaining access to any of that knowledge was where it was located. Breaking into the Jedi Temple was something few people were brave or crazy enough to attempt, and the Archives were one of the most heavily defended locations in the Temple, and located deep inside it as well. There were two powers I'd had before taking Natural Selection that should be of use – those being Phase and Teleport – but they were also two that I'd not begun anything more than considering relearning; or in their case, determining how the powers should work.

I'd spent a short amount of time speaking with the Dark Woman about phasing as she was one of the few Jedi Masters who could phase which meant I had some ideas to work from. I'd also had lessons with Jedi Masters such as Plo Koon and Giiett about the laws of science for this universe, however, most of my theoretical understanding of how those powers worked was linked to memories I retained from before my rebirth. Other verses had used powers with similar effects, and I was basing my understanding on how the Force allowed those powers to work here on those sources. Or more accurately, I was using them as a working base until I discovered something better.

However, for both powers, there were major issues as to why I'd not moved beyond theoretical consideration. The biggest was that, to put it simply, I instinctively knew that I wasn't quite ready to begin reusing them. Another major issue was overcoming the fear that when I next used the powers, I'd fuck things up somehow, and thus either end up trapped halfway through a wall or teleport to the wrong location.

Yet, before either power was relearnt, I had to rebuild my lightsaber. My initial plan, of somehow repairing the damaged crystal from my blade, had been shot down. First by Dooku and then by Adas. While I could, in theory, create an artificial crystal to replace the damaged one, doing so was considered something only a Sith did. That meant that even though I had the other crystal, a replacement krayt dragon pearl, and had the Mantle of the Force aligned entirely with me, I wasn't yet able to build a new lightsaber.

Well, technically I could as I had a half dozen crystals that would work in a lightsaber. However, none of them had a connection to me, like the other crystals – including the ruined miniature crystal – held. Because of the feeling of finding one that I was drawn toward and that I was still considering the materials to use in its construction, I was holding off on building a replacement main lightsaber.

Those thoughts were pushed from the front of my mind as Raven reached out to me. My hands moved toward the controls as I understood what was happening, a few seconds later the familiar rush of alternating energies that occurred when moving into or out of hyperspace rushed over Raven's hull. After that, the stars returned to their expected locations and a quick check of the navigation computers confirmed we'd arrived in the Coruscant system.

Information quickly filtered in detailing the various comings and goings of ships of virtually every size and function. They moved around in lines controlled by the system's sprawling flight control organization, reminding me of workers moving around a hive; all serving the queen, which in this case was Coruscant.

The area we'd arrived in was one set aside for people with connections. Be that members of the Senate, special guests, or members of the Order. Even then, I wouldn't be allowed to approach the inner system without approval, and almost on cue, the communication console beeped for attention.

Opening the channel, I was greeted by a Togruta in the uniform of the system's defence fleet. "Please confirm your identity," the alien asked bluntly, sounding bored of their job.

"Jedi Knight Cameron Shan aboard the Jade Raven," I replied while Raven transmitted out ident codes.

"One moment." The Togruta looked down, working at whatever console he was stationed at, going over the code I'd sent and confirming it against those on records. "Identity confirmed. Welcome back to Coruscant, Master Jedi. Your ship has been expected for some time. As such, you have Cresh-One clearance."

"Understood." Cresh-One was one of the higher clearance codes and a standard code for Jedi and important visitors.

"There is a request from Chancellor Damask's office to both alert him of your arrival and request you alter your flight path for the Senate. Is this acceptable?"

"Yes." I couldn't say no to the Chancellor, even if I'd have preferred a few hours planet-side before having to go face to face with the Chancellors.

"One moment. Flightpath and clearance altered. Besh-One clearance granted." I blinked in surprise as that clearance code was used only for special guests of Senate members. Amusingly, it meant that not only wouldn't I have to worry about customs searching Raven, but that I had a direct flightpath to the Senate building. "Please stay upon your assigned flightpath."

"Understood," I replied as I pushed power into Raven's engines. While getting there early would mean facing the Banite Sith before was ideal, it would let Raven enjoy herself a little before spending a week or two grounded.

The Togruta glared at me. "That was not a request. Your vessel has thirty-four infractions registered against it. Even with Jedi and Senatorial clearance, that sort of behaviour will not be tolerated."

"Yes, sir," I said, tossing the bureaucrat a mock salute before closing the channel. "Thirty-four, huh?" I added looking up at the ceiling. "Let's see if we can get that up to forty before we land." Raven's amusement and agreement radiated through the Force. "Kicking in the burn."

… …

… …
(Hego Damask's POV)
His eyes were scanning another round of mind-numbingly pedantic reports submitted by various members of the Senate and the frankly improbable number of sub-committees that required his signature. Some even insisted that he provide an opinion. Plagueis had grown used to dealing with such reports while in his guise as head of Damask Holdings, however, the amount of needless paperwork that the Senate produced, which Sidious claimed was done so the Senators, their adjuncts, and other members of staff, could feel important, was on a level that made clear that even without the Grand Plan's actions over the last millennium, the Republic would've fallen into chaos. All that had come before himself and Sidious had done was simply accelerate that decline and direct it along paths that best served the interests of the Sith.

He knew this was not all the paperwork he had to face, as Sidious had an equal pile arriving daily in his inbox, however, in the year since becoming Co-Chancellor, Plagueis had moments where he considered if the plan that had placed him here had been worth it. Decades had been spent shopping events to ensure Sidious, in his guise as Sheev Palpatine, could be elected Chancellor of the Republic, and from there have Plagueis' public persona appointed as Co-Chancellor, yet when he had time to review the various steps that led to this time and place, Plagueis did wonder if there might have been a wiser path to take. Or at least one that would save him from devoting so much of his valuable time and focus to the pathetic mewing of beings as far below him as a beast of burden was to any sentient.

Yet, for all that dislike of his new position, Plagueis knew the benefits outweighed his distaste for the drawbacks. Not only did he, along with Sidious, have complete access to any record the Republic held – most of which was, sadly, less accurate than what the Order of Darth Bane had gathered over the last thousand years – but it allowed him the chance to shape and influence events in ways he could never do as head of Damask Holdings. One of those ways was the individual that Plagueis sensed approaching his office. The Jedi Cameron Shan.

There was no way the descendant of Darth Revan – the Sith Lord whose ideas had helped shape the Order Darth Bane had created a thousand years before – would remain with the Jedi. Even lacking the ability to peer into the future, something Plagueis' former Master, Darth Tenebrous had stripped from him, it was clear to any that Shan's path lay away from the inward-looking and distracted Jedi. Yet the Jedi continued to not only allow him to remain within their Order, but they foolishly believed Shan was their Chosen One.

Shan was powerful for his age and had the potential to surpass any Jedi, but he was not there yet. Nor was he the Chosen One. That prophecy was a false one that was nothing more than a pale imitation of the concept of the Sith'ari. That title, in theory, might have belonged to Darth Bane for his actions in showing the Sith the true path. However, Plagueis believed that he was the Sith'ari, or that in the decades to come, he would become it. And, amusingly to him, it was because of Shan's emergence and changes that Plagueis was on the path needed to be the most powerful Sith to ever live.

His research had accelerated in the years since he had first met Shan, to the point he could manipulate the midi-chlorians within his body; granting him an ability no Sith had ever wielded. In time, Plagueis knew he would rise to a level of power that none since the Celestials had wielded, and with that, he would shape the Force to his will, bend it for eternity to his desires.

That didn't mean that the plan of him sharing power with Sidious was in any way being discarded, or that Shan might not have a role to play in the new era Plagueis was creating – every empire needed a Wrath to enforce the will of its Emperor – just that, Plagueis felt he would be the first among equals in the New Order.

Turning his mind fully to Shan – whom he had been alerted to having arrived in the Senate building and was being escorted to this office – Plagueis wondered what the changes he had sensed meant. Plagueis had sensed Shan's arrival in the system; the way the Shroud of the Dark Side that he and Sidious had placed over the Force alerted him to the Force user's arrival. However, the more Plagueis had probed the Shroud, the more intrigued he found himself growing about this upcoming meeting.

In preparation for it, Plagueis had slowly grasped control of the Shroud, ready to use it to determine what changes had occurred to Shan. The change in Shan's Force presence, even though the Human attempted weakly to hide it, by itself was worthy of research. This was, after all, the second time Shan had altered his connection to the Force in ways that Plagueis had yet to determine. That this latest change generated ripples in the Shroud, something only the most powerful of Jedi Masters – or those that posed a threat to the Grand Plan – could do, was another matter that needed to be carefully examined in the upcoming meeting. Along with that, however, Shan had discovered some form of Sith training to hide the fury that, even half a star system, Plagueis had sensed that vibrated within the Human's core.

Plagueis remembered vividly the first time he had encountered Shan, and how under the flaws in his style, the inklings of one who enjoyed battle – found a thrill in the hunt – existed. Plagueis and Sidious had seen how that thrill had grown when Shan spoke of his battle with those strange aliens who were unconnected to the Force, and then when viewing the recording of Shan's defeat of Sidious' assassin, how he embraced the ethos of the Mandalorians – a group the Sith had employed often in the past to weaken and kill Jedi – into his combat style. Everything since that first meeting had made clear that Shan's path lay toward how the Force was meant to be wielded, yet as he felt Shan moving in an elevator toward this office, Plagueis knew Shan was aware of this path and felt as if he was close to embracing it. The question, or the latest one to add to the list that surrounded the enigma of Darth Revan's descendent, was how and where Shan had learnt ancient Sith teachings on hiding the truth of the path he was close to accepting.

Around half a year ago, a wave of pure, unrestrained rage had pulsed over the Force, the Shroud making it clear to Plagueis and Sidious while muting the Jedi's chances of sensing the event. Through meditation, Sidious had determined that the wave of rage was, as both he and Plagueis had believed, generated by Shan. The Human had, for reasons that neither of them had yet been able to determine clearly, snapped.

The flood of rage and destruction Plagueis had felt had been almost unstrained. A few weeks later, Plagueis had sensed the rage come forth once again, though this time, without mentioning the matter to Sidious, Plagueis had been able to determine that Shan's rage, once unrefined and unfocused, had hardened. This second event had seen Shan channel his desires into a cold, brutal edge. One that only someone with training in the ways of the Sith could develop, at least in such a brief period of time. That the hints of that training were seeping from Shan as he approached Plagueis' office, only increased his interest in determining when, where, and how Shan had gained that training.

Plagueis would not be forcing the matter today. Shan's purpose in the Grand Plan, while still unsettled, was clear. However, he intended to probe cautiously to see what he could learn from the false Jedi when they met. That Sidious would not be present for the initial stages of this meeting – instead, distracted by a minor matter that he could not avoid – granted Plagueis the chance to investigate Shan in isolation. He knew that he and Sidious would, within a decade or two, rule the galaxy in a New Order that would rise from the ashes of the Republic and Jedi. However, Plagueis wanted to see, without his apprentice's presence, how Shan fit into the Grand Plan, and how the Human might be subtly directed toward the choices that best helped Plagueis' vision for the future.

Plagueis placed down the report – one detailing a request from the senator from Corellia for lowering their tax burden further – on the to-do pile on his desk. His hand was over the small console on his desk before the intercom beeped and flashed for attention. "Yes?" He asked, making sure to not respond too quickly and generate any hint of surprise from his assistant.

The Munn that manned the outer office was one of several that Plagueis had brought with him from Damask Holdings. As Plagueis lacked the figures who'd spent decades around the Senate, he had drawn from his former public role. Like Sidious, many of Plagueis' upper servants knew the truth of who Damask was, and had sworn themselves to his service, and the outside team he had brought from Damask Holdings had helped to enforce one of the major reasons Palpatine had pushed for Hego Damask to become Co-Chancellor: That the Senate, and those working in and around it, had grown self-interested instead of serving the people who elected them.

It had not taken Sidious much work to gather support for Hego Damask to become Co-Chancellor. The groundwork for generating a lack of trust and support for the Senate and the office of the Chancellor had been laid down over the last fifty-plus years. While Hego Damask was a shadowy figure to many, Damask Holdings was a reasonably well-known, highly successful, and respected entity; the appointment had generally generated positive reactions. The only worlds that had expressed concern were those in the Core and along major hyperspace routes, that exposed a Human-centric ideology. That, however, played into the plans Plagueis and Sidious were developing for how to enact the final stages of the Grand Plan, as did the fact all of Damask's staff were non-Human.

"Jedi Cameron Shan has arrived."

"Send him in." Plagueis rose before the doors slid open, his tall form casting a long shadow across the polished floor. The Human entered with steady, unhurried steps. "It has been some time, Master Jedi," Plagueis greeted, stepping forward, a gesture meant to communicate a sense of equality. A minor courtesy, perhaps, but one he had yet to extend to any other Jedi.

Shan offered a thin smile as he strode into the centre of the room. "That it has, Chancellor," the Human replied, extending his arm in the age-old gesture of camaraderie. "And might I offer my congratulations on the, if not direct promotion, then change in direction?"

A chuckle rumbled low in Plagueis' throat. "Thank you for being one of the few to phrase it as such." Most others had either fawned or fumbled, offering hollow congratulations while subtly hinting at the favours they sought from the new Co-Chancellor. He'd grown accustomed to that, after decades running Damask Holdings, yet he anticipated that this conversation with Shan would not tread that familiar, tedious ground. "I must admit, when Chancellor Palpatine extended his invitation for me to join him as co-Chancellor, I was... hesitant."

"Changing a tank of sharks for an arena of kath hounds?" Shan's smile widened.

Plagueis allowed himself a soft laugh. "A succinct metaphor, though not how I might have phrased it." He broke the handshake, turning slightly to gesture toward the comfortable arrangement of sofas near the far side of the office. The circular glass table, encircled by three sofas large enough for three men apiece, was where Plagueis liked to put those he wished to consider him a friend—or where he and Sidious encircled a sentient in their coils, without ever making it seem so. "I understand business, economics, and the way the Republic's machine functions on a grand scale. Some of that carries into politics, yet most of it... does not. As we've seen with the recent debacle surrounding Naboo."

"Has Damask Holdings' association with the Trade Federation caused you trouble?" Shan asked, his tone casual, though the question was laid bare early in their exchange. It gave Plagueis pause. Shan was no fool, and his inquiry, though gentle in the Force, struck at the core of what others feared to speak of openly.

Plagueis hesitated only a heartbeat before answering. "A few murmurs, yes, from those who enjoy shouting scandal without cause. Some, in less... reputable publications, even hinted I played a role in orchestrating the blockade." He dismissed the notion with a wave of his hand. "But such voices are distant echoes, drowned out by the educated and the reasonable." Reaching the sofas, Plagueis halted and gestured toward a well-stocked stand, brimming with exotic bottles. "Might I offer you a drink?"

The display was designed to impress—a selection of rare spirits from every corner of the galaxy. Plagueis himself had little interest in such indulgences; the taste and texture of alcohol held no appeal, not after his injuries on Sojourn, now healed. Still, he had learned to play the part. Among the bottles was a Nabooian whisky that Sidious favoured—dangerous, but not without refinement.

"Sure," Shan said, his eyes drifting over the unfamiliar labels. "It seems I'm uncertain of my options."

"Might I suggest Nabooian whisky? Chancellor Palpatine holds a particular fondness for it."

"Thank you." Shan dipped his head in appreciation.

Plagueis moved to the bar with the ease of long practice, selecting the cleaner of the two bottles. The other, lightly marked near its rim, held something a little extra—something for those more easily swayed. Shan, however, was no such fool. A trained Jedi, he would sense anything untoward before it touched his lips. No, this was not the time for trickery. Plagueis poured two glasses and returned, offering one to Shan before settling himself into the opposite sofa.

The Jedi took the glass with a nod. "I notice you no longer wear your mask."

Plagueis took a measured sip of his own Munn brandy, the taste wholly irrelevant to him. "After Mandalore, I began an intense regimen of treatment. It took years, but the damage healed in time." He tilted the glass toward the mask on display near his desk. "Yet, the mask remains close. A reminder of what I am. Power, no matter how vast, cannot make one invulnerable." He smiled faintly; the gesture steeped in meaning. "Not yet at least."

"A feeling I can relate to." Shan's smile faltered just slightly as he raised his artificial arm, drawing attention to the replacement limb.

"Such scars remind us of our missteps. Of the lessons we must learn and never repeat." Plagueis' gaze lingered on the false limb as Shan took a sip of his whisky.

"Ooh, that's nice," the Human muttered. "But yes, this is a constant reminder of my weakness," he continued, lifting the glass. "Thankfully the replacement doesn't force me to switch arms, ensuring I can continue to savour something this delightful." He smiled again, this time more genuinely. "Might I ask the name of this brand so I can add some to my stores?"

"I shall have a crate delivered to your apartment," Plagueis countered smoothly, seeing an opportunity to ingratiate himself further. The Jedi Temple or Kaldani Spires—wherever Shan chose to reside—it mattered little. Either way, it was a gesture of goodwill, a favour that could be called upon later. He might even arrange for a small, discreet device to be hidden within the crate. If Shan detected it, well, it could be written off as a mistake, an error on the part of some underling. But if not...

"That's too generous," Shan said, brow furrowing slightly. The brief slip in his composure revealed something Plagueis had long suspected. For just an instant, the Jedi's defences wavered, allowing Plagueis a glimpse into the depths of his mind.

The power radiating from Shan was raw, primal—unrefined but vast. Like a reservoir barely contained beneath the surface. It thrummed with an ancient cadence, far older than Shan himself, far more dangerous than his outward appearance suggested. Intriguing.

"I can't accept it," Shan said, the trace of unease in his voice undeniable now.

"Consider it a gift between friends," Plagueis replied smoothly, maintaining the air of warmth and hospitality. Inwardly, he was already dissecting what he had sensed, what he had glimpsed. There was more to Cameron Shan than the Jedi let on, something Plagueis would uncover in time. "And friends should not stand on ceremony."

Shan paused, then nodded. "Then, in the spirit of friendship, I gratefully accept."

Plagueis settled back, his mind already turning over the implications of what he had felt. Whatever secrets Cameron Shan harboured; they were more than worth the pursuit. Perhaps more dangerous than even Sidious had imagined.

Shan had learnt Sith teachings. Not those of Darth Bane, but those that lay at the core of the Sith ideology. Ones that traced their roots back, if Plagueis recalled correctly, to when the followers of Bogan were expelled from the Je'daii Order and exiled, eventually discovering Korriban and the Sith species. Plagueis had to restrain his curiosity to dive any deeper into Shan's mind. As much as he wanted to learn the answers to this new riddle, he knew that doing so now carried risk. The Force warned him that Shan had done something to protect himself, though if Plagueis was interpreting what the Force was sensing, this protection was not aimed at him and Sidious, but at protecting Shan from the Jedi.

For a moment, Plagueis wondered if perhaps choosing a young rebellious boy from Naboo as his apprentice was a mistake. That thought was dismissed in the next instant, as without the way Sidious had played career politician and inserted himself into the heart of the Republic, the Grand Plan would be nowhere near as close to completion as it was. Still, the idea of taking Shan as his apprentice was one that held appeal to Plagueis. Shan had the potential to match Sidious, surpass him even, but any attempt to cultivate that potential would have to be done so remotely. The final stages of the Grand Plan had to take priority.

As they sipped their drinks, enjoying a moment of comfortable silence, Plagueis considered the differences between his apprentice and the young Human sitting opposite. Sidious had a natural ability to hide his Force presence that even now, decades after he had begun the Naboo's training, he still could not fully pierce the protections Sidious generated. Sidious was powerful, but he chose, much like Plagueis and Darth Tenebrous, to hide that power; to present a public persona of one far less threatening than they truly were.

Shan was an entirely different breed of creature. He was power, aggression and fury that was as of now, still unrestrained. It was, Plagueis realised, like gazing into the first stages of a solar storm as it began to form. Yet, while Sidious kept his power hidden, misdirecting others from its devastating potential, Shan chose to simply hold it back. The process Shan used was a poor, barely held-together facsimile of what he had once appeared as; something distant and isolated within the Force. Yet Plagueis could see that, if the power Shan held back was ever unleashed, it had the potential to shatter worlds with simple effort.

Either Shan would harness his power properly, as it had seemed he had begun to do, and rise to be a powerful Dark Sider, or he would lose control and become a wild beast. Either way, Plagueis could see paths down which to guide Shan that would decimate the Jedi and Republic, and make the Grand Plan's final act a thousand times more devastating than it currently was intended to be.

"Will Chancellor Palpatine be joining us?" Shan asked, breaking the silence.

"He shall be joining us shortly. There was a matter regarding the invasion of Naboo that needed his attention that he was unable to avoid." Plagueis knew Sidious would explain the details once he arrived, and that it would draw Shan's attention.

"How is the investigation into the Trade Federation progressing?"

"About as slowly as one would expect," Plagueis replied. "The exact details are a personal matter for my Co-Chancellor, and I feel it is best I allow him to bring you up to speed once he arrives." Shan nodded, accepting that and took a fifth sip of his whisky. While not the strongest drink that a Human could have, the Nabooian variety was potent. If he were not a Force user and thus trained to purge the toxins from his system, Plagueis might fear Shan would be inebriated before Sidious arrived.

After another ten minutes, in which Plagueis and Shan had spoken about several mundane events relating to their lives over the last year, the door to the office slid open. Plagueis turned, seeing his apprentice entering in a slightly hurried fashion. While he might not be able to pierce the protections Sidious used to hide his Force presence, after decades of training him, Plagueis knew how to sense the faint fluctuations Sidious generated within the Force when nearby.

"I do hope I'm not late," Sidious said, using that silken smooth grandfatherly tone he favoured when speaking with those he wished to ingratiate himself with, as he moved into the Force.

"Not at all uncle," Shan said as he stood, moving to greet Sidious. "I was just learning about the changes that have been forced upon the Senate due to their being Co-Chancellor."

Sidious' expression faltered, some concern slipping through. "I do hope such an irritating and boring discussion hasn't in any way soured your mood," he replied, grasping Shan's flesh and bone forearm with both of his hands.

Shan chuckled. "No. Thankfully Mag… Chancellor Damask was able to explain the rule changes without me feeling an urge to finish my glass."

Sidious smiled widely. "Thank the Force for that. I know that when I had the changes explained to me and was required to explain the rule alterations to the Senate and then get their support for my decision, I struggled to make it through the presentations without boredom overcoming me."

"I suspect that, given the Holonet reports about the Senate, that is something you have faced for some time, and, without it sounding as if I wish to cause you pain, that you and Chancellor Damask endure for years to come."

"We understand your meaning, even if the idea of spending anything more than a single term as Co-Chancellor has yet to become appealing," Plagueis interjected from the sofa where he remained sitting. With the attention of Shan returned to him, Plagueis gestured to the other sofas, suggesting the pair sit.

Sidious moved to Shan's side, and after placing a gentle hand on the young Human's back, guided him toward the sofas. Once closer, Sidious smirked. "I see that my Co-Chancellor has suggested a familiar drink for you."

"Indeed. The whisky is one I am quite enjoying," Shan said as he moved back to his seat.

Sidious stepped around the sofas and moved toward the stand behind Plagueis. "Then it would be remiss of me to not join you in sharing a bottle."

Shan sat down, offering Plagueis a nod which he returned, and then picked up his glass enjoying another sip of the whisky. "Oh, before I forget," He said just as Plagueis heard Sidious pick up his glass. Shan shifted, his artificial arm sliding into his robes. Plagueis watched carefully, curious as to what the Human was doing even as the Force assured him there was no incoming threat. "I wished to thank you, Chancellor Damask, for the ancient Jedi blade you gifted me for what happened on Mandalore, and to celebrate the ascension of both of you to the position of Chancellor."

Plagueis, sensing a faint shift in the Force – one hinting at a not-unwelcome surprise – placed his glass on the table between him and Shan. At the same time, Sidious moved to the third sofa and settled down as Shan searched around inside his robes.

"There is no need for you to feel obligated to return the favour. Your actions on Mandalore saved my life whereas this position isn't one I, thankfully, had to fight for my life to acquire."

Shan chuckled at Plagueis' comment. "True, but it is still a momentous moment to have two of the few people in this galaxy I consider colleagues hold the most powerful office in the Republic." It was interesting to Plagueis that Shan used colleagues instead of friends, but from the probe he had behind Shan's outer mental barriers, the Muun knew the Human was being trustful.

Plagueis nodded, accepting the reasoning only to then freeze as Shan pulled two wrapped objects from his robes. When the hand had searched for the gifts, there had been no hint in the Force of anything occurring, yet just before the objects appeared in his view, Plagueis had sensed an odd shift in the Force. That, however, was quickly ignored as the objects radiated in the Force in ways that Plagueis should've sensed before Shan had even entered the office.

Plagueis, along with his equally surprised – though only they knew the other was surprised – watched as Shan placed the objects on the table between the trio. The one that instantly had Plagueis' attention – which had a triangular shape was closer to him while the other – which was a cube – was placed near Sidious.

"What exactly are these?" Sidious asked with curiosity in his tone. That curiosity wasn't for the gifts, as both Sith could sense them through the Force and were well aware of what lay under the covers, but for how Shan had snuck them so close without either Sith Lord sensing them. Another wrinkle in the enigma that was Cameron Shan, and one that, along with the others, Plagueis assured himself he would uncover.

"As I said, I wanted to celebrate your position as Co-Chancellors, uncle, and when I was in your former office, I noted several pieces of art there. Forgive my prying, but I searched for them on the Holonet and was surprised to discover that they held connections to the Jedi."

Sidious gave the younger Human a warm, grandfatherly smile. "I had no idea you were that interested in my passions."

"I'm not, but the random burst of curiosity I had in a moment of solitude led me to research the items that decorated your former office. Then, after your elevation to Chancellor, the idea of offering something to celebrate your position." He paused and looked at Plagueis. "Your positions, I should say. The idea of celebrating that felt the right choice to make."

"Your actions in freeing my home from the illegal shackles of the Trade Federation are worth far more to me than my current position," Sidious replied, being the consummate politician.

"Perhaps, but I still felt I should honour our friendship with these gifts," Shan countered, showing some skill in convincing others. That was a subtle change in the Human, but one Plagueis had expected as Shan was now a Jedi Knight, and the Order, for all its flaws, made sure its members were decently skilled in public discourse as they rose through the ranks.

"Then in the spirit of friendship and the alliance we share, I am honoured to accept this… whatever it is." Sidious chuckled gently, gesturing at the still-covered object. The ease with which Sidious could convince others of his sincerity continued, even nearly half a century later, to impress Plagueis. While the Muun knew how to pretend to be Hego Damask perfectly, Sidious was a born master at the art of subtle misdirection and verbal trickery. The very reason that when Plagueis had searched the Force for his apprentice's true name, the word Insidious had come to mind. The Human from Naboo was born to slide his way into the graces of any around him; an effect that had advanced the Grand Plan to the point where Plagueis knew he would be the one, alongside his apprentice, to bring it to fruition. "May we uncover what you have brought us?"

"Of course," Shan replied with a good-natured smirk. The Jedi was enjoying the moment, and Plagueis made sure to reward him with a look of a seemingly genuine smile.

His arm stretched out, his long thin fingers grasping the cover and lifting it clear. Even though he knew he'd see a familiar red triangular pyramid under the cover, when his eyes landed upon it, Plagueis inhaled genuinely. Being gifted a Sith holocron by a Jedi while sitting in his office as a Co-Chancellor of the Republic was an ironic moment of such proportions that it deserved a truthful reaction.

"Oh my." Plagueis turned at his apprentice's authentic-sounding reaction. "Is this…"

"A Jedi holocron," Shan finished with a wide amused grin. "And that, Chancellor Damask, is a Sith one."

"I have never seen such a thing in person," Plagueis replied convincingly even as, in the deepest part of his mind, hidden from even his apprentice, he laughed at the sheer absurdity of the moment he was experiencing. Yet even as he did, the question of where Shan had acquired these holocrons danced around his thoughts. "Is it permissible for you to grant such objects to us?"

Shan shrugged. "What the High Council doesn't know about won't hurt them," He said in a quieter, conspiratorial tone. "Besides, knowing the Jedi Chief Historian, if I handed them over to her they would be locked away in some vault for years, if not decades. I'd probably also be dragged before the Council for days explaining where and how I obtained them. Specifically, that one," He added pointing at the Sith holocron in front of Plagueis.

Shan then leaned forward. "It would be wise to ensure that they aren't present in your offices if a member of the Order comes to speak with you." As he finished he offered an exaggerated wink, which drew an honest amused reaction from Plagueis.

"As much as the reaction of Masters Yoda or Windu to seeing such a thing in my office intrigues me, I accept and understand your caution," Plagueis replied. One day, he would display the holocron openly, but for now, he would heed the young Human's caution. Not least because having the Jedi learn about the holocron and how it came to be in his possession would place Shan in a position that currently didn't serve a useful purpose.

"As do I," Sidious agreed, his fingers brushing against the surface of the inferior Jedi copy of a Sith holocron. "That said, I am curious to learn how and where you discovered these marvellous items."

Sidious leaned closer, adding to his inquiry and Plagueis was pleased to see even during this moment of surprise, his apprentice was continuing to strengthen the connection he shared with Shan. Plagueis' connection to the Jedi wasn't as strong, as it lacked the personal connection that Sidious had developed with Shan while the younger Human had posed as his nephew during an assignment from the Jedi. Still, Plagueis intended to maintain and strengthen the connection as Sidious was doing so that Shan might unwittingly be brought into enacting the final stages of the Grand Plan.

"Yours I found many years ago on one of several expeditions I took part in below the Temple." Plagueis' brow rose, not expecting to hear that such items had been abandoned in such a location. "From what I've learnt, the tunnels there were once used by the Order thousands of years ago. Over time, and after multiple wars, they were abandoned and are now overrun by various creatures."

Shan turned to Plagueis. "This one, however, was one I discovered by chance. During a recent voyage of self-discovery, the Force led me to a location that subtly radiated the Dark Side. I faced a few challenges there, but in the end, clearing the area was a simple matter. That holocron, which is inert as far as I can tell, was the only thing I found there, and when combined with the other, I felt it would make an interesting gift for you Chancellor."

Thanks to his mental probe, Plagueis knew there was more to the story Shan was telling, but not enough to suggest that the Human was attempting to deceive him. If he wanted, Plagueis could discover what was being withheld, but doing so would require a more potent analysis of the Human's mind. Doing that would alert Shan to the truth of who Plagueis was, and while knowing the truth appealed, Plagueis knew Shan had a role to play still in the Grand Plan and that removing him from the equation could cause unexpected, and potentially devastating, ripples to that plan.

"Then like my Co-Chancellor, I am honoured to accept your gift, and will ensure that the Jedi remain unaware of its existence." Shan nodded, pleased with Plagueis' words. Plagueis knew that, once this meeting was over and he could withdraw to a more secure location, he would examine the holocron Shan had gifted him, but he doubted there would be anything of value held within it. Still, the item would have a place of importance in his residence simply for the improbable amusement of a Jedi gifting a Sith holocron to a Sith Lord. "I have seen images of holocrons, but I never expected to physically see one, much less be its owner."

"Then I'm happy to have fulfilled a long-held desire," Shan offered with a wide smile, enjoying the moment even if he might not understand the full depth of it. "If you have further questions about them, such as how to activate the Jedi one, I would be happy to demonstrate that to you. Though I would suggest we do that somewhere further from the Jedi Temple than our current location."

"Perhaps your apartment at Kaldani Spires?" Sidious offered.

"I do intend to stay there while here. The Temple… there are several members of the Order I would prefer to avoid," Shan offered, piquing Plagueis' curiosity. From the probe he was using, the Muun knew senior members of the Jedi would be able to pierce Shan's defences and sense the same darkness that Plagueis did. However, the brief images of several – some familiar – other members of the Order suggested that wasn't Shan's primary reason for staying clear of the Temple. "If it is acceptable, Chancellor."

"But of course," Plagueis responded. "The apartment – one of the best in the building besides my own – was transferred to the ownership of one Cameron Williamson not long after I granted it to you."

"Thank you," Shan said, not concerned about Plagueis using his penname. As he spoke, his flesh hand moved to the replacement limb and scratched at the metal as if it itched.

"Has the arm been causing you any issues?" Sidious asked, changing the subject based on Shan's actions.

"No, just a few lingering phantom pains."

"From what I hear that is something that continues for some time," Sidious said, his gaze on the replacement limb. "I note that you haven't chosen to have synthflesh placed over it."

Shan smirked and lifted the arm, using his other hand to pull back the sleeve of his robe and expose the full device. Plagueis noted the distinctive rippled effect of beskar covering the surface; a wise precaution to add to something that was both a weakness and a clear target for an opponent. Plagueis had known his mask had presented a target for any targeting him. That Shan had taken that flaw and turned it into an advantage, one that would allow him to grasp a lightsaber was another sign that the Human saw things through the eyes of a warrior.

"I did consider it. However, with the, shall we say extra features, then any time I use those the flesh would rip," Shan answered. "It's simple enough to hide its presence by wearing a glove so others are unaware of it." Shan turned the arm around, exposing the underside. That then slid open, revealing a chamber that was currently empty, but Plagueis noted was large enough to hold a lightsaber hilt. An interesting design choice, and reminiscent of how Plagueis hid his hilt inside a seemingly innocuous location. "Thank you again for the design," Shan added as he closed the section and lowered his arm.

"It was the least I and the Republic could do to honour your sacrifice in freeing Naboo," Sidious countered. "Much as Queen Amidala and the Naboo Ruling council by granting you citizenship on Naboo along with a residence in the Lake Country."

Shan chuckled. "I've yet to visit the place, but according to the details, I'm led to believe it's located close to both where the Queen grew up and your family's manor."

"It is, though I have not had much time to return to Convergence in the years since I became a member of the Senate. Perhaps, if time ever allows, we might arrange a shared vacation to Naboo. While far different from where Chancellor Damask lived, I believe he would enjoy the solitude of the region."

Plagueis lowered his head, accepting the idea put forth by his apprentice. It was unlikely to occur, as the demands of State and whatever plans Shan had for his future would take precedence. However, the idea of spending even a single week on a remote planet around Shan would be an ideal location to delve into the mysteries that seemed to swirl around the time-displaced Force user.

"On the chance the Republic is free of a crisis that requires the attention of its Chancellors, I shall endeavour to find time in my far quieter schedule for a shared vacation." There was humour at the idea in Shan's tone and facial expression, but underneath in, at the edges of what Plagueis could sense in the Human's mind, hints of concern, if not outright fear, flickered. Why that would be, Plagueis couldn't sense, but it was something he would need to meditate on later, on the remote chance that, for a currently unknown reason, Shan was in some way frightened of Plagueis and Sidious.

"Might I ask what other features the Mandalorian engineers added to your arm?" Plagueis probed. He expected Shan to be hesitant about directly answering, and before a verbal response came, Plagueis sensed that uncertainty from the Human's mind.

"I would prefer to keep such things unsaid, Chancellor. A few of the suggestions they offered, and that I may or may not have taken onboard, skirt Republic law."

"Understandable," he replied, accepting the excuse. Many parts of Republic law were, even ignoring the twisted logic applied after the Seventh Battle of Ruusan, so flawed and outdated that Plagueis still struggled to understand how they remained active. Yes, previous Sith Lords had influenced events to ensure the Reformation remained in place, but until Sidious came along, the direct ability to guide the Senate had never been present, meaning moves should have been made to lift some of the Reformation's restrictions. That they hadn't was both a blessing and curse that Plagueis and Sidious would have to untangle over the coming years for the Grand Plan to come to fruition.

"How has the Jedi Council reacted to your limb?" Sidious asked, taking control of the conversation in the way Plagueis had intended. Sidious would lead Shan down certain paths of inquiry while Plagueis would interject at times to probe for kernels of information that might be of use. "I suspect they would be concerned about more Mandalorian influence on your choices."

Sham bit down back a bark of laughter. "Much like the holocrons," he gestured at the table where the objects still rested, "The Council is unaware of the design and features of my new limb. As they haven't asked for details, I have chosen to not offer them." That had Plagueis smiling, as it was another sign that Shan was distanced from the Council, meaning he was free of their illogical thinking. With time before events reached their crescendo, that distance could be exploited to turn Shan into a useful element of chaos in the Republic, if not shape him into becoming an instrument of his and Sidious' to enforce the new order once it came into effect. "If I must speak with them, I will wear a glove and avoid drawing any attention to it."

"A wise choice," Plagueis offered while raising his glass. Shan returned the gesture.

"Chancellor Damask mentioned you were handling something relating to the invasion, uncle. Is there anything you can tell me about how the investigation into the Trade Federation is progressing?"

Shan's change of topic was a logical one, and that he was comfortable shifting smoothly, another sign he was learning the art of controlling – or at least guiding – meetings. Another small facet that could be turned to the Sith's benefit.

Sidious sighed loudly, showing annoyance. "Sadly, no. With the death of the Viceroy Gunray alongside that of his senior commanders, the trail has gone cold. Ideally, we would gather the files from the command vessel the Federation used to find more information. However, the Mandalorians are reluctant to provide the Republic access to the core of said vessel. So much so that when the Jedi assigned to that sector attempted to access the vessel, the Mandalorian leadership expelled him from the sector and filed a formal petition with the Senate."

That petition had not been one aimed at the Senate or Jedi overreaching, but at the fact that the Lucrehulk was private property. Even though the two most powerful figures in Mandalorian society had been involved in the battle for Naboo, they had acted outside diplomatic channels, and as such the Jedi who had trespassed had inflamed tensions between the Order and the Mandalorians. Plagueis already saw ways to use the strengthening and boisterous Mandalorians to help with the Grand Plan, but it was not yet time to antagonise those in the Outer Rim, not with the issues the death of Viceroy Gunray caused.

The new directorate of the Trade Federation, while not having the spine of even members of the Senate, wasn't as weak as Gunray had been. Sidious was working to bring them into line for what was to come, but the death of Gunray would push the project back slightly. With Master Dooku no longer a viable figurehead for the insurgency that would challenge the Republic, the delay caused by Gunray's death was manageable. Additionally, with him now as Co-Chancellor, it was conceivable that Plagueis could remain in office alongside his apprentice for longer than they might otherwise be able to by exploiting the rules of the Senate to their advantage.

Shan grunted at Sidious' description of events in the Mandalorian sector. "That the Council didn't see that reaction coming is embarrassing. The Mandalorians have long memories and still resent the actions taken by the Republic and Order centuries ago."

Plagueis nodded at Shan's words, remembering the flawed action taken during the Mandalorian Incision. While it was an unusually proactive one for the Jedi to take, there was some logic behind them having done so. The Mandalorians were rearming in the Outer Rim and the Jedi feared another conflict only a few centuries after the New Sith Wars. The flaw in their action was not in striking at the Mandalorians, but in believing that not wiping out the culture would somehow ensure the Mandalorians came to heel. They were a warrior people and the only way to break that resolve was to shatter their will to fight. Something Darth Revan had done millennia before over Malachor V.

While it was a minor point, Plagueis found it an amusing point of symmetry that the Jedi had tried to destroy the Mandalorians with the Incision. Yet now, with the chosen template of the Clone Army that was being constructed for the coming war, a Mandalorian would be the form of the Jedi's executioners. The Mandalorians would be a minor threat; the new order would have to be ground to dust after the Republic and Jedi fell, but before then they would have the chance to enact their revenge on the Jedi. In the service of the Sith, of course.

"Yes. The current Senator for their sector was quite clear in stating that when the incident was brought before the Senate," Plagueis offered, remembering the rather colourful language the Human had used to describe the Jedi, and by extension the Republic.

"Still, if those files would help the investigation, I can reach out to those who took the Saak'ak as payment for their help. While I don't think they'd allow Republic technicians to examine the core, I think I could convince them to provide a copy of it for a price." Shan rubbed his chin the way many Jedi did only to stop almost instantly and look at the hand as if offended by it. "At least if the vessel hasn't been broken apart and sold for scrap."

"It has not," Plagueis offered. "Our most recent intelligence reports suggest the Mandalorians are converting it into a defence station over their capital. Technically the armaments on the Lucrehulk violate the Ruusan Reformation. However, as it was the Trade Federation that armed the vessel, and with the Senate distracted by other matters – most of which are irritatingly irrelevant – no formal vote has been taken to demand the Mandalorians de-arm the vessel or hand it over to Republic security forces."

"Probably for the best," Shan commented with a chuckle. "Duke Adonai and the others are… less than impressed with the Senate. As their ancestors never agreed to the Reformation, instead having it forced upon them by the Republic and Jedi after the Dral'Han, I suspect that any request to disarm would be met with the opposite."

Sidious pulled back, seemingly shocked by the statement. "You think they would declare war on the Republic?"

"To conquer it? No. The majority of the Mando'ade have little interest in returning to those ways. However, if the Republic and Jedi demanded they disarm, insisted that they give up their spoils of battle and ignore their history and culture, they would fight." Shan paused there and as he ran a finger around the rim of his glass, Plagueis sensed the conflict this topic was causing within the young Human. "They couldn't win," Shan said as he continued, "but that has never been an issue for them before. Nor would it be again. However, if they went to war, defending their rights to self-governance in their sector and the apparent overreach of the Senate, they would not hesitate to fight as brutally as the legends claim that they did. Nor I suspect, would they do so alone. Many in the Outer Rim have grown, to put it gently, disenfranchised with the Republic."

"Would you stand with the Jedi or the Mandalorians in such a conflict?" Plagueis asked, taking the opportunity to see which way Shan's loyalty lay.

"I… I don't know," Shan said after a few moments of looking down at his glass. He sighed loudly and then looked up at the ceiling before continuing. "I'm Mando'ade yet a Jedi. To fight for one means betraying the other and the friends I have there. Either I become labelled a Dark Jedi – at best – by the Jedi, or marked as dar'manda by the other Mando'ade." He sighed and shook his head again. "That is a choice I pray I'm never forced to make."

Everything Shan had said was genuine, but through the crack in his mental defences, Plagueis sensed that he was holding something back. Images and feelings for people in both ideological camps fluttered through Shan's thoughts, with the daughter of Duke Adonai Kryze and A Jedi Padawan by the name of Serra Keto – the one taken by Master Windu as his apprentice – being the most prominent. Along with those images were the faintest of hints that, if the matter were forced, Shan would side with the Mandalorians. A useful titbit Plagueis felt he could use to shape Shan's path as he desired, and one that brought some amusement given Darth Revan's work to shatter the clans so long ago.

"While we cannot place you above the values this Republic holds dear – values that I freely admit have fallen far from the core of the Senate's thinking – I want you to know that I," Sidious paused and gestured at Plagueis, "That we will do what we can to ensure you aren't forced into that position." Plagueis nodded, agreeing with his apprentice's position. "There are voices in the Senate calling for attacks on the Mandalorians because of their choice to fight for Naboo. Thankfully, they are a very minor minority, and I have personally made sure their demands are kept from the Senate floor."

"Thank you," Shan said after Sidious' statement.

"Since we are all now present, and other matters handled, perhaps it might behove us to move to the reason we wished to speak with you before the Holomovie premiere of your creation," Plagueis said, shifting the conversation along. "A matter that brought us together in the first place."

Shan looked at him carefully, being mindful of his expression. "You've located more Vong?" Through the probe Plagueis had in his mind, he felt the pleasing flickers of rage hinting at the Vong brought forth. Shan kept it deep within himself, but now that he knew what to look for, Plagueis could sense the well of anger that rested at the very base of Shan's core.

As before, images of Duke Adonai's daughter and Shan's fellow Padawan flashed through Shan's mind, including a few that showed Shan indulging in more emotions than just his rage. There were hints of others that Shan had enjoyed carnal pleasure with, but it was the Mandalorian and Jedi that Plagueis sensed were Shan's greatest weaknesses.

Shan would turn from the Jedi, of that Plagueis was now assured. The Jedi would never allow him to remain in their ranks if they learnt of his connections to the two Human females. Yet, Plagueis also felt that Shan would jump before he was punished or imprisoned. That was an interesting facet that he would have to discuss with Sidious. Shan would be a useful tool, and potential ally, for the fall of the Republic. The trick was going to be guiding the young, and potentially immensely powerful Human in ways that helped more than hindered the Grand Plan.

"Sadly, no. If they have agents in Republic space they are doing an excellent job of remaining far from any light," Sidious replied with a shake of his head. "However, another Jedi has approached us about a project that has the potential to be turned to our advantage. Potentially even allowing us to locate Vong bases beyond Republic space." There was a flicker of curiosity from Shan; something that reminded Plagueis much of himself when a project grasped his attention. "Are you familiar with Jedi Master C'baoth?"

Shan paused, his eyes narrowing as he thought about the name. From behind the Human's shields, Plagueis saw an image of the Jedi Master hazily form. Shan was well aware of C'baoth but wasn't saying so instantly. That was very interesting.

"I've met him once or twice, though I know his Padawan, Lorana Jinzler better." As Shan replied, Plagueis sensed that C'baoth's Padawan was close to Serra Keto. Another small thread that might be of use.

"He has approached us with a rather interesting proposal. One that involves setting up new colonies beyond the Republic's borders and expanding our intelligence in the process."

"What exactly is he proposing?" Shan asked carefully, hints of doubt forming in his mind.

"An expedition, one of considerable but not insurmountable cost – in credits, resources, and people – into the Unknown regions. The base proposal would see around twenty to thirty thousand sentients, mainly civilians but accompanied by experienced hyperspace explorers and Jedi, into the Unknown Region. The current plan has them departing from Fondor, and with each new jump beyond Republic borders, navigational beacons would be deployed. The expedition would explore the systems surrounding those beacons, but their mission is to find the hyperspace lanes for others to follow while, if a suitable world is located, establishing a colony to act as a hub for Republic expansion into the area."

Shan leaned back, taking in the description of C'baoth's proposal. Even without the silver of connection through Shan's mental defences, Plagueis would have sensed Shan's scepticism of the idea as the Human didn't fully hide it from his expression. "While ignoring the Vong, it has some merit. The Republic has been almost embarrassingly reluctant to push into the Unknown Regions or Wild Space for the last few hundred years," Shan said slowly, surprising Plagueis in that he knew of this. The reason, beyond the Senate being engulfed in factional infighting during that time, was because the Sith had actively worked to prevent the Republic and Jedi from creating hidden colonies. Such things had the potential to cause unneeded complications for the Grand Plan, and if not for the threat of the Vong – and a few other considerations – Plagueis and Sidious would already have dismissed C'baoth's proposal. "However, if we consider the Vong, then the expedition is a waste of time."

"You maintain that the Vong came from beyond our galaxy?"

"Yes," Shan replied instantly to Sidious' query. "As I mentioned when we last spoke on the Vong together, Sekot was quite clear in referring to the Vong as Far Outsiders. That name alone makes clear that the Vong come from somewhere beyond the Unknown Regions."

"Are you certain the planet spoke to you, and it wasn't just the Force offering some form of insight or suggestion?" Plagueis asked. The concept of a world strong in the Force – beyond through the fauna and flora that lived upon it – wasn't as uncommon as many might believe, however, he retained doubt that any planet, even one as strong in the Force as places like Tython and Ossus were said to be, could communicate with a Force user.

"While the conversation took place within a fraction of a second for everyone around me, I know that I spoke to Sekot. Raven allowed me that connection as she was born of myself and Sekot." Plagueis nodded at Shan's words, accepting. While he and Sidious had yet to convince Shan to allow them to travel aboard his unique vessel Plagueis knew it was the only surviving Sekotan ship in the galaxy, suggesting that the planet held a connection to everything it created.

"If I might ask," Plagueis began, deciding to explore a train of thought regarding Shan's vessel, "I am curious as to how your vessel still functions. Others owned a vessel built by Sekotans, yet now, from what I have discovered, all have essentially withered and died."

Shan smirked and Plagueis sensed his amusement at the Jade Raven being one-of-a-kind. "As I said, it was through Raven that I was able to speak with Sekot. The planet warned me that my vessel would die when it left, and aware of that – and having no interest in dying in deep space – I acted." Plagueis leaned forward, curious as to how Shan had saved himself and his vessel. "I used the Force to shift the bond Raven held with Sekot to me."

Plagueis blinked, surprised at hearing that. A moment later, he sensed a shift in Shan's mind and as a different, yet almost familial presence reached through the Force to Shan, Plagueis was pushed from Shan's mind. Plagueis blinked, shocked at what had happened, though he recovered as he understood that it was the vessel that had helped Shan push away Plagueis' probe, using the moment of astonishment Plagueis had experienced at hearing how Shan had survived the departure of Sekot.

"I… I had no idea that such a thing was possible," Sidious said gently, wonder and disbelief clear in his tone and body language.

"Nor did I at the time," Shan replied with a chuckle. "Master Fay was also less than impressed with my actions, but as it saved our lives, and that of the others with us, she chose to absolve me of punishment for my recklessness."

Plagueis nodded, both in agreement with Fay's choice and at how Shan described his actions. Reckless was an apt word for doing what he had done, yet as he thought on the matter – and his interest in observing the Jade Raven closely actively grew – Plagueis realised that Shan's actions were another moment where he failed to act like a Jedi. Instead of following their pathetic ideal of allowing the Force to decide their fate, Shan had lashed out and bent the Force to his demands; an action that had saved him, Master Fay, the vessel, and others. An impressive, if dangerous for one so young, display of power and another hint that Shan was destined to step away from the Jedi.

"Well, I…" Sidious paused and looked at Plagueis, "We are glad that your instinctive choice worked. Without it, we would have remained blissfully unaware of the threat to the Republic these Vong represent. And we would have lost a young friend."

Shan nodded, accepting the comment and he seemed pleased to have Sidious and Plagueis consider him friends. Plagueis wished he were still inside the outermost defences of the Human's mind, as he wondered if there might be something Shan was hiding from them. However, he knew that unless another moment of shock occurred to Shan, he'd be unable to slide past the barriers the Jedi had around his thoughts without alerting him.

"Is there anything else you can add that can support your theory that the Vong come from beyond our galaxy?" Plagueis asked, shifting the conversation back on-topic. While there was still a decent amount of time until either he or Sidious would need to end the meeting, if they tallied too long on a side issue such as Shan's starship, it would cost them that time. It might also make Shan even more reluctant to allow either of them access to his remarkable vessel.

"Beyond the fact that Sekot referred to the Vong as Far Outsiders and that their technology, unless you've discovered anything about it, is entirely unlike anything in the Republic, no. However, I know in my heart, and in the Force, that the Vong aren't from our galaxy or even one of the satellite galaxies nearby."

"I still find it hard to comprehend that any species could endure the centuries, if not millennia, that it would take to traverse the distance between our galaxy and its comparable neighbour."

"As do I, uncle. However, when one eliminates the impossible…" Shan trailed off.

"… all that remains, however improbable, must be the truth," Plagueis finished. He was well aware of that statement, in the various forms that it existed within the Republic. Hearing it from one so young was unexpected, but in this situation, it was logical that it was used.

Shan nodded, pleased to see Plagueis finish what he was saying even as Plagueis continued. "Like both of you, I remain reluctant to accept the concept that the Vong originate from beyond our galaxy. Such things are beyond my areas of expertise." True for Hego Damask if not so for Plagueis. "That said, if the Vong are preparing to invade the Republic, then they would need some form of forward operation. If that was inside Republic space, or in a system known to us, then it would only be a matter of time until rumours would begin to swirl in cantinas in the Outer Rim of a new species existing beyond the laws of the Republic. While I admit that, given our positions in society it is unlikely that such rumours would reach us directly, the various sources that Damask Holdings have spread throughout the galaxy have heard nothing. Based on that, it is not logical to accept that the Vong's base is somewhere beyond the Republic's influence. Such as the Unknown Regions?"

Shan took his time considering the matter, showing once more that he was mature enough to understand that careful consideration was required for any major decision. While he thought on the matter, Plagueis considered C'baoth.

Sidious had cultivated a friendship with the Jedi Master; a title C'baoth had appointed for himself, and the Jedi Council had allowed him to keep. That made clear that C'baoth had an arrogant streak that was exploitable, and he had a natural capacity to persuade others to his side. That would serve him well if he were convinced to play the role Plagueis had hoped to place Master Dooku into. That it was because of the Human before him that Sidious had to shift from Dooku to C'baoth was not lost on Plagueis.

"It does. It would also allow us to scout out other potential threats that might exist beyond the limits of Republic sight." Plagueis nodded in agreement, pleased to see Shan had a small streak of paranoia and caution. Those might well allow him and Sidious to further manipulate Shan to accelerate his departure from the Jedi. "While the final choice lies with both of you, I see no harm in allowing Master C'baoth's idea to be further considered. Though I can see ways to enhance the project."

"It is probable that, given his ability to convince others of his point of view, Master C'baoth could gather the funding needed for this project without Senate approval," Plagueis offered honestly. "That said, if we do offer our support, we would, of course, demand greater input into the project and its goals."

"Which is where I see ways to enhance things," Shan offered almost conspiratorially. As if he enjoyed the idea of corrupting C'baoth's project to serve his interests.

"Such as?" Sidious asked gently, taking the final sip from his glass.

"Expanding the number of people involved, be they civilians, explorers, and Jedi, in the mission. Adding dedicated reconnaissance vessels to probe further from the main vessel after each successful jump. Researchers trained to spot signs of advanced civilizations in these remote systems the voyage would travel near to. Maybe even adding a decent military compliment on the chance a hostile threat is discovered."

"All very sound suggestions, and ones we will pass along to Master C'baoth when we next speak with him about the project."

Shan nodded at Plagueis taking on his ideas. Those ideas were ones he and Sidious had already considered, but there was value in letting Shan believe he had come up with them. "That said, I still doubt they'll find any sight of the Vong. Fondor is on the wrong side of the Core. Even if they do, I suspect that the Jedi assigned to the mission, unless able to think laterally, will stand little chance against a decently seasoned Vong warrior."

"I concur that the chances of locating the Vong in the Unknown Regions are remote. As you said, there is the potential that this proposal might reveal new threats to the Republic, but might I postulate another theory? That the Vong's use of organic technology and immunity to the Force isn't unique? There may well be a race in the Unknown Regions that has similar abilities. Discovering them would, in theory, allow us to create a base to work from for countering the Vong whenever they make their move against the Republic."

Shan inclined his head. "There is wisdom in your words, Chancellor, and it is another reason that support for Master C'baoth's project has merit. My concern there would be getting the Senate to do anything about it. From what I have read on the Holonet, the attempts by your Co-Chancellor to advance any form of re-armament of the Republic have met with stiff resistance."

Sidious sighed loudly at the reminder of the delays and misdirection the Senate was inflicting on Chancellor Palpatine's attempts to strengthen the Republic's security forces. "Sadly, you are correct on that," Sidious replied in a tired tone. "Like yourself, I remain convinced that increased security for the Republic – in the Core and beyond – is the best way to secure the galaxy. However, many are reluctant to see the wisdom of this position."

In truth, the reason measures for increased funding for security or military projects had failed to make it from the Senate floor was that Sidious was acting from the shadows against himself. Plagueis was also working, though his focus was on business leaders elsewhere, getting them to pressure their Senators to not support Palpatine's proposals. If they moved too soon, then the spark needed for the destruction of the Republic would fail to ignite as intended. That would dent the levers they needed to pull to initiate the fall of the Republic while ruling it from its centre.

"I have faith in you uncle, in both of you," Shan added, giving Plagueis a nod to make clear he wasn't favouring one Chancellor over the other, "That you will bring the changes needed for a safe and secure galaxy through the Senate. I just hope that they arrive before the Vong make their move."

"You flatter us with your faith, Cameron," Sidious replied with one of those warm, grandfatherly smiles that no one who didn't know the truth of the man could ever believe was anything but genuine. "While the Senate is designed to serve the people of the Republic, many of its members are more interested in self-gain and influence than pursuing the duties expected of them. It grows more complicated in that, with my elevation to the Chancellorship, every position on every panel in the Senate is now up for grabs. Each Senator is out for themselves, seeking a position of importance on various sub-committees and tribunals. Once Magister Damask was approved as my Co-Chancellor, that chaos only grew more powerful as now the Senators had two figures to not only seek patronage from but attempt to turn to their agenda."

"The more things change," Shan muttered with a grunt of annoyance. Plagueis was not sure where Shan had experienced the rantings and ravings of such self-interested fools as he had been dealing with in the Senate, but it was clear his dislike of the current setup of the Senate was genuine. "I wish there was something I could do to help, but beyond suggesting taking some Senators out the back of the building and convincing them to see reason, there's little I can do to help."

Plagueis allowed a true smile to spread over his face at the idea. He wouldn't deny that he had considered arranging meetings between his true self and a handful of Senators and knew that Sidious regularly felt the same. The pathetic mewling of the various so-called civilised sentients that composed galactic governance was a test of his patience that Plagueis had not expected to have to endure at this point in his life. Sadly, as much as the idea of dismembering various Senators wasn't possible, nor was Shan's factitious suggestion of other persuasive methods, the fact the Human had gone there as a joke was an interesting and amusing moment.

"Perhaps there is something you might be able to do," he said slowly as an idea came to mind. "I understand from my Co-Chancellor that you have no interest in setting foot inside the Senate Chamber and addressing its members."

"Not unless it's to burn the place down, no," Shan shot back with a smile that made it clear he was joking.

Plagueis nodded, putting aside the ease with which Shan could joke about violent options. "Then perhaps you might be willing to speak to a handful of reporters? There you could put forth your opinions on how the failings of the Senate, and the lack of proper security for the Republic, created the situation which placed a peaceful world like Naboo ended up in the crosshairs of a galactic conglomerate."

Shan tapped his chin until stopping suddenly and again looking at the hand as if it had done something to insult him. "I'm uncertain what good that would do, Chancellor," he said after lowering the offending hand. "I'm only a Jedi Knight and a young one at that. And then there's how the Council would react to me making policy without consulting them on the matter. Without going into detail, I have little interest in being pulled before them yet again."

"That is indeed an issue, and as all Force users are nominally under the control of the Jedi Order, there is little we could do to influence their decisions."

"Probably would make it worse," Shan added with a sigh and a shake of his head.

"Indeed, though perhaps I can see a way around at least the latter of those issues," Sidious offered, taking the point over as intended. "When we attend the premiere of your creation, we will no doubt be asked our opinions on it and several other matters. It would not take much for a rumour to be released regarding the investigation into the Trade Federation to reach the reporters. With that, they would ask our opinion. If, while one of us answers that question, you were present behind us, perhaps even offering a few nods of agreement, it would provide extra weight to our words and grant you protection from the threat of the Jedi Council questioning you for speaking on the matter."

"In theory, that should work," Shan said slowly, once more weighing his thoughts before speaking. "However, wouldn't using such a public event to call out the inaction of the Senate cause those members loyal to the Federation and its allies to become more stubborn in their resolve to deflect and obstruct your work?"

Sidious laughed softly. "Once more you show an understanding of how politics works while having no apparent interest in stepping into the arena."

"Some of the first lessons of my grandfather and then from you, uncle, have had more of an effect on me than perhaps I would like," Shan explained with a smirk, drawing a chuckle from Sidious.

"It seems they have. And to answer your question, while there is a risk that having you subtly support our position regarding the Trade Federation and increased military spending will alienate and harden the stances of the more disagreeable Senators, it is not them we need to convince. Public support for increased security has risen steadily since the invasion of Naboo, and while there is not yet majority support for any sort or restoration of a centralised military, there is a large and growing minority who back the concept."

"I hadn't realised the public, or at least those on Coruscant, clamoured for such things," Shan said slowly, faint, indistinct hints of worry emanating from him.

"Nor do most of the Senate and their adjuncts. However, polling carried out over the last year backs up my words. Indeed, support for increased security spending stands at around sixty-five per cent." The polls Sidious was mentioning were ones discretely supported by Damask Holdings and phrased in such a way that the idea of increased security and military forces held a greater appeal than the other opinions.

"Then, so long as I'm not asked for a direct opinion – in which case I will defer to the position of the Council to not interfere in affairs of the Senate – I see no issue with this idea. Even if I'd prefer to avoid the limelight altogether," Shan added with a disarming smile.

It was obvious to anyone that Shan had no interest in being drawn into the political arena, but as Plagueis had observed today, on occasion before, and from talking with Sidious, the young Human had a spark for knowing how the game was played. It was a shame that he was just barely an adult by Human standards, as with another decade of training and guidance, there was a path where Shan would be a greater orator than Master Dooku was and would have made an excellent figurehead for the internal threat the Gran Plan needed for its final execution.

"There is one other concern I have," Shan continued slowly, his smile falling away. "By standing so firmly in your camp I might draw attention to both of you that I'd prefer not to do." By the time he finished, Shan's focus was purely on Plagueis.

"I have spent my life living with the threat of assassination by lesser beings," Plagueis replied, "my mask is a reminder of that. Therefore, I fail to see how having it publicly known that I consider the Hero of Naboo a friend would increase the threat against me. Particularly considering the threat has risen significantly since becoming Co-Chancellor."

Shan inhaled deeply, his artificial limb reaching toward his belt. "The reason I say this Chancellor, is that after the events of Naboo, and my battle with the Sith there, I discovered something deeply concerning." Shan pulled a small datacard from a pouch on the belt. "You and the Jedi Council are not the only ones to have seen the recording of my duel. Master Dooku was also given a copy, one he shared with a former Padawan of his that he has been… counselling."

Shan leaned forward and handed the datacard to Plagueis. As he did so, the Muun saw his eyes glance at Sidious. Plagueis' brow rose as he took the datacard, wondering where Shan was going with this. Around them, Plagueis sensed a faint shift in the Force; one almost imperceivable but to those with decades of experience listening for such minute alterations.

"Beyond a rather unenjoyable review of my technique in the battle," Shan continued with another disarming smile once he had leaned back, "it seems his former Padawan, one Komari Vosa, had seen the Zabrak before."

"Who is this Vosa?" Sidious asked, his face curious even as the weak ripple in the Force grew fractionally stronger. Plagueis knew these gentle changes often lead to something major, but he currently failed to see where Shan was taking this discussion.

"Beyond having been part of the failed Jedi operation Baltizaar," Plagueis knew instantly of the operation in question, "Vosa was the head of the Bando Gora during my… residency with the group."

Plagueis' brow rose, both at learning the failed Jedi had been the Bando Gora's leader – as it was probable she was a figure of importance during their involvement in the attack on his compound on Sojourn – and because Shan's fury was rising. It was understandable Shan held resentment toward the one responsible for his torture by the Bando Gora, but that was a minor issue as Plagueis sensed he knew where this topic was heading, and he could feel flickers of his own, deeply controlled rage shifting.

"I'm not sure if you're aware Chancellor, but it seems the Bando Gora under her leadership were involved in the attack on you that left you needing your mask."

"I was not," Plagueis replied honestly, allowing a hint of his anger to slip into his tone. Between them, Sidious sat perfectly still, no hint of anything amiss in his body nor within the force. Yet, as his master, Plagueis knew this was a sign Sidious was either hiding something or bracing for an assault. That, when combined with Shan's words created some rather concerning questions; ones that seemed to feed the infinite pool of rage that Plagueis kept under control within himself.

"Ah, then I shall have to reach out to my Master and see if she would be willing to provide full details of the attack." Plagueis nodded his thanks, though it was immaterial. The others involved had all been dealt with. Or at least the ones that Sidious had managed to locate. It was strange, in many ways, that he would fail to learn of the involvement of a Dark Side cult in the attack. "Anyway, it was just before my time under her care," Shan made little effort to hide his feelings on that, though he pushed them aside as he continued, "that she met the Zabrak. Indeed, according to her, and that datacard holds a recording of her report to Master Dooku, he was involved, indirectly it seems, in the attack as well."

Plagueis blinked, letting a hint of his surprise and rage slip out. "I was unaware that I had acquired the attention of the Sith," he said slowly, his eyes staying on Shan and not, as he wished, his apprentice. The barriers he placed around his mind to both hide his true persona from others and maintain external composure were at their fullest; a position they had not been in several years and one only used when either his impulses threatened to overwhelm him, or he was about to step into a true test of his abilities.

To his side, Sidious showed shock at Shan's words, yet Plagueis couldn't tell if this was an act or a truthful reaction. Voices whispered that his apprentice had attempted to remove him from his position of Dark Lord of the Sith; to usurp his position and power without directly challenging him. Plagueis was enraged that Sidious would both do so without directly facing him and that it suggested Sidious no longer wished to rule the galaxy as equals. If he ever had.

"Nor did I Chancellor," Shan replied, granting Plagueis something to focus on and prevent the cold fury of a raging star that dwelled within him from engulfing the room they were in, and the planet they stood upon, in his desire for answers and vengeance. "However, once I learnt of it, I felt I had to inform you of it. The issue was that I couldn't risk sending such dangerous material over the Holonet. Nor even by a secure courier." Shan glanced toward the large window that was behind Plagueis' desk before continuing. "I feel the Sith are watching me closely, and I didn't want them to be aware that I knew of this, thus I felt it best to deliver it personally."

A few minutes ago, Plagueis would have been amused at how right Shan was about the Sith watching him, and how blissfully unaware he was that he was speaking with the sentients in question. However, with the reveal of Sidious' assassin's involvement in the attack on him, Plagueis found nothing even remotely amusing. Indeed, the only thing that swelled within him was a desire to learn the truth from Sidious, and if necessary remind his apprentice that while they were Co-Chancellors, he was the Master and Sidious the Apprentice. "I thank you for this information," he said to Shan, separating the rage directed at Sidious from the persona of Hego Damask, "and I will speak with my personal security about increasing their efforts to protect me."

As he said that, Plagueis slipped the datacard in his hand, one he had almost come close to crushing at the shock of learning Sidious had a hand in the attack on Sojourn, and his desire for vengeance, into his pocket. He would be reviewing the recording on it carefully. Ideally, while Sidious was writhing on the floor in unbridled agony as Plagueis reinforced that he was the Master.

"This is troubling news and something that needs further investigation," Sidious said slowly, no hint of fear of Plagueis slipping into his performance nor leaking from behind the immaculate defences he had around his Force presence. If not for knowing that Palpatine was a stage for Sidious, Plagueis would have believed his Co-Chancellor was shocked and deeply concerned by what Shan had revealed. "While it isn't your forte, perhaps you might speak with Senate security to see if there are any flaws in the protection – both in the Senate and at the upcoming premiere – around Chancellor Damask and myself that a Sith could exploit?"

Shan nodded. "I doubt there is anything I would find that could be exploited, but I see no harm in doing so. The Sith now seem to prefer moving from the shadows than open declarations of war." Again, such a statement should have brought Plagueis some amusement, yet it failed to do so. The persona of Hego Damask simply nodded in response as Plagueis fought to retain control over it, as for the first time in decades, he questioned his actions with Sidious and wondered if he, like everyone else, had been deceived by the Human from Naboo.

"Excellent," Sidious reached into his robes, and for the faintest of seconds, the Force whispered to Plagueis that his apprentice was going for a lightsaber. That he was going to attack both himself and Shan here and now. Plagueis pushed aside those feeble whispers from the Force. He had long ago mastered his control over it and would never return to the mindless creature he had been in those early years under Darth Tenebrous' tutelage. "Sate," Sidious said into the small communication device he pulled from his robes, "bring in a copy of the security for the premiere later this week along with the layout of protection in the Senate." He closed the link without waiting for a reply from his primary adjunct.

An idea formed in Plagueis' mind, one that might allow him to learn the truth of Sidious's role from one not nearly as skilled in misdirection as his Apprentice. Sate Prestage knew the truth of who Palpatine was, and while he had training to serve the Sith, he was not sensitive enough to the Force that he would be able to resist Plagueis' questioning. The same was true of the others that Sidious had relied on for years as first a Senator and now Chancellor. The others might know something, but if any of the group was aware of Sidious' plans, it would be Sate. From the simple Human, Plagueis would learn the truth, or at least move a step closer to discovering it.

Plagueis pulled his hand from his pocket, releasing his grasp on the datacard. He didn't wish to damage it, not before he could examine it carefully and go over the events that resulted in the destruction of his compound on Sojourn.

As Sidious shifted the topic, asking Shan about what he had been doing over the last year, Plagueis' mind rewound to roughly the same amount of time. Back to the evening after Sidious had been confirmed as Chancellor, and Plagueis had arrived to celebrate the next step in the Grand Plan coming to fruition.

They had shared a toast over Sidious' success in manipulating events to serve their purpose and wondered how the assassin would do against Shan on Naboo. While they enjoyed a drink, there had been a moment when the Force had shifted, and they had felt ripples of rage reaching across the galaxy. Shan had, for a few moments, lost his control and in those moments, Plagueis had sensed the Force tensing: as if expecting some grand change.

At the time, when nothing had seemingly happened he had dismissed it. Afterwards, once news of Shan's victory reached them, he believed that was what the Force was readying itself for. Yet now, with this additional information of Sidious' assassin being involved in the attempt on his life, Plagueis wondered if the Force had been expecting Sidious to make his move against him. To alter the plans by striking him down and becoming the new Dark Lord of the Sith.

He would not be sure of that for some time, perhaps not even after interrogating Sidious and his minions, but Plagueis now had to consider the possibility that Sidious was not as committed to ruling as an equal as he had claimed for several decades.

That drew Plagueis' thoughts back to Shan, and to the young Togruta Padawan who had been captured when Master Sifo-Dyas had died. Perhaps, just perhaps, he would need to implement a contingency plan, much as Tenebrous had done with Venamis. A second apprentice to gain revenge if Sidious proved as disloyal as he might well be.

… …

… …
(Cam's POV)
I stood on the balcony of my apartment in Kaldani Spires. It was as impressive as Chancellor Damask had suggested and while technically it was under the ownership of my pseudonym, it was mine. The idea that anyone seeing a Jedi enter the building and spending the night would wonder who I was visiting amused me more than It probably should, as did the fact that the apartment was as heavily bugged as I'd expected. So much so that I wondered if there were monitoring devices in the toilet, waste bins, and the like.

Because of those bugs, I was routing everything through my arm, ensuring the signals weren't filtered through the building's communication grid first. Even with military-grade encryption installed in the limb, I'd rather not take the chance the Banite Sith learnt about whatever I discussed. Amusingly, if they did somehow catch the transmissions I'd made, and then break the encryption, they'd discover I'd only spoken to HK about how he, R2, and Raven were doing.

My ship was docked on one of the lower levels of the tower, in a larger hangar than most of the other vessels and vehicles present. As the Spires were a high-end private complex with private security, the lowest floors had been converted into hangars and garages, some of which could handle the arrival of a light cruiser. Raven wasn't that big, but the hangar assigned to this apartment was large enough for such a vessel.

To reach my apartment I'd first had to navigate the Sun Guard that Damask Holdings had as security, and then because my apartment was close to the penthouse, deal with the Senate Guard. Neither group had caused me any issue as each stepped willingly aside for a Jedi, but I suspected the former would be less cordial if I arrived in full Mando'ade armour.

Turning back and looking into the apartment, my gaze saw the insanely large bed that dominated an almost as impressive bedroom. That thing was big enough that five or six people could sleep in it comfortably, and that was before the two smaller rooms attached to it for attendants were taken into consideration. Sadly, I didn't have anyone to share the bed with, nor would I as it would mean revealing just how close I was to certain people.

Turning back to take in the skyline of the sector the Spires were located in as the sun slowly set, my focus shifted toward where the Senate and Temple districts were. I could make out both buildings easily enough, and it was to the Temple my thoughts turned. Or more accurately, Serra.

I knew she wasn't there as I could sense she was far above me, but it was hard to not think about her while on the planet. That she was away was another matter, and I couldn't help but wonder if Windu was actively choosing to keep her away from me by taking a mission while head of the Council. However, that was likely just some paranoia on my part as Windu shouldn't know I had returned for the premiere of Fellowship of the Ring.

There was also the fact that, even if Serra had been in the Temple, I wouldn't head there to speak with her. The defences I'd created around myself weren't anywhere near as ready as Dooku had suggested they were. Plagueis had breached them barely a few minutes into my arrival in his office, and while the Interface had alerted me to the intrusion into my thoughts, there was little I could do to drive him from my mind. The only saving grace I had was that he didn't push too deeply, as that would've revealed what he was to me, and that reaching out to Raven while talking about how I saved her, and her then reaching back had been enough to push the probe from my mind without Plagueis reacting.

If either of those moments had gone differently, then I'd not be standing here and HK and R2 would have alerted the Council to the fact the Chancellors were Banite Sith Lords. Thankfully, that chain of events – and the chaos it would've unleashed along with my probable death – hadn't come to pass. Still, it was clear that after the premiere, I had to stay the fuck away from this world until my mental defences were ready to engage Jedi Masters and Sith Lords.

While Plagueis had broken through that outer layer of defences I'd created, the fact he hadn't pushed deeper, and that I'd made sure to keep thoughts about Anakin buried as deeply as I could manage – even using the pit of rage I had created to manage the fact I couldn't let go of such emotions properly as a screen – meant he and Sidious shouldn't be aware of my son. I'd let images of others, including Serra and Bo, slip out as the Banite Sith were aware of my connection to both, and not revealing anything would've alerted Plagueis that I knew of his probe. Which again would have resulted in either my imprisonment and torture by him or death at his hands.

Regardless of how much Plagueis did or didn't know, I'd be leaving the planet as soon after the premiere as I could. Ideally, that very evening, but I suspected the Chancellors, along with Padmé and a few others, would want me to attend some after party or other.

I sighed to myself, wondering how the premiere would go, and if the changes I'd insisted on that had been made in my former life to make the movies more enjoyable would appeal to enough that they'd be the success I felt they should be. I'd earned a ton of credits from selling the rights already, but the better the movies did, the more I'd earn from them and the holonovels, and potentially draw in new readers to the Knights of the Old Republic series.

A gentle vibration from my artificial arm cut me from my thoughts. Lifting my arm, I opened the comm channel with a thought and a small hologram of HK appeared on top of my forearm.

"Information: You have an incoming call, Master." His voice was relayed to a small receiver I had in my ear, ensuring that any recording devices would only catch my side of any conversation I had.

"From whom?"

"Answer: Jedi Padawan Rachi Sitra."

My brow raised at hearing Rachi was contacting me. The only person I'd reached out to at the Temple as I'd approached Coruscant had been Tedra. "Route it through, though increase encryption as high as you can." There was little I expected either of us to say that would be troublesome, but the less the Banite Sith knew of my friendships with other Jedi, the better it would be for them and myself.

HK's hologram disappeared without a response and a few seconds later the familiar shape of a Twi'lek Jedi replaced it. Since the hologram generated a blue image, there'd be no way for any recorders to know exactly which Twi'lek I was speaking with.

"Hello Cameron," Rachi said with an amused smile, "it's been some time."

"That it has. How are you doing?" I asked, avoiding using her name.

Rachi shrugged. "As good as normal. Master Nu is busy reorganising sections of the archives, and as such I've had more time than normal for private study."

"That's nice," I replied wondering why she had contacted me but not saying it because of who might be listening.

"Tedra has just left on a mission with Master Ti," Rachi said, answering the question of where the young Zabrak girl was. "Since she didn't have time to respond to your call, she asked me to do so." The smile she wore grew wider. "According to her, it seems you like to be kept abreast of what's happening within the Temple."

"That's a simplistic way to put it, but not entirely inaccurate."

Rachi chuckled. "Then why don't you just come to the Temple and see for yourself?" She shifted her stance, pushing her rather ample chest to the forefront. "I have been longing to know when I could next spar with you." The way she said spar suggested she might have another meaning to the word, which was in keeping with her character. While she had long since toned down the flirtatious tones and gestures, as Serra now didn't react as aggressively to them as she once had – thank the Force – Rachi still enjoyed doing so. At least, from what I'd learnt the last few times I'd been to the Temple when she spoke with me.

"Do you enjoy lying down and looking up at me that much?" I shot back, teasing her. I didn't intend to bed her, but as the idea of casual relationships was acceptable to the Order, provided they stayed that way, if she made clear that she wanted to take the flirting further I'd not say no. Bedding a Twi'lek – along with females of a few other species – was a personal goal of mine, but I wasn't going to bed just any Twi'lek that caught my eye. I had some standards no matter what Bo and Naz might jokingly say.

"Perhaps," Rachi replied with another soft chuckle, "or perhaps, like many in the Order, I wish to test myself against the first Jedi in centuries to defeat a Sith." My brow rose, wondering how she had learnt of that. While the Council had forbidden me from speaking of the matter and had likely done the same for Serra, it seemed the Temple's rumour mill was as active as ever. "For the record, Serra's not spoken to anyone but a handful of Masters about the death of Master Drallig. Nor has Tedra said anything." The young Zabrak didn't know much, but it was good to see she could keep a secret. "Sia-Lan, however, has no such issues." Rachi's expression slipped, and she shook her head. "I don't know what you did, or perhaps didn't do, but because of her, the Temple is aware of what happened on Naboo."

"How did the Council react to her doing that?" The order they'd placed on Serra and me was stupid, as even if we had obeyed – which I hadn't – the Mando'ade had copies of the fight recorded, and the Naboo would speak about things as well. Yet the fact that Sia-Lan was the one to reveal it to the Order, in what I suspected was an attempt to turn more of them against me, was amusing.

"I don't know exactly, but about two months after Naboo, Sia-Lan and her Master left on assignment. One they've yet to return from." I laughed gently at her getting punished for trying to bad-mouth me. "What did you do to anger her?" Rachi asked, leaning closer to the projector.

"Don't know, don't care," I replied bluntly. If Sia-Lan wanted to continue blaming me for Master Drallig's death, that was her choice. She wasn't someone I particularly cared about, however, if her actions influenced Serra and cost me my oldest friend, then I'd be returning to the Temple to spar with Sia-Lan. An event she would not enjoy in the slightest.

Rachi smirked widely. "Scuttlebutt is that she's not happy you spend more time with Serra, Aayla, and even me instead of her." Her tone was mischievous, and I couldn't help but laugh at the implication of her suggestion.

"Bad-mouthing me to others isn't going to fix that issue," I replied with a shake of my head. "Anyway, how are things at the Temple?" I asked, shifting the conversation to one of the reasons I'd initially reached out to Tedra.

"Honestly, not much. Most of our friends are away on assignment, so it's far too quiet around here for my liking." Rachi paused as if considering something. "Actually, your friend, Darihd?" I nodded confirming that and knowing where this was going. "Well, he and Master Sifo-Dyas are overdue for their assignment. Or at least that's what Master Nu has hinted at when I've asked about them."

"I'm sure they've simply been delayed by unexpected complications," I replied, ignoring that I knew the pair were dead. I'd failed Sifo-Dyas' Changing Fate quest, and the consequence of that was losing Darihd as well. I'd mourned for my friend, but let go of any residual anger about it as best I could as I'd not wanted it present when I'd met the Banite Sith.

"Probably," Rachi replied though I wasn't sure she believed it. "Anyway, while I've got you here, can you tell me what you've been up to? If you do, I'll tell you what I've discovered." She ended that with a wink; one hinting that I'd like whatever it was she had to say.

I wasn't so sure I would as while Rachi was pleasant enough, she often dove deeply into mysteries that I didn't have much interest in. "Not that much, I've just been wandering the galaxy, letting the Force guide me to where it felt I needed to go," I replied as I moved into the apartment, figuring that if I was going to endure an enthusiastic report of her dealings since we'd last spoken, I might as well get comfortable.

It wasn't like I had much to do this evening, so I figured letting the cute Twi'lek explain whatever project had caught her eye was as good a way to pass the time as any. At least without leaving my apartment and wandering some of the lower levels of the planet.

"Somehow I suspect there's more to it than that," Rachi queried, her eyes watching me carefully. "The idea that you've spent a year without getting into some sort of trouble is as likely as Master Windu smiling."

"I'll have you know I've seen him smile," I shot back, ignoring the dig about how my luck seemed to draw me into trouble. "But there was one instance when I ran into a group of Trandoshan slavers-come-child-kidnappers."

As I reached the main sofa in the centre of the living room, I settled down into it, reaching for a glass of Nabooian whisky. As Chancellor Damask had promised, a crate had been in the apartment by the time I arrived. Said crate carried several monitoring devices so it wouldn't be getting brought aboard Raven. A few of the bottles had similar issues, but as I wasn't willing to leave behind the whisky, those bottles – or at least the ones I didn't finish before I left Coruscant – would be slipped into my Inventory, preventing the Banite Sith from tracking my movements.

"Disgusting," Rachi said, shaking her head. "I hope you turned them over to Republic security forces?"

I chuckled before taking a sip of my whisky. "No. They were reluctant to allow themselves to be captured so I was forced to enter aggressive negotiations." Rachi chuckled, catching the implication. "Anyway, what has been happening in the Archives? Any new holocrons popping up?"

It was unlikely she'd know such things, but learning even the slightest detail of the security arrangements for the Archives might have value in future. And while she wasn't present, Watching Rachi speak animatedly, even if just as a holocron, wasn't the worst way to spend an evening.

… …

… …
As the doors to the transport opened, I raised my arm, shielding my eyes from the blinding cornucopia of camera flashes. "This was a bad idea," I muttered as Chancellors Palpatine and Damask stepped from the transport, into the visual assault. Once the pair were out, I moved toward the exit, praying the cameras, reporters, and whoever else was out there kept their attention on the Co-Chancellors and not on me and who I was escorting.

"Agh!" The faint call of despair came from Padmé, who had insisted that I was her date for the premiere of Fellowship of the Ring.

That Padmé was here wasn't surprising as I'd assured her long ago that she'd get tickets to this event. However, Palpatine, seeing it as a way to reinforce the message he would deliver to the reporters tonight, had made Queen Amidala his personal guest, and with her insistent that I be her Plus-One, it meant I had to travel with the Co-Chancellors, removing any chance I had to avoid Palpatine's scheme to link my star to his and the idea of increased security for the Republic.

I stepped to one side, shielding her as best I could from the frankly insane number of people and droids outside the transport. Behind them, when the flashing of the hundreds, if not thousands, of cameras, lessened, I could see the evening sky of Coruscant. There, ships moved around in unison, blissfully unaware of what was happening far below them.

Padmé's fingers moved around my arm, and I felt her push up on her feet. "Thank you," she said gently, making sure to speak just loud enough that I could hear her over the voices of reporters shouting questions at the Co-Chancellors. That they would choose to do that instead of waiting until either Chancellor was ready was something that irritated me. While I disliked the Banite Sith being in charge of the Republic, they were heads of state, and decorum should be observed. Even by what I suspected were entertainment reporters and not serious journalists.

"At your service, Your Majesty," I replied just loud enough that she should hear me. I couldn't see her face, but with it now easier to sense her through the Force – because of Natural Selection and the physical contact – I knew she enjoyed hearing my words. "However, I can't promise to get you through these vultures as quickly as we'd like." Nor as violently as I might wish to try as doing that would not only cause issues with the trio of politicians I was travelling with but draw the attention of the Jedi Council.

Her hand squeezed my arm even as she stifled a laugh. "Sadly, it is a fact that no matter how advanced a society becomes, the need for people to know details that are not their concern remains. At least here they have some form of civilised behaviour."

"This isn't civilised," I replied as I moved to exit the transport, Padmé at my side. "On Mandalore, if these people and I used the word very lightly, pushed a clan Alor, the Alor would be within their rights to consider it a challenge of their authority and respond appropriately."

"It's a shame we aren't there," Padmé replied with a soft laugh. She leaned further into my side as we walked along the short gangway from the transport down to the ground. That had her dress, another of those over-the-top monstrosities that Naboo seemed to like, fold in on itself as it was pushed up against my side. "I would enjoy seeing how a certain Alor dealt with such a challenge."

I chuckled but kept my eyes ahead. "As would I, but sadly we're on Coruscant and acting that way would reflect badly on our host." Even in her makeup and dress, she still looked alluring, and I had to remind myself that she was fifteen. Yes, that meant by Mando'ade law she was technically an adult, and with her parent's permission, she was free to pursue a relationship under Naboo law. However, the Republic Age of Responsibility was sixteen, and I was not going to bed anyone under that age. No matter how attracted I was to them. "Nor I suspect, would the Jedi Council approve of the Alor's actions."

"If they came for you, all of Naboo would protect you."

I almost stuttered in my steps at hearing not only her words but the conviction in them. She meant that, and while it was incredible to hear – and a little enticing – the idea that a planet as peaceful and loyal as Naboo would be willing to defy the Republic for me was both unexpected and exhilarating.

"… and that is why, my Co-Chancellor and I, as we attend a premiere of a holomovie detailing the fight against an overwhelming threat, feel this issue cannot be avoided or ignored." Palpatine's voice reached us as we moved forward, distracting me from thoughts about Padmé and Naboo. The Chancellor extended an arm, gesturing to us as we approached. "The failures of successive Chancellors and sessions of the Galactic Senate in not considering the need for a centralised security arrangement is why a world such as my homeworld was forced to endure the terrors the Trade Federation inflicted on it."

"If not for the resolve of the Naboo, exemplified by Queen Amidala when she broke through the Federation's blockade and then stood before the Senate and demanded change, we would have remained blissfully unaware of the horrors the Trade Federation was capable of. Horrors that, due to ill-advised resolutions passed by the Senate and approved by previous Chancellors, my homeworld was forced to endure. Had she not stood before us, challenging the failings of the once glorious but now sadly weakening heart of democracy, then none would have moved to help Naboo. And undoubtedly, other worlds would now be facing similar terrors."

Padmé lowered her head, accepting Palpatine's compliments, however the man's eyes were upon me. "The Senate, despite my pleading and Queen Amidala demanding change, chose to do nothing. As did the vaunted Jedi Order. However, into that breach of concerned citizens of our great Republic stepped her citizens. None more so than Jedi Knight Cameron Shan. The Hero of Naboo," I flinched, not liking that title as I wasn't the only one to fight to free Naboo, and my actions in gathering a liberation force had been self-serving as I feared how I'd do against Maul, and what my presence would have changed. "He reached across the galaxy, gathering former slaves, mercenaries, and warriors and formed them into a cohesive force under his command."

While I was disliking the attention, mainly as I wanted to stay as far from the limelight as fucking possible, I once more found myself marvelling at Palpatine's words and how he could turn them to make almost anyone believe whatever he said.

"Mandalorians, a people in millennia past who had tried on several occasions to destroy our magnificent Republic, came to Knight Shan's call. They rallied under his banner and, in actions that shame me and the rest of the Senate, did what we would not. They fought for democracy, for freedom.

"Why they did so does not matter. What does is that in fighting to free Naboo, they shame the rest of the Republic. The Republic is meant to stand as the guardian of the walls of freedom. We in the Senate are elected to guide this freedom, to nurture it, yet in the hour of need for one of those we are meant to protect, we failed to do so."

Palpatine's arm fell away, and he turned back to the reporters and floating cameras almost dejectedly. "That is why Chancellor Damask, and I believe that while the Ruusan Reformation still has a critical role to play in ensuring the strength of the Republic, it is time to look at certain elements of it. The wars that ravaged the galaxy a thousand years ago have been consigned to the pages of history books. However, in choosing to continue to follow the blanket rejection of protection that the Reformation brought forth, even as the threats the Republic faced were internal, not external, we have seen our vaunted Republic grow weaker. It is far past time that we work to bring forth a stronger, safer, and more secure Republic that works to protect all its citizens instead of simply those who can influence the corridors of power with the credits and power they have gathered by exploiting the flaws in our system."

"Are you calling for a rearmament of the Republic?"

"Do you wish to raise an army?"

"What about those calling you a despot?"

"Is this just for the Core?"

"How will you pay for this security?"

As those and several dozen other questions flew at Palpatine, Damask slipped back and turned to face us, using his Co-Chancellor to shield himself, and by extension us, from the press. "I am sorry if this brings up any painful memories, Your Highness," the Muun said, offering a smile that wasn't entirely comforting. While he had been without his mask for a while, it seemed he was still struggling to re-adjust to using facial expressions. "We had hoped that politics might stay off the agenda for tonight, but it seems we overestimated the quality of the reporters."

"It's quite alright Chancellor," Padmé replied, moving to stand directly at my side, her hand remaining on my forearm, which as the cameras continued to flash, was sure to draw speculation in the media about our relationship. "I am well used to the demands of the public wishing to know details of how a government is run. Thankfully, at least for this visit, I'm not the primary focus of the public's attention."

Damask lowered his head at her words and then gestured to one side, trying to steer us away from Palpatine as he dealt with the mewling mob. "How is the rebuilding going?"

"The cities and towns are all rebuilt, or close to being so," Padmé replied as she moved to his side. "However, we are still working to locate the nearly twenty thousand citizens the Federation abducted before we achieved our liberation." I slipped back, letting Damask escort her toward the venue for the premiere. That would, I hope, dissuade any in the media from suggesting anything untoward was going on between her and me, but I knew it wouldn't silence the rumours entirely.

"That the Trade Federation would sanction such actions is truly repulsive. That, more than my new position, is why I instructed Damask Holdings, before I relinquished control to a board of directors, to dump any holdings we had in the Federation and its subsidiaries."

I managed to keep any surprise at hearing that from showing on my expression. I knew there would be links between Damask Holdings and the Federation, so his move to remove that connection before becoming Co-Chancellor was logical. Framing it as a response to the Federation's actions would also help shield Damask from those suggesting he was only dumping the stock because of his new position. The Federation's stock price had taken a pounding since the invasion, and was still at historic lows, so dropping that stock as it crashed would've cost Damask a considerable amount of credits. Not enough that it would damage his company's bottom line, but enough to leave a mark.

"Knight Shan," I paused as Palpatine said my name, letting Damask escort Padmé toward the venue. Turning to face the Human Chancellor, he offered me a small smile, one suggesting he was displeased about something. "A moment, if you could."

I nodded and moved toward him even as he returned his attention to the gathered media. "For those who don't know, this is Jedi Knight Cameron Shan. He was instrumental in gathering the forces that fought alongside Queen Amidala to liberate my homeworld." As he spoke, he placed his hand against my upper arm, suggesting to the crowd that we shared a friendship. "While the Senate and Jedi Order leadership chose to not intervene in the plight of innocents, Knight Shan, along with those who rallied to his banner, did. He is proof that while the government may be failing the ideals this great Republic should uphold, the people who inhabit the galaxy remain committed to those ideals."

I nodded, accepting Palpatine's words and slid a foot back, wanting to escape the throng of reporters as soon as possible. "Master Shan." The voice, which came from an older Togruta male, prevented me from getting away as I'd intended. "If I can ask, why did you move to help Naboo when the Senate and the Jedi Order chose not to?"

I glanced at Palpatine. My expression was calm, but the simple look should, I hope, express my displeasure at having to engage with these beings. He offered a small smile in response, even as I turned back to the Togruta. We had arranged that I wouldn't speak with the reporters, but it seemed this alien hadn't gotten the memo. Or more likely, had been placed there by one of the Banite Sith to force me to make a statement that would further the wedge between myself and the Jedi.

"First, while I understand the standard honorific for a Jedi is 'Master' I am but a humble, and rather young, Knight." That response drew a few amused chuckles from the mass of bodies that I struggled to see as the cameras continued to take pictures; the flashes making it hard to focus on anyone for long. "As for why I decided to intervene in the ongoing crisis on Naboo, my reasons are my own. All I will say is that, in my admittedly short life, I have seen more of this galaxy than I suspect many people here have. Most of it was incredible; be that because of the fauna, flora, or sentients that lived there, or because of some stellar wonder. However, even on Coruscant, there have been moments where I've seen events and actions that run counter to everything the Republic, the Senate, and the Jedi Order are meant to represent."

"Is that why you chose to involve yourself in the internal politics of a sovereign world of the Republic?" The question came from a Rodian and carried a slightly confrontational tone. "And why you acted without permission from the Jedi Council?" I stared at the alien, reaching out through the Force for a hint as to his motives. However, beyond the fact he carried some dislike of me, I couldn't pick up anything else. At least not with so many other sentients around him.

"As I said, the full reasons for gathering others and helping free a world that was illegally and immorally oppressed by a corporation that was acting out against potential legislation in the Senate are mine and mine alone. All I will say is that before I was taken in by the Jedi, I was raised by my grandfather, and he had a very simple rule that I still follow to this day. That all it takes for evil to thrive is for a good sentient to do nothing."

Before the Rodian or any of the others could ask a follow-up question, I continued. "That is all I shall say about the matter" I turned to Palpatine. "Chancellor, this is your arena, not mine."

"Of course, of course," Palpatine replied with a wide smile as he extended an arm toward me. "Before you go, let me once more express the gratitude of myself, Queen Amidala, and the people of Naboo for your help in ensuring that we continue to enjoy the freedoms and liberties the Republic espouses."

"I did what was needed, Chancellor. Nothing more," I explained as we shook hands, the cameras going off faster as if they didn't realise we already knew each other. The fact I'd arrived in the same transport as him and Damask should've made that clear.

I wasn't happy that Palpatine had allowed some of the reporters to address me, but I could call him out on that later. For now, it was better for both of us if he used whatever appeal there remained because of my status as the Hero of Naboo to enhance his reputation further. Yes, it would tie my star to his, but that was a minor issue currently as I wasn't moving against him and Damask. Indeed, when that moment came, I already had a few ideas of how to use this connection to the very top of Republic politics to my advantage.

"Which, as I've said several times, is more than most others would even consider thinking about, never mind doing," the Chancellor countered as we ended our handshake. "Now, I believe I have kept you from your mission long enough. Even as Chancellor, I know better than to annoy the leader of my planet."

I offered him a nod and then pivoted letting the final comment linking me to Naboo, Padmé, and him slide. Once turned, I looked down the carpet – which was a deep, rich purple instead of the red it had been in my former life – noticing various Senators and what I assumed were other people of importance in the Republic, moving down the carpet toward the venue. Thankfully, due to his race's height and appearance, it was a simple matter to locate Chancellor Damask in the throng of people, and I moved forward, sliding around those hanging around on the carpet to speak with reporters or have their pictures taken. A few gave me glares for cutting in front of them, but most just ignored me.

As I came closer, I saw Padmé was still at Damask's side, and she turned, as if sensing my approach. The Chancellor continued speaking to whoever was in front of him, though my focus was Padmé. "Sorry," I said once close enough to speak without having to shout, "Chancellor Palpatine decided to push me in front of the cameras while talking about increasing security in the Republic."

"I cannot blame him for that," Padmé said as a wide smile spread over her face. A smile that looked out of place with her regal makeup and clothing in place. "You saved my world from oppression. Is it wrong that the Chancellor and others would want people to know of your actions, and to ensure you are properly rewarded for your actions?"

"Your Majesty is right, as always," I replied, lowering my head to avoid her gaze. While her tone remained formal, there was a spark in her eyes that I didn't want to deal with. At least not for another few years.

"Those of us born into power usually are." I lifted my head and turned toward the known but unexpected voice. I had to fight to keep a look of shock from my face as I discovered who it was that Chancellor Damask was speaking to.

"King Medes," I said slowly, lowering my head in respect for him and his position, "I hadn't realised that you were a fan of the holonovels behind this holomovie?"

Medes snorted. "I am not. My wife, however," he glanced to his right, my left, as he continued, "is. Knowing that this would be the social event of the year, she and my daughter were quite insistent that we attend."

"Queen Radej," I said, greeting Medes' wife as I took her hand in mine and lifted it to my lips, "I hope your journey here was uneventful and your world is prospering." As I finished, I placed a caste kiss on her knuckles.

"It was, and our people are," Radej replied as I stood, and she offered me a warm smile. "The agreement you brokered had brought untold wealth and improvements to our people already, and there are still years to go before it truly comes to fruition."

"I'm led to believe that it benefited you as well," Medes added.

"I was knighted not long after the agreement was reached," I confirmed. "While I'm unsure how much that helped the Council determine I was ready for promotion, I know it did play some part."

"Then it seems we have all benefited from the contract," Radej said, a wide smile on her face. "Something my husband was explaining to Chancellor Damask as you arrived."

"Knight Shan does have a tendency to be in the right place at the right time to help all of us," Damask offered and knowing where this was going, I fought back the urge to roll my eyes. "He was the one who arranged the forces that helped free Naboo from the clutches of the Trade Federation, and he was present to rescue me when I was stuck on Mandalore at the beginning of their most recent civil war."

"I'm sorry I'm late fath…" the voice, one I knew well and had wondered if would be present as soon as I saw King Medes, trailed off as I braced for what was to come. "CAM!" Miraj called out loud enough that nearly a dozen people turned our way as she rushed toward me at a pace just short of a sprint.

"Miraj!" Medes snarled out, exposing his teeth. "Be mindful of your behaviour."

"Sorry father," Miraj said, slowing down drastically and looking down for a moment. "I was just surprised to see Cameron here."

"As am I to see you here, Princess." As I said that, Miraj lifted her head, and I offered her a smile. "I'm here as the guest and escort for Queen Amidala of the Naboo." I extended my arm toward Padmé, which she took gracefully, hiding how happy my words had made her.

"I felt it was only fair to invite Cameron," Padmé explained as she shifted closer to me, which drew a slight glare from Miraj. "When Chancellor Palpatine extended an invitation for me to attend the premiere, I felt it right to reward Knight Shan after his actions in helping save my world, and to ensure I had a date worthy of my station."

"We heard of what happened to Naboo even on Zygerria," Medes commented, a scowl coming to his face. "The actions of the Trade Federation were despicable. Invading a peaceful world simply to protest the actions of the Senate. Such a lack of honour." I bit back a comment about honour coming from a species that had once, and if I failed my quest linked to Miraj, would return to slavery. "How is your world recovering?"

"Slowly but surely, we are taking steps so that the Federation or anyone else won't find us such a tempting target for enforcing their will upon us." My brow rose at Padmé's tense tone, though less at the idea that Naboo was shifting to what sounded like a proactive stance on defence. I'd heard from Gar, Rook, and others that the Naboo had hired many Mando'ade to train an enlarged, and if things went to plan, better-armed defence force making clear Naboo being more assertive with regards to its defence now. Still, that Padmé would espouse that change was an interesting alteration that I would have to consider to see how it might help with what was to come. "If not for Cameron, and those he rallied under his banner, that is something we would never have been able to do."

"Yes, we all owe Knight Shan, in differing ways of course, for helping us in our hours of need. Something I, and my Co-Chancellor, hope will continue into the future as we work to reform the Senate and Republic security."

"A stronger, safer Republic is something any true citizen would support, Chancellor," Medes said, agreeing with Damask's words.

"As much as I enjoy talk of politics," the others smiled or laughed gently at my words, knowing well my dislike of the subject, "perhaps we might head to our seats? I am quite interested in seeing this story told on screen."

"There is still some time before events start, but it would be best if we were in our booths before it commenced." I nodded at Damask, glad for the support. He didn't realise that my intent was more based around getting Padmé and Miraj apart as the pair might start sniping at each other over me than my genuine issues with politics, but he was helping.

"Would you sit with us, Cam?" Miraj asked, moving to my side, the one free from Padmé's presence. "I'd love to hear about your adventure since we last spoke."

"Unfortunately, as you heard, I am here as Queen Amidala's escort, and as such am expected to spend the performance in her company." My answer came quickly as I didn't want Miraj to bring up Anakin, even indirectly. Certainly not in front of Darth Plagueis. "However, once the show is over I promise that I shall find time to regale you with my adventures at whatever afterparty we must attend." Another issue that existed was the potential for Padmé and Miraj to develop a rivalry over me. Perhaps it was arrogant to assume that would happen, but both were interested in me, and I didn't want to cause issues to develop between them.

"Understandable and acceptable," Medes agreed with a nod, his eyes taking in the fact I had his daughter on one arm and Padmé on the other. "However, perhaps we might talk as we walk toward our seats? I'm curious if you, Chancellor Damask, or Queen Amidala know anything about the author, or have thoughts about his latest work."

"Yes, it is quite unusual that one of the heroes of this new series shares their family name with yourself, Cameron," Damask commented, not the slightest hint of amusement on his long, angular face nor radiating through the Force. I'd prefer if that hadn't been where he took the conversation, but at least it moved things along and created a topic that would distract Miraj from Padmé's presence.

"That, Chancellor, is because Bastila Shan was a true historical figure, and also my great-grandmother." Miraj stopped suddenly, caught out by that revelation. Her parents did the same, forcing me, Padmé and Damask to do likewise. Nearby, I saw a few others who were trying to subtly listen in on the conversation the Chancellor was having stumble as their heads whipped around at my statement.

"But she lived nearly four thousand years ago," Radej commented, drawing a chuckle from me.

"She did, and I was born that far back as well. Though I'm happy to say I don't look a day over a thousand." Padmé laughed softly at my self-teasing while Damask offered a smile of amusement. The Zygerrians, however, stood there in even greater shock. "As we walk, I will explain how that is possible, and perhaps tell you a few details about my ancestor; at least those that won't spoil the surprise that I'm sure the author is going to reveal in their next work."

… …

… …
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This story is cross-posted on Fanfiction.net, Archive of our Own, and Royal Road.
...
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USSExplorer · Nov 15, 2024

A/N: As always, a huge thank you to those helping with lore and planning for this and my other stories.

And again, this chapter was released to those of sufficient rank on the story's Discord (it pays to talk) about a month ago. For those who support my writing, then it was released between 1 to 4 months ago (and those supporters can also access chapters that far in advance).

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3.08 Fire and Blood
… …

I leaned back, letting Raven enjoy the shifting of energies that began rushing over her hull as she slipped into hyperspace. A loud sigh slipped from me, relieved to finally be away from Coruscant; or more accurately to be free from interactions with the Banite Sith that now ruled the Republic as its Co-Chancellors.

A series of whistles and pops drew my attention, and I turned to see R2 and HK standing behind me. "Agreement: The astromech is correct, Master. You seem unnaturally pleased to be departing the system. Query: Was the attention of the females not to your liking?"

I chuckled and rolled my eyes. "No, HK. There was nothing wrong with Padmé or Miraj. I'm just glad to finally be able to slip away from being drawn into politics. Again."

HK's photoreceptors mimicked Human reaction by blinking. "Analysis: You continue to proclaim to dislike politics, Master, yet on multiple occasions you have shown an ability to convince others to do as you wish. The clear examples of this are with the group designated the Lokella and the gathering of forces assembled for the liberation of Naboo. In the words of the Creator, you have the knack for getting things done and gathering others to help you."

"Both of those were based on combat situations, HK. I much prefer leading others into battle than standing inside a gilded suite and speaking with others who lack the resolve to back up their words. At least on the battlefield, it's clear who you are fighting and what you need to do."

"Affirmative: That is indeed true, Master. The Creator also spoke of preferring the battlefield to deal with the internal matters of the Jedi and Republic. At least when he chose to return to their Order for the whining meatbag." I bit the inside of my lips, knowing he was speaking of Bastila and, as amusing as it was, not wanting to have him impersonate her again. "Request: Might I suggest we find some pitiful group of meatbags? Ones that would improve the galaxy by their removal. It may well alleviate some of your stress."

Chuckling, I shook my head. "As tempting as the offer is, I'll pass. We need to collect Anakin." I reached into my robes and pulled out a small datacard. "I need to give him this." Turning the datacard over in my fingers, I continued. "It's the schematics for the 3P0 series of protocol droids."

Technically, the information on that datacard was classified and trademarked information, belonging to Cybot Galactica. However, as the series had been in existence for over a hundred years, and were close to ubiquitous throughout the Republic – or at least the developed parts of it – they weren't as secure as CG might wish. Add in that, if you went down a few levels into Coruscant's under-levels everything and anything was for sale, acquiring the schematics wasn't that difficult. Nor expensive.

What I saw on those levels, even when only a few dozen below the glittering surface of the Republic Capital, were more signs that the Jewel of the Republic was nothing more than a sham. On the surface, it was everything it claimed to be, but the moment one looked at it with anything approaching an inquisitive glance, the façade faded away, revealing the rotten, corrupted core that was the heart of galactic governance.

I had used that corruption to my advantage here, but it had been hard to not scourge many of those I encountered from existence. Or at least more than I already had. It wasn't my fault that several groups, seeing a Mandalorian in beskar, thought they could kill me and take my armour. Nor was it my fault that, after their pathetic attempt at an ambush had failed, even if by some miracle of the Force, Republic security investigated the matter, there was nothing left of that scum to identify them.

At the mention of a protocol droid, R2 whined amusingly loudly and the smile I wore grew wider. Even though C-3P0 would never exist in this timeline – not with the project I had in mind for Anakin – it seemed R2's issues with that droid, or at least its series, existed with my R2 as well.

"Translation: The astromech is concerned you feel we are unable to handle anything you might need a droid for. A sentiment I completely agree with, Master."

"If I intended for Anakin to build a basic protocol droid, then I'd have found something like these," I waved the datacard in the air, "years ago. No, what I want him to do, given his fondness for technology, which you can both attest to, is create something superior. And, with what I hope he will create, I think you will both be interested in offering suggestions for what will, from the outside, look like a simple and pathetic protocol droid."

HK's photoreceptors flickered again, and I swore I could hear the circuits in his brain sparking as he processed my words and deduced my intentions. "Speculation: This new droid would be designed for far more than just service, would it not, Master? Perhaps intended for covert insertions and eliminations."

I clicked my tongue as I used my free hand to create a finger-gun and shot the ancient assassin droid. "Got it in one. Which is why, among other things, I want Anakin to alter the kill switch all 3P0 series droids have. Oh, there would still be a physical one on its frame, but it wouldn't shut down the droid. The true button would be located internally where only Anakin, I, or if you managed to damage the external shell, either of you could target it."

Leaning forward, I continued before HK could complain about the possibility of him being replaced. "I know you were designed for assassinations, and are scarily good at it. However, in this era, your frame is rather unusual. Add in that the cover art for the second book of the Knights of the Old Republic series will have you on it, and it will be hard for you to quietly slip into a place that I might need you to go for those gentle removals of undesirables."

"I don't expect I will have much need of such removals, but I'm not naive enough to believe there will never be the chance that I won't prefer that to other methods. Converting a 3P0 model into something that was something more than capable of carrying out such actions without being detected nor traced back to me, is a smart way to prepare for those moments. With your programming and R2's growing skills with circumventing systems, I believe both of you would be extremely interested in helping my son with this project."

When I stopped, R2 let out a long, deep whistle. My smile widened at hearing that and then seeing HK, in an organic gesture, placing a hand on his chin: or at least what would be considered his chin. "Conjecture: While any such droid would be massively inferior to myself, there is wisdom in your words, Master. Having support," R2 beeped angrily," Correction: Further support on such missions could, conceivably, increase the odds of any mission being completed with all objectives achieved. Addendum: There are many missions on which the Creator and previous Masters sent me where, while I completed the assignment, it would have been far more efficient to have capable support." His hand came down from his chin. "Retraction: Based on your statements, Master, I rescind my concerns about adding another droid to our collective."

R2 beeped in agreement. "I'm glad you approve," I said, slipping the datacard back into my robes. "However, which of your suggestions are applied to the project is entirely up to Anakin," I continued as I spun back around, returning my focus to Raven's displays. "I'm sure that, once he gets over his excitement of my challenge, he would be more than receptive to your suggestions for this potential droid he might be creating."

"Musing: Yes, Master. I already have seventy-nine potential improvements that could be made to the external design to improve the droid in a variety of ways. Contemplative: Does this interest in the creation of a covert insertion droid you wish for the Young Builder to create pertain to something that occurred on the Republic capital, Master?"

"Not directly," I replied with a shake of my head. "I'm just simply thinking ahead to possible instances where it might be useful to have such an agent in our ranks. As you well know, I prefer to meet my opponents on the battlefield, but I'm nowhere near stupid enough to believe that ideal is shared by the majority of those who would seek to challenge me. There will be cases where, as you discovered with Revan and others, the removal of a target is easier to achieve without the need for large-scale combat."

Against anyone on my level or beyond, I doubted even a group of droids as skilled as HK would have much luck. Certainly not against a well-trained Jedi Master or Sith Lord. However, even on Coruscant, such sentients composed an insignificant percentage of the population. More often than not, my targets would be non-Force users. Obvious targets currently would be those like Sate Pestage who were so close to Chancellors Palpatine and Damask that they had to know the truth of who those two truly were.

I knew that someone as loyal as Sate wouldn't be an easy target, but I knew HK could take him out and make it appear an accident. Yet HK was known to the Sith, so his being anywhere near Sate's location if the attaché died might draw questions I'd prefer to avoid. That was one place where a third droid, one unknown to anyone outside my closest circle of friends and family, could operate with ease.

There would be other times, such as long-term undercover operations, or scouting in places I might not be able to enter, where a seemingly innocent-looking protocol droid would be useful. One such potential place was within the Jedi Temple. A droid wouldn't be able to enter the Vaults, but they would be able to access computers that I might otherwise not be able to. Well, if I didn't want anyone linking me to a theoretical data breach at any rate.

The same logic could be applied to others, such as high-ranking figures in organisations, mega-corporations and the like that would form the CIS. Sliding a droid loyal to me into their ranks had the potential to be extremely useful. Which was perhaps why, if Anakin completed the project I had for him to an acceptable level, I might have more than a single droid made. Not that anyone else bar me would know of that, at least for some time.

"Observation: This project is an unexpected decision by you, Master. However, it is one I greatly approve of. Not only does the ability to insert an agent into enemy forces, either for deep reconnaissance or target acquisition or removal, but for helping to improve the skills of the Young Builder. Query: If this was not brought on by events on Coruscant, might I ask why it has come to your mind now?"

"Just acting on several expressions I heard in my youth. The most apt are 'it is better to have and not need than need and not have,' 'if one seeks peace, they must prepare for war', and 'sometimes you need a turbolaser, sometimes a surgeon's blade'. While we aren't at war now, I can sense one coming. The storms I sense growing in the Republic might not lead to all-out war, but there will be places where I will have to intervene. As I know, even with both of you, Anakin, Simvyl, Fenrir and Raven at my side, I cannot be everywhere at once."

"Assessment: Again, there is logic in your words, Master. It continues to please me to see your awareness of the dangers that exist in the galaxy."

"I'm glad you approve."

"Addendum: While the expressions expected meatbag inefficiency, they are accurate. I must, however, admit to being unfamiliar with the last one."

I chuckled. "It was one my grandfather used to say. At the time, I didn't understand it, but as I've matured I've seen the value in those words."

What I was avoiding here was that those words, in a more primitive form, had come from my grandfather in my former life. I'd heard similar examples of it from others throughout both lives and found giving it some personal spin worked well. Oh, I was sure I wasn't the first sentient in the galaxy to express that thought, not even in those words, but I had yet to hear it from another.

"Query: I am curious why a former Chancellor of the Old Republic would use such a phrase."

"As am I, HK. Sadly, I'll never be able to ask him when and where he learnt it. I do hope that, if Anakin is up to the task, we might see the expressions in action in a few years."

"Assessment: I believe we will, Master. The Young Builder is extremely gifted with improving the superior form of droids. I have no doubt he will be capable of emulating my Creator as you hope." There was a pause before he continued. "Contemplative: With permission, I would like time to consider further concealed alterations that could be added to this droid."

"Go ahead, and take R2 with you. He might not have your understanding of what could be of use, but he might have ideas you fail to consider. Or at least considered less important than others." There was a series of beeps from R2 and a second later I heard the cockpit's door slide open and then close.

Knowing I was now alone, I leaned back in my chair. Raven could handle flying herself along the current hyperspace lane. As my eyes began to close, my mind drifted back to events of Coruscant, starting with the premiere of Fellowship of the Ring.

Just as with the original sources, the novel had been changed for movie format. From what I'd read of some early reviews, there had been some complaints regarding that, but overall, the reviews were overwhelmingly positive. Padmé and Miraj had said as much at the main afterparty for the premiere, with both saying the casting for Aragon was good, though I suspected both ladies felt I would've been a more suitable lead.

The actor, along with the rest of the cast, were well received, but in my mind, they weren't on-par with the cast when I'd seen the movie in my former life. That was likely a bias on my part, along with a feeling that I was disrespecting the work of Tolkien by re-publishing his work in this galaxy, but it was an opinion that no one would ever hear of.

After the premiere, I'd run into my publicist, Shokvo, in the corridors of the theatre. From what he was saying, it sounded like the movie was going to have a better opening week on Coruscant than first thought. Much of that came from the fact the Co-Chancellors had both attended it, turning the movie into something of a requirement for anyone in the corridors of power to observe. Using that, the early screenings across the Core were selling out rapidly. So much so that the latest projections had me earning at least three hundred million credits by the end of the week.

If the movie had the legs of other movies that had debuted to such success, then within a month I could be looking at north of a billion credits from my cut of the production. According to Shokvo that was only the lower end of the current projections, and didn't consider any merchandise that would be sold because of the movie. Even if that was where it stayed and carried through with the other two productions, then I was looking at having at least five billion credits to my name simply from the holomovies within three years. When added to my current, and still growing, take which was a little north of one-point-three billion credits from my novels, and the expected interest in turning the Knights of the Old Republic series into holonovels, then I could see my net worth top ten billion credits long before the Clone Wars began.

That number, or any of them really, sounded impressive if compared to my former life. However, in this life, in this galaxy, it was but a drop in the ocean. Damask Holdings, for example, had a profit margin of nearly a hundred billion credits last year, held assets worth over fifty times that, and had a market capitalisation of nearly a quadrillion credits. And Damask Holdings was, while incredibly powerful, not even in the top one hundred companies in the galaxy.

Truthfully, seeing how much mega-corporations such as the Trade Federation and Techno Union were worth was frankly, terrifying. They could offer bounties for someone's head that would easily be worth more than the entire GDP of many mid-sized Republic worlds.

Yet even though it barely scratched the surface of the financial might of my likely opponents in the coming wars, several billion credits had some use. Cash in Hand had long since been completed, but beyond gathering the credits I had little use for that many currently. Save for preparing for what was to come. I had around three hundred million in my Inventory, with the rest spread out between Clan Shan accounts with supposedly isolated Mando'ade banking institutions, several dummy accounts, and the primary account for payment for my work.

While I was going to be busy with training alongside Anakin for a while yet, I planned to hire a suitable Mando'ade accountant, if such a thing existed, to begin investing in companies that would be useful for the coming decades. Mandalmotors and Incom were two such companies, as while they were major ship producers they weren't as massive as KDY, CDC, and SST, but that was a benefit. Investing what I had would grant me more influence in the companies than those larger ones, and using smaller companies, while limiting the ability to create technology and warships – once those were needed – they were more likely to be ignored by the major players in the lead up to the coming war.

Returning my thoughts to the planet I'd just left; I wondered what the next moves of the Co-Chancellors would be. The reveal of Master C'baoth's plan to send a mission into the Unknown Regions was an interesting one. If it had happened in the other timeline, then Sidious would've worked to ensure the mission failed. He couldn't have a colony protected by Jedi existing after he executed Order 66. More than likely, the mission had suffered some form of failure, costing the lives of everyone onboard it.

In this timeline, however, with the threat of the Vong hanging overhead, I wondered if that would still be this project's – Outbound Flight was the working name for the proposal – fate. I knew the Vong didn't come from the Unknown Regions, yet for all I could be certain of that, and make that clear to the Co-Chancellors, they couldn't simply take my word on the matter. That was why the plan for Outbound Flight would if they took on half of the suggestions I'd given them during our discussions in the days leading up to the premiere, be far more likely to succeed. Or at least succeed in part.

The Jedi on the mission would still, in the eyes of the Banite Sith, have to die. That was a certainty. The trick was ensuring it happened slowly, to not draw the attention of the High Council enough that they requested sending more Jedi to support the project. I didn't know how the Banite Sith were going to manage that, but I knew they would.

I could also admit to being curious as to what existed in the Unknown Regions. Half of the stories and rumours I'd heard and read about the large expanse of unexplored space were terrifying, and that was being kind. I doubted there was anything out there that, if it arrived in the known galaxy during the Clone Wars or after, could challenge the military might on display, but I'd rather nothing from that region ever emerged into the Republic's borders. Working to take down the Banite Sith and train the Chosen One was hard enough to do without races that harvested the souls of others, or living, sentient, slime. Those things could fuck off back to whatever hell-inspired holes they'd crawled out of.

Now, while I'd managed to avoid too much interaction with the Co-Chancellors at the afterparty, others had approached me to speak. Thanks to Observe and the Force, I knew most of them were only doing so to see if I might offer some route into the confidence of one or both Chancellors. Those beings I politely dismissed, though some didn't take the gentle hints and as this was a public location where I had to behave, I couldn't persuade them to leave in the manner I might've liked. In those cases, I was saved by my constant companions for the party; Padmé Amidala and Miraj Scintel.

As I'd feared, once the premiere was over, Miraj had sought me out hurriedly, ensuring she and her parents attended the same afterparty as I, Padmé, and the Co-Chancellors. Walking from the theatre with two royals at my sides had drawn a lot of attention from the media waiting outside, though thankfully no call had come from the Temple regarding the situation.

At the afterparty, the two royals had spent the entire time I was there either at my side or close enough to it that they could reinsert themselves into any conversation I was involved in. While that was useful for extracting me from people who wouldn't take the gentle hint that I didn't wish to continue speaking with them, at others it was a hassle.

The pair hadn't instantly hit it off, both seemingly seeing the other as a challenge to having my attention. As the evening had worn on, Padmé had brought up that I had given her a lightfoil and taught her the basics of using it. Miraj, seeking a chance to prove she was better in some way than Padmé, had insisted they spar before they departed Coruscant. I had tried to dissuade them from the spar, making clear that I didn't think it was a wise choice to do so, however, Padmé had agreed.

That spar should be happening about now and about the only upside to it happening, beyond me making sure I wasn't present for it and thus wasn't forced to pick sides, was that Chancellor Palpatine and King Medas had made clear to both ladies that they would only be sparring and not outright duelling. I did note that while Medas had made that clear to his daughter, he approved of the duel, which given the Zygerrian mentality that the strong should rule the weak wasn't a shock. All I could hope was that however the spar went – and I expected Miraj to win as she was older, stronger, better trained, and Zygerrians were physically superior in many useful ways for a duel – I hoped it didn't evolve into something more than a polite rivalry.

I wouldn't deny that there was a part of me that was amused and, if I was being entirely honest with myself, pleased to see females fighting for my attention. However, I didn't want them to start despising each other as both, if I played my cards right, had roles to play in the way I was trying to shape the future to my advantage. Plus, if things went badly, it might result in diplomatic fallout between their planets, and by extension Chancellor Palpatine. While I might enjoy the annoyance that issue would cause him, it would be something he would hold over me, and I feared how he might, without revealing it, use it to have me help the plan he and Plagueis were slowly bringing to fruition.

A nudge through the Force from Raven, had me opening my eyes. "I'm okay lass," I said gently, placing my right hand – the natural one – on a section of her skin. "Just thinking about things, nothing to worry about."

The panel around my hand flickered with various light patterns and I felt Raven's relief that I wasn't troubled too deeply by events happening on the planet we'd just left. Raven was perhaps the only female who was close to me that I didn't fear growing jealous over the attention I received from others. That, perhaps, might be because she was in many ways more like a daughter than a partner; or perhaps she understood that because of the bond we shared, she would never be challenged when seeking my attention.

Closing my eyes again, I pushed thoughts of Coruscant and those I'd left there aside. When I woke I'd need to start planning out the next leg of my and Anakin's training. Until then, I would enjoy some, hopefully peaceful, rest.

… …

… …
I moved toward Anakin's cabin, and once there pressed the buzzer to let him know I was outside. After nearly ten seconds, when he failed to respond in any way, I pressed the buzzer again. Once more, Anakin didn't respond. I knew he was fine; I could sense him easily through the Force, his thoughts centred on a particular matter – one I suspected I knew – but he wasn't responding to my call.

"Raven," I said softly to the ship, and a second later the door hissed open. "Thanks."

Stepping inside his quarters, I saw him sitting at his desk, leaning intently over a clutch of datapads. Moving closer, I saw that, as I'd suspected, he was working on the project I'd given him not long after we'd left the Lokella system. The top pad contained the schematics of the 3P0 series droids that I'd given him. One of the others, based on the detailed weapon descriptions mentioned, had come from HK, yet it was the one in Anakin's hand that drew my attention as I moved closer.

Much of what was on the pad was beyond me, even if my Mechanics [Droids] skill was in the low Master tier, but from what I could see, he was hard at work altering the internal circuitry of the droid in ways that, even with my limited understanding, knew would be both more efficient and much more expensive. Cost wasn't going to be an issue, though I hoped the finished product didn't end up costing more than a freighter, as that would be a large amount of credits to sink into something I might not need. At least for the next few years.

Looking back at HK's pad as I came closer, I saw that while most of the displayed suggestions seemed logical, many likely violated some Republic statute. That was to be expected of HK, as he felt such statutes – and I agreed in some cases – were merely suggestions that could be followed if one wished. Much of them also went far beyond what a droid designed for espionage, infiltration, and even assassination might need, but I knew HK was simply being through in the options he offered to Anakin. The other pads were either a collection of publicly available details on other types of droids, which I assumed were being used by Anakin for new ideas for his droid, or files that I couldn't make heads or tails of.

"Anakin," I said once near him, however, his focus remained on the pads before him, his fingers tapping away at the one he held, or sliding through technical displays on the others.

I wanted to speak with him about our intended destination of the Shapers of Kro Var. The planet was classed as being in Wild Space, and as such there were no commonly used hyperspace routes that led to their system. The closest I could get was taking first the Corellian Trade spine and then slipping over to the Great Gran Run. That, amusingly, would take us in the general direction of Endor, however, we'd be turning off those better known – relatively speaking – hyperspace routes onto ones that were barely used. I'd make sure to stop on a world in the sector to confirm the maps I'd gained from the Celebratus Archives were accurate because the last thing I wanted to do was get lost in the depths of nowhere, or worse, from faulty navigational data.

"Anakin," I said again when he failed to even acknowledge my presence. As before, he failed to respond and when I spoke the third time, my hand reached out for his shoulder, and I gave a gentle nudge through the Force. "An'ika."

I wasn't sure which of the three actions I'd taken broke the spell he was under, but he jerked back and blinked. "Huh? Cam? When did you get here?"

"Just a moment ago," I replied with a grin. "I know you're enjoying your project," I gestured with my hand, slipping it from his shoulder and indicating the datapads on his desk, "however, I was hoping to speak with you about where we're heading, and learn what you learnt from Master Dooku while I was away."

I'd not spent time on Matel's Gift beyond collecting my son. While I could have done so, I was concerned Dooku would wish me to spend time there, refining my training under his gaze. As useful as that might be, and how I wasn't opposed to it, I wanted to move on to the next sect I wished to train with.

"Ah, um, okay." Anakin put down his pad and looked up at me, though his eyes seemed conflicted. "I mean, Master Dooku's very skilled but, well…. he's not you."

My grin grew as I moved over the room, figuring I'd use his bunk to sit since he occupied the only chair in the quarters. "I'll take that as a compliment."

Anakin chuckled and then shook his head. "It is. I know you're not my father b…"

"We might not share blood, An'ika," I cut in, "but I am your father. The Jedi and Republic might not accept that, but I swore a vow when I adopted you and brought you into my family, into my clan. I would move the stars themselves to keep you from harm, and destroy anyone or thing that threatened your safety."

I spoke with conviction, making clear I meant every word I said, and I sensed Anakin's mind shift back to his ordeal at the hands of those shabyr lizards who had dared take him from my side. Even with that group dead and sent to their god in disgrace, the urge to unleash hell upon the entire species still burnt brightly within me. The only reasons I'd not done so, were first that I'd struggle to protect Anakin if I unleashed a blood feud on an entire species, and that such an action, as I was now, wasn't one I was capable of completing.

"I…" He gulped though there was no fear in the action. "I know." I nodded, pleased he understood that and that he wasn't going to dwell on his experience. At least not currently. "Um, I didn't do much training with Master Dooku. He wanted me to spend time meditating to gain more self-control."

"Oof," I muttered remembering many such lessons and meditations on the matter, from both Dooku and Fay. Normally after I'd done something reckless or dangerous, which was an almost amusingly common occurrence.

Fay had expected me to meditate on how I might've resolved those situations more peacefully, or at least without inflicting so much pain onto others, while Dooku focused more on making sure that, when such situations occurred in the future, I reacted with more consideration and thought before rushing into the fray. The lessons from him had sunk in better than Fay's, but I knew that if placed under stress, I still moved too quickly at times, not thinking if there were other ways to approach the situation.

"What about the others? Did you spend time with your sister?"

"Yes!" Anakin snapped back excitedly, any discomfort with his time training with Dooku washed away by the joy he felt when thinking about his sister. "I mean, she can't talk or really play with me, but just sitting with her and Ferox…" His voice trailed off as a wide and honest smile spread over his face. One that was infectious. "Oh! I, um, spent time with Miss Vosa as well," he added once he'd recovered from his bout of joy.

My brow rose at hearing that. I knew Vosa was interested in Anakin, and had tried to help save Shmi when the station had been attacked, but I was still reluctant to have her near him. Her interest wasn't, thankfully, as deranged as it had been toward me, but she had sensed his power when Shmi had died.

Dooku might've been accepting of her being near Anakin, but I wasn't, and I'd be sending him a message asking for his reasoning on the matter. He might've been, and in many ways still was, my Master, however, Anakin was my responsibility.

"Yeah, she wanted to see what I'd learnt." One of his hands grasped his pad in a sign he was concerned about something. "She, um, she didn't seem happy about what I'd learnt and offered some suggestions to help me grow stronger."

"I would be interested in hearing and seeing what those were later," I said as calmly as I could manage. Anakin didn't have my issues with Vosa, even liking her for trying to save his mother, but even then, with his willingness to see the good in everyone, he knew I didn't want her around him. The fact he'd at least told me about the interactions he'd had with the former Bando Gora leader was a sign he enjoyed and wanted to keep my respect and trust. "Moving on, what do you know of the Shapers of Kro Var?"

"Um… Just what was on the datapad you gave me," he replied. I leaned forward, wanting for him to continue, and from the way he shrunk into his chair, I suspected he'd forgotten much about the Shapers. "Um, they use the Force to control what they consider the elements. Fire, water, wind, and earth."

That was accurate, though the files had added that while most Shapers focused on only a single element, some could shape more than one element while the most powerful of their order were rumoured to be able to control the base elements and more powerful ones. Those reports hadn't been confirmed by the records I had access to but, knowing what I did of the Force, it should be possible for anyone with sufficient training to control the elements and more natural forces.

Now, we'd not be staying with the Shapers long enough to learn how to shape all four base elements, but I felt we'd get a good understanding of their techniques. Perhaps even gain insights into using such things that were missing from Jedi teachings.

"What else?" I prodded when Anakin stayed quiet after his initial statement.

"Uh… The Jedi consider them a Dark Side cult but because they're isolated and don't move around the Republic, the Jedi generally ignore them."

"True enough." If the Jedi were truly interested in bringing balance to the Force by defeating the Dark Side, they'd move to remove cults like the Shapers, or the Nightsisters of Dathomir, especially as to most of the Order, the Sith were gone; assigned to history as a failed order. Instead of doing that, the High Council, and through them the rest of the Order, allowed themselves to be guided and ordered around by a Senate that was so corrupt that it represented a challenge to the Jedi's belief of balance.

Thinking about the Nightsisters, my thoughts returned to when I had considered learning from them. Or at least one of the other clans of the Witches of Dathomir. The idea had quickly been dismissed as every clan believed that males were little better than slaves and breeding stock. While I would be interested in learning how they tamed rancors enough that they could be ridden, I had no interest in spending the rest of my life in chains.

Anakin's face scrunched up as he tried to remember the rest of the data on the Shapers that I'd shared with them. wanting to see how much he could recall; I stayed silent as he ransacked his memories. "They… um… they dislike the Jedi."

"Yes, but why?"

"Because of how they… how we use the Force."

My lips twitched at his slip. I was training him with an inclination toward Jedi philosophies, but a little over a year since I'd adopted him, it was clear that path didn't hold as much appeal as he might've expected a few years prior.

"Specifically?" I asked, figuring I could use this discussion or at least the time before it became about the exact details of our time with the Shapers as a teaching moment. There was more value in learning, remembering, and then recalling something than having it stated over and over to you by others.

"Because we can move things with a gesture."

"The gesture isn't technically needed," I replied gently. "Or at least, I don't think it is. To me, it's very much about training yourself to do something without thinking. Much like the concept of muscle memory, and how repetition of the various velocities means that, when battle comes, you know how to move your lightsaber without having to think heavily about it. You can immerse yourself in the moment, focusing on everything around you and trust yourself to know how to react and when." I raised my hand. "To me, this," I flicked my fingers up, raising the datapad with the 3P0 schematics on it into the air, "shouldn't need the gesture to be done, though I still do it because it is what I expect to happen when I wish the Force to obey me."

I had been experimenting with moving objects without gestures, simply because of the potential advantage it would offer in a multitude of situations. It was doable, though without the gesture the action was more difficult. I was training myself to find it easier, as the ability to manipulate objects without the telltale sign of a Force user doing so, had great potential use, at least most of the time. On Kro Var, such an act would be problematic at best.

"Returning to the Shapers, they believe that using the Force in unseen ways is abhorrent. So, the more common abilities a Jedi might use of Telekinesis or Telepathy are downright outlawed in their society. If we are caught displaying those powers, then at best we face life imprisonment. At worst, they'd try to execute us.

As Anakin gulped, one hand rising to his neck, I knew that they'd not kill us on the spot. Instead, we'd be prepared for some form of custom for executions. That would take time to arrange, so we'd be imprisoned for a short while, which would be more than enough time for HK, R2 and Fenrir – who the last I saw him was resting in the central area of the ship – to free us.

"Yeah," I said, gesturing to Anakin's hand that was near his throat. "That is why, while we are on their planet, we won't be mentioning that we're Jedi. Not at any point in our training. As far as they are to know, we are Mando'ade: buir bal ad. I expect that they will train us, but that we'll have to do so without our armour as the Shapers retain a distrust of technology. We'll likely have to do our training in simple robes they provide."

"What about your arm?" Anakin blurted out, bringing up a point I'd already considered before coming here.

"We'll have to see what they decide. I hope they will understand that I need it, and I'll lean into that by hiding the fact I'm comfortable with my right hand as much as my left, but if they demand I remove it, I will. They shouldn't see a problem with me losing a limb in combat, they are, after all, a warrior culture. I'm sure they've had far worse happen when Shapers battle to settle matters. The odds they've not seen worse injuries than mine are about as good as a Wookie marrying a Trandoshan."

As intended, Anakin laughed weakly at the bad joke. It was clear both from his body language and through the Force, that he hadn't fully recovered from his ordeal at the hands of those lizards, though I didn't think he ever would entirely move past it. Such traumatic events had a way of leaving long-lasting impressions on someone no matter how mature or strong they were.

Ideally, he would release the feelings linked to those memories into the Force, and I should teach him how to do that. However, I knew he wouldn't. He took everything far too personally, much as I did, and it would be hypocritical of me to say he should do that when I didn't. Yes, I couldn't because of Eidetic Memory, but that didn't mean I couldn't learn to let go of much of the anger as it formed.

"What about HK and R2?"

"They will remain on Raven, as will Simvyl. He has some Force potential, as all sentients do, but I don't think he'd be able to learn to draw on any element in the time we're going to be present. That doesn't mean he'll be idle, as I expect he'll focus on the training he received with the Matukai and Echani. However, that is up to him. All I'll ask is that he keeps an eye on Raven, and along with HK makes sure no one decides to do anything funny to her."

I doubted anything would happen, but since Raven was unusual, there was always the chance that someone might take an undue interest in her. HK and Simvyl would have clear rules of engagement if such an event occurred, and even if HK disliked them, he would obey them.

"Now, we still have several weeks until we reach Kro Var, but I want you to practise for our time there. There will be no mental usage of the Force until we arrive."

"What about during lightsaber training?"

"Any external mental use of the Force," I clarified, my smile widening at him seeing the mistake in my words. It hadn't been intentional, but it was good to see his mind was alert to flaws in orders. "Drawing the Force inward, as we learnt to do with the Matukai, shouldn't be an issue. Not least as it's highly unlikely that the Shapers could sense us drawing the Force inward. Haran, I'd be shocked if they didn't do something similar themselves."

Anakin nodded, understanding my words, though he stopped a moment later and then frowned. "Won't they ask about why we're coming to them for training?"

"They will," I responded with a chuckle. "Which is why we'll be shifting the truth of certain events slightly." I leaned forward, so he could hear the tale, based heavily on half-truths, that we'd be spinning for the benefit of the Shapers.

… …

… …

I watched as Raven's ramp descended, my eyes alert to any threat that might be outside. I couldn't sense anyone that close, but that didn't mean I was going to lower my guard. "Remember, no sudden movements."

"I know," Anakin responded with an annoyed sigh. Given I'd been making clear the rules for him to follow while we were here, focusing on the story we'd be spinning and how to conduct ourselves during the first few days, several times a day over the last few weeks, I could understand his irritation. That didn't, however, mean I wasn't going to slip in one final warning.

When we'd arrived in-system, it had been clear the Shapers didn't have much in the way of a centralised government or technology. There was no station in orbit, nor any single channel to speak to someone on the planet. Once in upper orbit, Raven's sensors had detected various groupings of people dotted around the planet's four continents. There wasn't anything bigger than a small city – by Earth standards – on the planet, but I'd avoided going to such a centralised location, as there was more chance of running into another visitor who might recognise me.

Instead, trusting the Force to guide me where I wanted to go, we'd flown over the most uninhabited continent. Most of the people there lived in mobile groups, seemingly travelling from one location to the next. There were a few large structures which, based on the scans, seemed to be temples or monuments, but I avoided them as well on the chance they might be sacred.

In the end, the Force had led me to what appeared to be a permanent settlement of around a thousand sentients. As we'd flown over, I'd sensed their reluctance and concern at our arrival, and as such I'd landed Raven a few kilometres from the settlement. We'd remained here waiting, and now, about three hours later, a group of Shapers had approached.

None carried blasters or anything as advanced, preferring blades and other simpler, but not ineffective, weapons. Seeing that, and thinking I could use it to my advantage, I'd removed every weapon I visibly carried bar my beskad. My gauntlets and replacement limb still had everything installed in them, though to hide the fact I had the replacement arm, I wore black gloves over both hands.

I had considered adding the Sith war blade Hego Damask had gifted me as well, but I dismissed the idea. To the naked eye, the blade appeared to be nothing more than an old, but exquisitely crafted weapon. However, one trained to sense the Force as Shapers might well be, should be able to detect the Force within it, a hint that the Force had been used during the blade's creation. Thus, it remained in my Inventory, which was true of anything linked to the Jedi or Sith that might give us away. Even items I'd kept in hidden compartments on Raven were in there, as I wasn't taking any chances.

"Observation: I have already computed the most efficient pattern to remove potential threats, Master. Along with the next three hundred and forty-two. If your oratory skills are insufficient to persuade the local meatbags that we come in… peace, I stand ready to assist."

"I think I'll be up to the task," I replied, ignoring the subtle hints at my potential inability to speak my way out of trouble, and HK having to be peaceful. "And don't activate any of those plans until I command it."

I knew he wouldn't act without orders, but I wanted to be sure. Plus, he and R2 would be remaining on Raven while Anakin and I spoke with these Shapers. My son's part, or at least his ability to convince the Shapers that his story was a hundred per cent truthful, was going to make or break our odds of being trained with this tribe.

If he wasn't up to it, it wasn't a huge matter. There were other tribes to which we could head. I just hoped things didn't turn sour in our first encounter, as while I knew I could take everyone out there with ease, I didn't want to place Anakin in danger.

… …

"When the Trandoshan came close to me, I panicked," Anakin said slowly, hints of fear and anger in his tone, body language, and unintentionally emanating through the Force. "H-he was going to kill me, so I wanted him gone. I brought my hands up to protect myself, but…" he looked down at his hands for a moment, "something happened. I felt something react to my wishes and the world exploded. Dust and sand were thrown up, and when it cleared enough I… I saw the alien had been blown away and had a metal pole sticking out his chest."

I stood at Anakin's side, one hand on his shoulder for comfort as he detailed events on that planet. Or at least the events we were basing our reasons for coming here around. He'd done well, steering clear of my Jedi training, slipping around it when he spoke of how we'd met, the Lokella, the death of his mother, and then my adoption of him under Mando'ade law.

The biggest shift was the one he'd just made, suggesting he'd used either the wind or some form of explosion to knock back and kill that Trandoshan, and while I kept my eyes on my son, I tried to watch the Shaper who was standing with us in the building we were in. The building was at the edge of the settlement and was where the scouting party who'd come to Raven had brought us. at least after I'd convinced them we'd come to seek training with their people.

"How exactly did you manage to push back a being much larger, and I assume stronger, than yourself?" The question came from Aranaris, a member of the villages' tribal council. He wasn't that old, looking to be in his forties or fifties, but he was a council member. I suspected that was why he had so many tattoos over his upper body. Almost all seemed to be stylised flames, though around his waist the tattoos appeared to be more akin to rocks.

The men who'd brought us here had all had tattoos as well, though they'd only had flames ranging from those covering their arms to the leaders of the group having them over their chests. I was curious about the reason for the tattoos, both in number and style, but that could wait until, provided things went well with Aranaris, we were accepted for training.

"Um," I felt Anakin gulp and as he looked up at me, I offered a nod of encouragement. Even without the ability to sense the Force, anyone could tell he was hesitant about the question and possibly slightly unsettled. Whether that came from not trusting himself to fool Aranaris, or because of some lingering issue with killing the lizard, I couldn't say, but I felt the elder would believe it was the former, and thus it would help sell Anakin's story. It might also, if we were lucky, have Aranaris dismiss any small flaws in the story Anakin was spinning. "I don't really know sir. I mean, I wanted him gone, but at the time I don't know how it happened." He looked up at me again. "Thanks to my father, I know now that it was the Force coming to my aid, but at the time I was too shocked to think about what I'd done."

"When my son reacted as he did, I was little more than a hundred metres away around a large pile of debris," I said, cutting in and shifting Aranaris' attention to me. "The sensors in my armour detected shifts in air pressure and temperature, which had me pushing myself faster to reach him.

"When he came into sight, I saw one Trandoshan impaled on a metal skewer, his flesh burnt and smoking and his life all but over. Another was poaching Anakin, my son kneeling on the ground staring at his hands in shock, which took all of my attention. I understand your people distrust technology, but if you wish I can provide a recording of what I saw that day."

The recording was one I'd worked on with the droids, altering recordings and data to show what we wanted it to show. The odds were Aranaris wouldn't want to see it, given the Shapers' distrust of technology, but I wanted it ready on the off chance he did want it. The distaste of technology had extended to us, and Anakin and I had only been allowed inside the settlement, so to speak, after we removed our armour. We still wore the underweave and I still had my arm attached, and my beskad was at my hip, but the rest was back on Raven.

I knew Bo and others wouldn't have been happy about me removing my armour to gain entrance to the settlement, but this wasn't training a Mando'ade could do. Well, except perhaps for Naz and those like her who had enough Force Potential to conceivably learn some Force disciplines.

Aranaris looked at us carefully, judging our words. What I didn't sense was him searching for the truth in the Force, which was a relief. While I knew I could hide the fallacies in our story from him, I wasn't certain Anakin could. "It sounds as if your son can control the cleansing flames," He said slowly, measuring his words. "Not an uncommon display when one with The Gift is in danger. Still, I must ask why you came to us instead of heading to others with understanding, however flawed, of The Gift. Such as the Jedi."

I scowled for a split second before dismissing the expression. "I won't get into the full history of my people and the Jetii, but it is best described as a lack of trust and in some cases respect between us. Don't get me wrong, many Jetii have the potential to be great warriors, but instead of embracing that, they choose to remain loyal lap dogs of the Tsad Droten: The Republic.

"They placed themselves in servitude of the Republic, as deeply flawed as it is, after the same conflict that galactic records show drove your ancestors to this world." Aranaris nodded, knowing at least some of what I spoke of. "A few centuries after that, as my ancestors united under a strong leader, the Jetii feared what we might do. Without investigation of our motives, they convinced the Republic to strike our worlds, reducing much of the surfaces to barren waste.

"We were making no moves toward war with anyone. Haran, we were just emerging from a period of multiple civil wars over who should lead us. Yet the Jetii chose to attack without provocation. They sought to destroy our culture and crush our will, but they failed to understand something. All Mando'ade follow a code; the Resol'nare. Sentients have and will continue to die for causes, but ideals never die. Something the Jetii should understand, yet chose not to when bombarding our worlds from orbit.

"Some of my people, after the events of the Dral'Han as we called it, chose to abandon our ways, and follow the Republic. They are dar'manda: traitors. It is only now, over eight hundred years later, that we have cast off the yoke of those traitors and reclaimed our worlds in the name of the Resol'nare!"

I paused there, taking a few breaths to restrain some of the anger I'd let slip out as I'd spoken. While I didn't hold the hatred of the Jedi and Republic that many Mando'ade did, I understood the sentiment, and it was easy to draw upon the rage that was buried deep inside me to suggest I hated the Jedi.

Once calmer, I squeezed Anakin's shoulder. "Even if that history, and far, far more, didn't exist between my people and the Jetii, I wouldn't ask them to train my son. They would take him from me, deny me the chance to see him ever again claiming it was their right to train him, and that our ways were insignificant compared to their beliefs."

"Your people place that much importance on a child even if it doesn't share your blood?"

"Yes. To us, family isn't simply those you share blood with. It's those who fight beside you in battle, those who you choose to risk everything to protect, and who would burn the stars from the sky to help them." I looked down at Anakin and smiled. "When I first met him and his mother, they were slaves. I managed to free them easily enough and take them to a group of similarly free slaves. However, a little over a year ago, an attack funded by the Hutts," Anakin scowled at the mention of the giant slugs, "resulted in the death, among others, of his mother. Sensing his need to become stronger and gain vengeance, I adopted him and have been training him in the ways of my people ever since."

Aranaris listened attentively as I spoke, hopefully catching the emotions in my tone as he weighed my words. He wouldn't use the Force to get a sense of me, at least not intentionally, but I felt the story Anakin and I had crafted was good enough that it would fool an unsuspecting Jedi Knight, though perhaps not a Master. Even without the Force, he was mature enough to be able to read the subtle signs in someone's body language to catch if they believed what they were saying. Thanks to years of being a friend of Chancellor Palpatine, I'd subtly learnt from a true master how to deceive anyone, though I knew I was far from his current level, never mind where he would go in the coming years.

Time drew on as we stood in silence, waiting for Aranaris to comment.

I find little in your words or body to suggest deception," he eventually said. "The boy will be trained with our young. However, I have yet to hear why you feel you should be trained alongside him."

I chuckled, knowing this would come but wanting to appear amused at my lack of explanation. Everything, even my comments on the issues between the Jedi and Mando'ade, was focused on getting Anakin permission to train with the Shapers. That was because his story was based on facts, from a certain point of view. Mine at least, was going to be based on a complete fallacy.

Hiding that I had, at least before Natural Selection, been able to control the four base elements of the Shapers' philosophy was going to be my greatest challenge while here. Amusingly, taking Natural Selection helped there as while I had all the lessons in my head, including the more scientific ones from Jedi Masters like Plo Koon, I'd yet to spend any real time working on harnessing them since the change. That was because I had always intended to head to the Shapers for training. Now I was going to have to lean heavily into my Social Skills to convince him of what I was about to say, putting them through another test, though one I considered far easier than continuing to hide what I was and what I knew from the Banite Sith.

To that end, I had a quest designed for me to raise Deception and Persuasion by, at a base 50 levels by the end of my training with the Shapers. If I failed, either by not being accepted for training or a lack of effort, then it'd cost me a decent chunk of XP, but it was worth the effort.

I was around halfway to Level 32, which would be another Perk Point. I was leaning toward taking Stat Boost, so my combined physical stats would have their limit lifted to 75. From what I could determine, that was the absolute peak that a Human could reach. While I was happy with how my life had gone, I did wonder if perhaps I'd made a mistake during character creation in taking Human as my species. However, there was nothing I could do about that, nor was it worth wasting time wondering about what might have been. Instead, I turned my attention to Aranaris and began spinning my spiel.

"After I'd rescued him from the Trandoshans, and ensured they never repeated their customs on others," that drew a short nod of approval from Aranaris, "I asked a medic I trust implicitly to test Anakin. From what he said, Anakin has the potential to be extremely powerful in the Force." Aranaris looked at Anakin heavily, trying to judge the truth in my words. "On a hunch, I had the medic test me as well. Throughout my life there'd been moments where I'd moved a touch faster than I should've, or when I knew instinctively what was about to happen a moment before it did. Until Anakin's ordeal I had put all that down to training, but understanding that Anakin could use the Force, I grew curious. I was shocked to discover that while nowhere near as potentially powerful as my son, I could learn to use the Force."

"Given what you have revealed about the Jedi, how did that make you feel?"

"For the first hour or so, I felt wrong. As if I'd been infected by the failings of the Republic. However, with time to consider it, I saw it as another weapon in my arsenal, one I needed to learn how to wield for it to have worth."

Around us, I could feel the Force shifting, hinting the decision was in the air. Part of me wished to use the Force to help ensure Aranaris made the choice I wanted, and I knew the Force would do that if I so demanded. However, there was a chance that Aranaris would sense what I was doing, and realise I wasn't the simple mercenary I claimed to be.

"You are not the first people to come to our world seeking training, though the first to visit my village in my lifetime." He leaned closer. "Most visitors head to one of the larger settlements elsewhere on the planet, so why did you come to us?"

I shrugged. "A hunch I guess. The less people know that Mandalorians are here training, the less likely it is that the Jedi get wind. As much as I'd enjoy showing them how they've failed as warriors, I won't put my son at unnecessary risk." I smirked. "Just to be clear, your people are not the first we've approached and trained with. We spent around half a year with the Matukai. They're another group of Force users outside the Jedi's influence, with a focus on drawing the Force inward to make the body stronger and faster."

I didn't know if the Shapers knew anything about other Force sects beyond the Jedi, or if they used the Force in similar ways to the Matukai. By revealing this now, I could explain away instances where Anakin and I moved faster than we might otherwise be able to in advance. That should mitigate the risk of anyone questioning our story.

"Such training is offered to those we consider Apprentices. The second true rank of warriors among our people." He leaned back, one hand coming up to stroke a long beard. "It will be interesting to see how someone does knowing such techniques before learning to shape their first element. As it will to see how an adult with some understanding of how to use The Gift does in training. Perhaps it might even offer new insights into the training of our warriors."

I nodded, pleased he wasn't upset about us training to draw the Force inward, and that he could already see the benefits of having us train with his tribe. There was an undertone of something, perhaps uncertainty over our story, but if he wasn't going to touch on that concern, I wasn't going to ask about it. The less he openly questioned our story, the less likely he was to see through the lie in it until, I hoped, we were finished with his training and off-world.

"I will speak with the other Elders," Aranaris added, making me smile. He moved toward the door of the room, though as I moved to follow he gestured for us to wait. "You are to remain here as my guests until a decision has been reached."

I disliked being confined in the room, not least when I could easily sense the dozen Shaper warriors around the building waiting for any sign we were a threat. However, if the roles were reversed, I'd have done the same.

"How long will that take?" Anakin blurted out.

Aranaris stopped and turned back to us. I feared he might dislike the question, but as he offered Anakin a warm smile, I knew that wouldn't happen. "I see the impertinence of youth is a universal constant," he said as his eyes found me.

"Only in those with the desire to make their mark on the galaxy," I replied with a grin.

That drew a short chuckle from the Shaper Elder. "Very true." He returned his attention to Anakin. "Based on what you and your father have told me, I'm inclined to accept your presence among the tribe. Now I have to convince the other Elders of that, but my voice carries enough weight that I don't foresee it taking more than an hour or two at most."

Anakin accepted that, and Aranaris left the room. While the door was open, I saw two Shapers standing there. They had accompanied Aranaris to this meeting, but it appeared that they would be remaining behind. More security to ensure we didn't do anything rash.

Like those that met us at Raven, they carried simpler weapons; one with a sword, the other an axe. Their eyes, as had been the case for any that had seen us, had been drawn to my beskad. I was unsure if I'd be allowed to train with it, at least for the entirety of our stay here, but it offered me a potential inroad to getting better acquainted with the warriors of the tribe. As would their tattoos.

The meanings seemed clear, and I was sure Adas would be interested in them as well. The holocron was curious about the Shapers and had asked me to speak with him at least once during my training so he might learn about their culture. The ancient Sith King – a true Sith unlike those of Bane's lineage who bore little in common with the original beliefs of the species the name had come from – was wiser than he let on. Or at least knew how to withhold enough information to keep me interested in continuing to learn from him.

I understood what he sought from me, and I understood the dangers of heading down that road. But with me unable to ever let go of my emotions – good or bad – the Jedi path wasn't one I could walk. Certainly not the path the current High Council was taking the Order down. That road led only to one place, which I was intent on stopping.

The trick for me was to learn from Adas without losing myself to his ideals, or the depths of the Dark Side before I was able to master it as I wished.

… …

… …
"… and that's about it so far," I said as I sat in my quarters, the holocron in front of me glowing as its gatekeeper listened carefully to my words. "I'm sure there's more to come in the Apprentice classes, but I'll not know that until tomorrow."

It had been about a month since we'd arrived on the planet and begun training, and I was finally moving up. Spending that month in a class with young learners had been irritating, but I had endured it. Beyond it feeling like a test from Aranaris and the other elders, I knew that you had to crawl before you walked. Or in this case, understand the element you wished to Shape before attempting to do anything more than summon it to your hand.

Those I'd be joining in the Acolyte group were closer to my age, though most were in their mid-teens while I was eighteen. Amusingly, the names the Shapers had for their ranks, were a mix of ranks the Jedi and Sith had used. Or at least older Sith orders. After Apprentice, there was Warrior, Knight, and then Master for your chosen element.

Interestingly the tribe that the Force had guided us to specialised in Fire Shaping. I'd half expected that given the tattoos of the Shapers in the tribe, but it was nice to have the confirmation as that was the element both Anakin and I were most inclined toward using. We both had some inclination toward Air Shaping, but that wasn't going to be learnt currently.

Regardless of the tribe, Shapers learnt to master a single element first. then, if they had the inclination and desire, they could learn another. Thus, someone like my trainer, Master Walrion, could be a Master of one element, but an Apprentice of another. Those who could master two or more elements were the Grandmasters of their culture, with those rare individuals who could master all four elements were considered a Supreme Master. From what the tribe knew, there was no Supreme Master currently, but that wasn't uncommon. Not only were they a semi-isolated tribe on the remotest continent, but Supreme Masters' only seemed to be born in times of great strife.

Within the tribe, there were a handful who could wield multiple elements, with them often in positions of importance. Interestingly, the Shapers considered one's primary element as a guide to the sort of person they were.

The rarest of elements as a primary was Earth. Those who could shape it were regarded as incredibly dependable and practical. In battle they were considered if they had mastered the element, the most difficult opponent to overcome; much like a mountain, they could be near-impossible to disrupt or knock over without an insane amount of power used against them.

Water Shapers, like Earth Shapers, were considered dependable as well but were generally calmer and more reserved. Those who mastered the element were said to be able to sense the gentlest of changes in another's emotional state and knew exactly what to say to help those with which they were speaking. Water Shapers were highly sought after as tribunal members – their version of courts – and diplomats to send to other tribes due to them, like water, being able to flow around obstacles to reach their destination.

Air Shapers were regarded as free spirits. They often wandered the land, travelling from tribe to tribe, guided by their curiosity about what lay over the next hill. They were also the best for creating new ways of doing things, that same drive of curiosity helping shine their mind toward seeing things in ways few others could. Given Anakin's ability with technology, it wasn't a surprise that he was considered almost as strong with Air as he was with Fire by the Masters. I lacked the cutting insight he had, but my drive to wander and explore showed I had an affinity toward Wind as well.

However, for both of us, Fire was where our hearts lay, and after learning of what it represented, that wasn't a shock. Fire Shapers were bold, aggressive people; those willing to rush into danger to help others. Their passions burnt bright, leading them to do what needed to be done. However, that same drive could also be a problem if the Shaper didn't learn to overcommit and do the wrong things for the right reasons. If they learnt to temper that heat, then Fire Shapers were considered the greatest of warriors and commanded armies when tribes went to war.

"Interesting," Adas commented as he stood still having listened to my report. "This blade they had you train with, show it to me."

Since we were in my cabin, a good few kilometres from the settlement, I reached out and used the Force to do so. The blade floated up into the air, turning along its axis to show all points to the ancient Sith King.

The blade was about the length of my beskad, which was longer than most such Mando'ade weapons, and a touch heavier. It was also blunted as while Master Walrion and her helpers weren't against trainees striking each other with their blades, they didn't want unnecessary damage done to us. The blades thus left bruises when they struck, or at least they did if wielded by some with the strength to do so.

While I had to hold back on my blade work while training to become an Acolyte – because of the age and skill of my groupmates – I hoped that wouldn't be the case from tomorrow as I began studying to become an Apprentice Shaper. Regardless of that, I would still have to hold back with using the Force, at least externally. There hadn't been any instances with the children where there'd been an instance when drawing on the Force would be the easier choice, but I knew that wouldn't last. While he might have more need of drawing on the Force to defend himself, Anakin was doing well at not doing so. I could only hope that remained the case over the coming months.

"A teaching weapon, one sadly blunted to avoid injury. I would have ensured the blade was at least partially sharp, to remind the younglings that it wasn't a toy, but I can understand why that isn't the case, and why they gave you such a blade when training with their youngest potential warriors." I ignored the comment about having to train with children, as it was one I'd snapped at myself about on occasion over the last month. "It certainly isn't on par with your beskad, to say nothing of the weapons my armies wielded, but I can see potential in its design."

"They use the Force to strengthen their blades," I said as the training weapon continued to rotate around in the air. "Nothing like how the Force was used in the creation of the war blade Plagueis gave me, but from what I've heard, it's the same principle as what I learnt from the Jedi about how to strengthen any object with the Force if there is a need to do so temporarily."

"While that is probably true, you should still listen to their methods on the unlikely chance they offer an insight you had not yet considered." Adas paused. "When will you consider training with the war blade?"

"Probably not for some time, and even then the beskad will remain my choice as my secondary weapon."

"Understandable, but you shouldn't discount a Force-forged blade as an option. The blade you have is powerful, though not comparable to the axes I wielded in war. Ones so powerful they could shatter the hulls of those who thought to invade and conquer those I ruled over."

"The Rakata."

The gatekeeper nodded. "Yes." He paused for a moment. "It is interesting that your ancestor has history with them; or at least one of their great war machines. Almost as if it were a sign that through the Rakata, we were destined to meet."

"Perhaps." My response was noncommittal as I didn't want to even hint that my choice of Revan as an ancestor was an active choice on my part.

"I remain disappointed that this Star Forge is gone. The potential for it to help us prepare for the wars we sense coming would've been immense." I nodded, agreeing with the sentiment even if I was glad the Star Forge was gone. Something that powerful, if it fell into the wrong hands, had the potential to fuck up the galaxy if given time to prepare for war. "Returning to the Shapers, they have potential as useful warriors in an army, but they remain limited by flaws in their beliefs. Flaws I'm sure you are well aware of."

I chuckled, knowing full well he wanted my opinion on the Shapers. The tricks he used were the same as ones I used with Anakin, and that Dooku had used when training me as his Padawan. The difference between Adas and myself was that I was trying to have Anakin focus on the ideals of the Jedi. Those lessons weren't sinking in well, and it was clear now – if it hadn't been a year ago – that he wasn't cut out to be a Jedi: at least as how the Council would expect.

With Adas, while he spun his words well, he wasn't hiding his intent to teach me how to draw upon, wield, and dominate the Dark Side. The only upside was that his teachings were based on what true Sith would've learnt, and not what those in the Banite Order had followed for nearly a thousand years. Yes, that plan was working, but it didn't feel like the correct choice to take.

I often wondered if Bane had somehow learnt from Revan, as he was one of the few Old-era Sith who had used a Rule of Two. Learning the truth was highly unlikely, but the question was one of many that I had linked in numerous ways to my ancestor. Of course, to get answers, I'd either have to wait for him to reappear and speak to me about them, or somehow discover information from the Banite Sith.

That was something for far into the future, and I replied to Adas' comment. "Their ability to harness the world around them, to shape and use it how they do is impressive. Perhaps even beyond what most Jedi and Sith could do. However, that is because the Jedi and Sith embrace a wider view of the Force and how it should be used." There was more to it than that, but that was the answer I felt Adas wanted to hear.

"Yes. Against a properly trained Sith, or even a Jedi, most of the Shapers would be little to no threat. Their Masters, however, might well be more effective against Sith Warriors or Jedi Knights, but in a prolonged conflict, their narrow-minded views would result in their deaths. Now, if they chose to work in concert, ambushing a Jedi Master, they might well stand a chance of taking them out; provided of course, that the Jedi Master in question was caught unaware." A nod came from me, signalling my agreement even as Adas continued.

"As you said, the flaw in their beliefs is their greatest weakness. It does, paradoxically, offer great strength as one who focuses heavily on a certain aspect of the Force can overwhelm others who aren't as well versed. The challenge, as both agree, is that these Shapers focus too narrowly on how they use the Force. However, if there was a need for a combat-capable Force sect in war, the Shapers have the potential to be extremely effective; particularly if deployed in situations designed to maximise their skills."

Again, I nodded as I had already added the Shapers as a potential resource to draw upon when it came time to be a coalition to challenge both the Republic and the CIS. Such a coalition would be termed as Separatists by Republic media, but I had no intention of allying with the majority of the CIS, or at least the mega-corporations that ruled it from the shadows. Those who genuinely believed that the Republic had failed them and also disliked the companies that provided the power to the CIS were potential recruits for my forces, as were those Republic worlds who stayed with it simply because of hatred toward the mega-corporations, or who didn't want to change from one suffocating overload to one far worse.

Taking time to train Anakin and myself was a risk, but with Gunray and his closest subordinates removed from the board, and Dooku shifted away from becoming a Banite Sith pawn, I felt I had time to do so. Those actions would delay the Banite Sith's plans, though I wasn't foolish enough to believe that it had ended their plans. With Damask as Co-Chancellor, they held more political power than they might have in the other timeline and now had ways to circumvent Republic laws about time in office without rushing to generate a crisis.

What might work in my favour there was that it was uncertain how Republic courts would rule on the idea of someone serving three terms as Co-Chancellor while being elected twice. The matter was already being discussed on the Holonet, though if it were brought before the courts, I knew the Banite Sith would move to ensure the ruling was in their favour.

That was why I'd dropped the hint about Maul being involved in the attack on Sojourn. Sidious was actively seeking to remove Plagueis, but I felt the Muun wasn't aware of that threat. At least he wasn't until the reveal of Maul's actions. Now, if things went even slightly well for me, Plagueis would begin to distrust everything Sidious told him. Not only would that generate the smallest of wedges between the pair, but it could unravel a few threads in their plan. I just had to be ready to pull on those threads to further weaken them before the Clone Wars erupted.

"This trial you underwent to become an Acolyte, what did it involve?"

"Nothing more than proving my competency with what was taught, but wielding the Force to control fire and with a blade. While easy to manage, I've had to be cautious with how quickly I've mastered their instructions, not wanting to risk giving away that I have prior training." So far, that had worked, but I knew there were a few voices from some of the younger Shapers that my rate of improvement was far too good to be anything but due to previous training. I was going to have to be cautious going forward, as there was a chance that someone would place me in a situation where to avoid harm, I had to draw upon the Force in ways not yet taught to me.

"For the Apprentice trials, the blade will be replaced with one sharpened, though not to levels that could cause a fatal accident. However, I'm told the goal of those trials isn't to defeat your opponent with the blade but to show your understanding and control of your chosen element is enough to allow advancement to more difficult training. I assume to do that, it requires creativity and ingenuity to if not defeat, then out-move my opponent. If it's clear that one fighter is superior to the other, the Masters will step in to avoid potentially fatal injury, but I'm unsure of anything more."

I intended to pass the Apprentice trial as, beyond wanting to advance as quickly as possible, that would be the second of five objectives for my time with the Shapers. I'd passed one by advancing to Acolyte, but the higher ones – to become a Warrior, Knight, or Master – were beyond me. at least with me intending to not spend more than half a year on Kro Var.

"Hmm," Adas began as he considered my words. "I understand the choice to not use fully sharpened blades, but is it disappointing. One cannot determine what a potential warrior is capable of unless they are placed in mortal danger. A lesson you have learnt several times in your life, from when you were attacked by Sith as a youngling, through your trial with the Mandalorians and up to the challenge the Sith Assassin gave you on Naboo."

I'd told Adas much about my adventures to prove I was worthy of his training, to see how he would react, and slowly earn his trust. So far, it seemed my stories had worked with Adas, and he was willing to teach me what I wanted. I was aware he wanted me to go further and faster down the path he intended, but I was being cautious. The Dark Side would swallow me whole if I entered it without fully understanding it. Indeed, I suspected that it was only because of the Interface that I hadn't fallen during the events with the Bando Gora and Vong. I'd lost that protection now, and while I was open to learning what I could use of Adas' teachings, I didn't want to fall as deeply into the darkness as he did.

"Ritual combat is something to be encouraged," Adas continued, "and hearing the Shapers, like the Echani and Mandalorians use it, reminds me of my youth. I had to scratch and claw for everything I earned, be it proving my worth to my tribe to uniting my world under my banner. However, from how you describe it, it's clear that the Shaper duels are but pale imitations of what a warrior should face to prove their worth. Nor do I expect that, when battles between tribes take place, the victor savours their triumph by drinking the blood soup from their defeated enemy's skull."

"I haven't heard anything about how disputes between tribes are handled, nor do I suspect I will," I replied, pushing aside all my distaste for what he'd mentioned. He knew I wasn't going to do that or things like it, but continued to mention them as if to judge if I was unworthy of continuing to train under him.

He might claim that there was power in drinking the blood of someone strong in the Force and that it could be used in various rituals and incantations, but I had shab'an interest in doing that. Now or ever.

"Understandable, but I expect if you did, I would be disappointed by their rules. Few species have the resolve and power to truly delve into the Force as a warrior should." While his tone was neutral, I could catch the slight inflexion that hinted at his disappointment. "On the topic of combat, have you given any further thought to how to rebuild your lightsaber?"

"Not heavily, no," I replied, knowing he was meaning my main blade. The yellow shoto blade was a backup weapon for me, and until Anakin created his lightsaber, the one he was training with when time allowed. "I want to attempt to rebuild or repair the crystal, and intend to use beskar or phrik as the coating of the hilt, but beyond that, nothing."

I had spent the year-plus since the lightsaber's destruction acting more as a Mando'ade than a Jedi, but not having the hilt at my waist continually left me feeling incomplete. The crystals, including the Mantle of the Force, were all aligned completely with me, yet I hadn't found anything on how to repair the damage done to the micro-crystal that formed part of the focusing array within my old lightsaber.

If I wished, I could've taken a random crystal from my Inventory – I had ten such crystals – and used that in a lightsaber, but the microcrystals had been the ones I'd found in the crystal cave on Ilum. I'd worked to find them; facing, and defeating visions of two possible extreme paths I could walk in the process, and not using them in a new lightsaber was wrong. Thus, I preferred to at least attempt to repair the damaged crystal, or failing that, work to find a new one.

"Then perhaps it is time I offered an alternative to blindly searching in the hope of finding a suitable replacement. During my lifetime, lightsabers were unknown, but due to previous holders of this holocron, at least those who proved themselves worthy of my instruction, I have learnt several secrets related to them and other powers. One such secret is how the Sith craft crystals for their weapons."

"You mean the reason every Sith lightsaber uses a red crystal?" I asked slowly, my thoughts turning to lessons with the Jedi about how unlike them, the Sith didn't seek out a crystal. Instead, the Sith crafted such things from their hatred and rage, from the darkest depths of their souls. According to those lessons, the Jedi claimed a true Sith lightsaber was weaker than a Jedi one because the crystal was not forged naturally by the Force. I suspected the Sith claimed the opposite, but while I had crystals from Sith, the last time I'd Observed them, nothing had been revealed to suggest either side was telling the truth.

"Yes. The process was revealed to me many millennia ago but one of the few worthy of learning at my feet." I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at the arrogance of the gatekeeper, thinking those who'd come before me had been beneath him. Adas had been a warrior king, ruling for centuries but that was but one world in a galaxy of hundreds of thousands of them. "The process, rather amusingly, has its roots in techniques and rituals dating back to before even my rise as the Sith'ari."

"Who taught you?" I asked, ignoring Adas referring to himself as the Sith'ari – their Chosen One. The title, given his rule lasted for centuries, only ending when he drove the Rakata and all their advanced Dark Side-powered technology from Korriban, was well earned. I wanted to hear who had once owned this holocron, as that might well grant me the chance to plot the rough course it had taken over the mill…

"Freedon Nadd." The mention of that name knocked me out of my thoughts. "You have heard of him?" Adas asked, seeing the shock on my face.

"He lived before my ancestor did," I replied slowly, drawing on studies in the Jedi Archives. "He conquered Onderon and ruled there for upwards of a century before the Jedi arrived and, so they claim, defeated him and his followers easily." There was more to the story, much more, but this wasn't time to reveal everything I knew of Nadd.

"Yes, I was made aware of his defeat several centuries later by the next who proved themselves worthy." A deep, almost guttural chuckle came from the gatekeeper. "It was not long after learning of Nadd's fate that the matrix of this holocron went dormant. Remaining so until you awoke me from my slumber."

Well, that would make plotting the holocron's route considerably easier, though there were still massive holes in it. Not least how my mother managed to gain possession of it, and stored it with her belongings in the Vault on Ordo.

"This process, what exactly is involved?" There was no harm in hearing about it, though I was hesitant to consider it any further than that.

"I sense reluctance in your tone."

"Obviously." My response was dry, and lacking in detail. "Trusting the words of a long-dead Sith, even one as powerful as yourself, without question would be beyond foolish." Plus, I was concerned about heading further down the path Adas wished for me to walk. I wasn't going to follow his intentions. No, I would forge my own path through the Force in the coming decades.

Another deep, guttural chuckle rippled from the holocron. "If you followed my words blindly, then I would be even more hesitant to instruct you than I currently am. Teaching other Jedi the fallacies taught by their Order is an effort I have grown weary of over the countless years since this holocron was created.

"That said, the fact you are aware of the dangers my lessons contain and how my desires don't entirely align with yours, is a sign that your mind is more open to the truth than the magnitudes of failed Force users that have or will exist in this galaxy and beyond."

I smirked, amused that my logical unwillingness to completely trust Adas had, in some small way, earned me some of his respect. I felt I now knew, after a year or so of truly learning from him, what he wanted to hear and how, but that didn't mean I was always honest with him. That was a dangerous path to walk.

Adas had ruled his people for hundreds of years, and this holocron was over twenty-seven thousand years old, so this gatekeeper had had more than ample time to learn and evolve further. Yet for all that I was learning from him, I had no intention of heading down the deeper, darker, and more dangerous paths he wished to show me.

With war slowly forming on the horizon, I knew that I would have to fight, that I would have to do things many might consider horrible if not downright diabolical. However, if that was what it took to defeat the Banite Sith, and correct the failings of the Jedi and the Republic, then I would do so. There were just some lines I refused to cross.

Learning exactly how the Sith forged their crystals wasn't one of those lines. "What exactly is required to create such a crystal?" I asked, wondering if it might offer some insight into how to, if not repair then at least reforge my damaged microcrystal.

… …

… …
The blade in my hand flashed, cleaving through the arrow of fire arcing toward me. The Force coursed through the blade, bending to my will as the flame dissipated, leaving only faint embers where its threat had been.

The memory of my first mistake in Acolyte training burned hotter than the flame itself. I'd learned then that pride could sear deeper than fire. Now, standing at the threshold of my Apprentice trials, there would be no such error—no hint of weakness.

The Acolyte trials had been mere sparring matches within the safety of the settlement. The Apprentice trials were harsher, with six tests in a single day, each demanding more than the last. Failure meant half a year's wait, an eternity to someone who had already lingered here for five long months. Victory was my only path forward.

Four trials had passed, three ending in duels where my opponents, consumed by resentment, had faltered, and fallen before my steady hand. But this one—a boy my age, cautious and sharp—held his ground, sensing that I was no easy target. I felt his rage, raw yet focused, stirring his attacks with force, but it was nothing compared to what I held within. Since Anakin's abduction, I'd honed my emotions to a lethal edge. But here, that edge remained sheathed, restrained. The time to reveal myself had not yet come.

The dying embers of his fiery arrow gave way to a flick of my wrist, sending five bolts of flame hurtling toward him. Each bolt was a distraction, an irritation, calculated to make him falter. His blade rose to meet them, and he retaliated with a wave of fire, pushing it forward with all the focus of his intent.

I met his fire with my own, conjuring a wall of flame. In the midst of the blaze, I surged forward, my beskar-arm braced against the searing air, cutting through the flames like water. He knew what that arm could do, having seen me send another opponent to the ground with a single strike. His blade rose, deflecting, creating an opening I could have seized—but restraint kept my power in check. Not here, not yet.

Our world narrowed to the rhythm of combat, the Force binding us in a ritual dance of fire and steel. Shadows flickered at the edge of my vision, where the Masters watched, unaware of the true power I kept veiled. My blade shifted, gripping the hilt with both hands as flames spiralled around my beskar limb. The boy's eyes widened, his stance faltering as he watched the fire coiling around the metal.

He raised his free arm, desperate to deflect, but his fear betrayed him. The strike was mine—until a resonant bang shattered the silence. The sound jarred me, just enough to miss my mark, my fist glancing past his form. A surge of fury flared within, raging against the interruption, yet I forced it into a cold, tempered edge.

The Keeper approached as I surveyed the boy, his robes singed, marked by flames. I remained untouched. I'd won, though no one would call it victory. The true question was whether the restraint I'd shown, the power I'd kept veiled, would be understood.

The man offered us a smile once closer. "You both fought well and while neither achieved victory, I judge that you are both ready for the final trial." As he spoke, another member of the Hall – easy to determine by the deep brown clothing they wore, similar in many ways to Jedi robes though without much of the undergarments, moved forward. Knowing what he wanted, I twirled my blade around and presented the hilt to him and my opponent did the same. "That will come this evening after you have both rested and recovered from your previous trials."

We bowed to the Custodian, accepting his words though I felt ready to face whatever the final trial was right now. I knew that was adrenaline and my lust for battle talking, but with the Force under my command, I didn't fear any of the others fighting to become Apprentices nor would I lash out and break my cover simply to satiate my urges.

The Custodian offered me a smile. "You show remarkable ease for an off-worlder with sliding into alignment with The Gift."

I smiled back, having faced this question multiple times during my time with the tribe. "When one is born into warfare, one learns to accept every advantage one has. However, it was only recently that I learnt why I had an advantage of knowing how and when to move before it happened; one I trained with another sect before coming to Kro Var."

"Yes, I have heard you trained with a group called the Matukai," I nodded confirming that, "once your trials are over, regardless of how you fare in the final test, I would enjoy speaking with you about the training you did there. There is wisdom in studying how others view The Gift and how it is used."

"Certainly, though they are the only other Force sect I've visited with my son. I have interacted with the Jetii, but I've never asked them much about their philosophy, and from what I understand, your people have little trust in the Jetii because of how they use the… Gift."

"Indeed." The Custodian turned after getting in the final word and walked away. After giving my opponent a nod, I turned and moved toward where those from the tribe I had trained with were gathered, savouring the understanding that only the time limit had saved my opponent from defeat. He might still have been granted permission to attempt whatever the final trial was, but I suspected that wouldn't have been the case.

As I moved, my smile grew wider as I revelled in how easy it was becoming to slip into the Force; to have it flow around me, granting me insight of what to do and when while ensuring it did as I wanted. It'd been over a year and a half since taking Natural Selection and it was almost instinctual to do so, though I understood that coming to continually rely on it risked leaving me open to moments when the Force was either blocked or when another had greater domination over it than I had.

I'd spent thousands of hours, most nights since I barely required sleep, deep in meditation working to align the Force with my goals, to ensure it was my ally and not my enemy. Now, there had been moments, lasting no more than a nanosecond, where the Force seemed to hesitate, not wishing to aid me as I desired, but those were becoming less common and so far in my training, yet to expose me to true danger.

"You passed!" The exclamation came from Pamaris, one of my fellow Acolytes from the tribe. Most of the others were reluctant to get close to me, fearing me as an outsider, but Pamaris wasn't. That may well be because his inclination lay with Water and Wind, as it made him inquisitive and patient with others. Pamaris had passed all four stages of the trials as well, while most of the other students hadn't, which probably explained the glares I was getting from them.

Their opinion, however, didn't matter. Nor did Pamaris' nor even Master Walrion in all honesty. All that mattered was completing as much of the training as possible in the remaining month or so I intended to spend on Kro Var. Each day remained a challenge, needing to walk the fine line between showing impressive regular improvement and not having that improvement be too great, and thus risk discovery of what I truly was.

Some of the other students in the tribe, and even a few Warriors, had attempted to force me to break my façade, going so far as to carry out actions that had left me slightly wounded. The urge to lash out, to strike them down for their actions remained strong, but I was better than my base desires; certainly, better than those fools who dared challenge my power. The only thing that might, conceivably have me break cover would be a threat against Anakin.

Only one Warrior had even suggested that, and after I'd beaten him down viciously for the threat – without drawing on any Force power I might add – the village had understood that I wouldn't tolerate such comments or behaviour toward my son. That warrior, once the matter had been deliberated on by the Elders, had been sent on with a caravan travelling for months to one of the few cities on the continent. They had yet to return, which was good for the pitiful excuse for a warrior. If he suggested going after Anakin again, I wouldn't be as lenient in my response. Nor hold back on revealing the full extent of my power to him and his tribe.

Now, while I'd kept myself distant from most of those I was studying alongside, by choice and by circumstance, Anakin hadn't, which was entirely expected. He was very much a people person, always seeking the best in others. Two of his group, a pair of twins not born in the village, had become his newest friends.

It was this ability of Anakin's to make friends and seek the best in them, that I felt had been exploited by Sidious to turn Anakin into Vader in the other timeline. Now, I couldn't claim to be immune to this same failing, seen when Serra had been in danger on Naboo and when Anakin had been kidnapped, but I was better able to handle the dangers of having relationships with others due to my maturity. Anakin had a long time to learn that control, though while I was teaching him how to do so I wasn't going to deny him the chance to make friends as we travelled.

"Yeah, but I should've won," I replied to Pamaris, knowing if I stayed quiet any longer he might think I was ignoring him. I wouldn't classify him as a friend, but he was sociable with me.

"Perhaps," a new voice said, drawing my attention, revealing that Master Walrion standing nearby, "but victory in your last duel was not required. All you had to do was prove your capability against someone as skilled as yourself. Those you defeated in the earlier rounds were unready for their trials," around us, several members of his tribe looked away, reminded of their failures in earlier duels, "this last trial was to show you were ready for your final test."

"That doesn't sound ominous at all," I muttered, using a wide smile to make clear I looked forward to the challenge.

"What is life without challenge?" He replied, matching my smile. "Now come. You have time before your final trial, and it would be wise to use that to rest and prepare."

After giving Pamaris a nod, I followed Walrion. Around us, most of those in the tribe who had come to attempt their Apprentice trials glared up at me. I, however, didn't care; they had proven themselves unworthy of the position they sought while I had not. All that remained was one final test, but I could feel the Force sliding around me, offering its help to ensure I emerged victorious.

… …
As the green flames surged closer, I dove to one side, their scorching heat grazing past as I rolled into a landing. Pain flared in my left leg—a harsh reminder, tempting me to unleash fury on the fool who dared wound me. But surrendering to that urge would be a surrender of my purpose, my control, and the Force itself.

Instead, I channelled the anger inward, sharpening my focus, and honing my movements to a razor's edge. Yet, even as I rose to retaliate, my power felt constrained, a fraction of what I could wield if I allowed the Force to surge unchecked. Five months of holding back, lowering myself to match those around me, grated against every instinct. But now, so close to completing my trials, I couldn't risk shattering my disguise.

The flames gathered at my fingertips, yet before I could release them, the emerald blaze arced again toward my new position. "Enough," I growled, springing forward to evade the green inferno as best I could. Unlike the previous duels, this one stripped me of my blade, pitting me against a Fire Master. Survival alone was the objective—time was the only measure of success. Yet, the Custodian's cruelty lay in concealing the duration, forcing each Acolyte to fight as though every second might be the last.

Rushing across the arena, I scanned for anything I could use. This duel wasn't held within the Hall of the Four but in an open arena, like a colosseum with rows of seats filled with eager spectators, those who had failed their own trials watching hungrily. Every attack I attempted was swallowed by the Fire Master's flames, his green fire devouring my efforts with effortless contempt. The cheers that rose with each failed attempt only fanned my irritation.

I knew the Fire Master wasn't aiming to kill, though he wouldn't hesitate to wound. In truth, if we clashed with full strength, I would crush him; he wielded the Force narrowly, through a singular mastery, while I could command it in ways he couldn't comprehend. Yet here I was, forced to endure this torment, to bide my time.

Then I saw it—a pillar of stone, no doubt raised by an Earth Shaper in an earlier duel. It was broad enough to shield me from view, at least briefly, and I sprinted toward it. To the spectators, the seconds I spent rolling, rising, and darting to the pillar would seem brief, but to me, with the Force amplifying each sensation, it was an eternity, my mind racing through strategies, discarding each in turn as inadequate.

Just as I reached the pillar, four steps from cover, all thoughts of strategy fled. Around the pillar, another funnel of green flames twisted toward me, the Fire Master's trap. Fury erupted, raw and consuming, pulsing through my veins as I realized I had no escape.

I couldn't stop, couldn't veer from the path, couldn't reveal my power to evade what was coming. In the agonizing slowness of the moment, I braced myself, arms raised in a futile guard against the oncoming blaze. I closed my eyes, the searing heat enveloping me, burning through layers of will and flesh alike. I knew the cost this might exact; it might end my trials here, rob me of my chance to ascend as an Apprentice Fire Shaper.

But I wouldn't flinch, wouldn't turn away. If this was how the duel would end, I would face it head-on, unyielding. Pain blazed through every nerve as the flames devoured me, their heat an all-consuming fury—and then, mercifully, the world faded into darkness.

… …

… …
As I lay in the bed, my gaze returned once more to my arms. Bar the beskar-covered replacement which showed no hints of damage as far as I could tell, I wore bandages from my shoulders down each arm. Those were the last bandages I had, with those for the rest of my body having healed in the days I'd been lying here.

The Shapers had a substance that accelerated the healing of the skin, and from what I'd seen, I wouldn't have any marks left on my chest, back, and legs. I could've healed the wound quicker, but that would mean drawing upon the Force and desiring it to restore my skin to its natural state. Such an act, while faster and less painful – even with the numbing agent the Shapers added to their medicine and bandages – would've ruined my cover, and after enduring the mind-searing pain from the duel with the Fire Master, I'd be a son of a Hutt before I made such an elementary mistake.

When I'd first awoken, and been told of my scars, of which my arms had taken the brunt of the blow, being the only section of me, outside of my head, the Water Shapers – or at least those who had learnt to harness their gifts for healing – had told me I would retain the scars from my trial. At least those on my arms. Those elsewhere would heal fully, and my hair – burnt away by the flames – was already beginning to return. I'd started to enjoy having slightly longer hair, allowing it to reach down past my shoulders, and not feeling it there – instead, having to endure any breeze on my exposed skull – was perhaps more off-putting than the scars hidden by the bandages.

For a few moments I had considered healing the scars that would be left once I left Kro var, but Master Walrion had entered the room not long after and stated why the scars on my arms were important. The scars that lay under the bandages were badges of honour to the Shapers, with every one of them, all the way up to the Grandmasters, having such marks if they learnt to Shape fire.

Other elements could leave scars, but the only element – at least of the base four – that always left such marking was fire. The issue, as I lay in the bed after nearly a week, was that no one had explained why the scars were important. I had a few ideas, but without confirmation, I couldn't be certain of anything.

That had meant the anger I felt for having to endure the bandage, for being forced to experience the pain of my body being engulfed in flames, only grew stronger. Thankfully, after time training with the Matukai, and the Shapers, and learning some ways to focus such rage from Adas, I had no issues controlling my rage. Shaping and guiding it in the ways I wished was child's play and while that was a simple matter for any who understood the power that lay in achieving dominance over one's emotions, it was such a relief to have that. Particularly when I remembered my time with the Bando Gora and fighting the Vong.

The upside, or at least the biggest one, to being stuck in a bed for a week was that it granted me time to think. On both the next few steps while on Kro Var and the ones I needed to take to regain what I'd lost from taking Natural Selection and where Anakin and I would head next.

I couldn't see us staying on Kro Var for much more than another month. I wanted to see what new techniques I would learn as a Fire Apprentice, but after that, there was little need to stay. I'd seen enough from Fire Masters, and painfully experienced more, to see ways I could harness my training to further my abilities. Perhaps in ways that few Jedi and Sith might ever consider. What also assured me that our time with the Shapers was growing to a close was the way Anakin was slowly becoming agitated. As if he longed to move on and explore more of the galaxy.

I shared the same sensation but was better able to hide it from others, but I could sense the Force shifting as if suggesting we needed to move on. That some unknown problem was slowly forming not far into our future. Because of that, my thoughts turned toward powers I had yet to rediscover.

Phase and Teleport were the two obvious examples of such powers. While I knew I could use them, I had remained reluctant to attempt either. Screwing up with them could easily prove fatal. I'd known I needed to learn how to harness the Force properly before attempting to reapply those powers, and as my time with the Shapers grew to a close, I felt it was almost time to add them back into my arsenal.

They were extremely powerful abilities, but their usage in combat – bar for quick withdrawals – was limited. Or at least they had been before taking Natural Selection. Once I was again comfortable using the powers, I'd have to test if that still held, but my feeling was that they would. Still, they offered me avenues that remained closed to most other Force users, and I'd have to start trusting their use, if not in direct combat, then to move into or out of such situations faster. It had been a regular flaw of mine too, when forced into rash actions, that I'd not used them, and that was a flaw I wished to remove.

I'd given more thought to Adas' suggestion on the creation of a new crystal for my lightsaber, and while I was reluctant to commit to it, as it was an obvious path down a road I wasn't comfortable travelling, there was some wisdom in at least attempting the process. Or using it in another way that he might not approve of, but might be more suitable to my needs.

That would come once we were away from Kro Var, but I'd also have to make sure that I didn't leave Anakin and the others waiting around on me while I attempted what I wanted to try. Fenrir and Simvyl were growing agitated with the boredom of not doing much. They went out hunting and training every other day, but both wished to do something else. Raven wanted to fly, her desire to feel the wind surging over her skin growing with each passing minute. As for the droids, while R2 seemed unaffected by such an extended period with little to do, HK had stated a desire to find some meatbags to test his latest calibrations upon.

The only issue with leaving Kro Var soon was that we'd not get the chance to study with an Air Master. Even if we travelled to another tribe elsewhere on the planet, Master Walrion had made clear none would train me until I had become a Fire Warrior. Even then, most wouldn't begin teaching a secondary element until I had mastered the first. That was, even if Anakin and I had the potential to shape air, there simply wasn't the time to commit to the training, so I'd have to learn the ability on my own through trial and error.

I didn't think I yet had to reinsert myself into events of substance in the galaxy, but I knew that the time I had to prepare myself and Anakin before the first beats of the drums of war sounded was growing to a close. Nearly eighteen months had passed since Palpatine had been elected Chancellor, and another month after that Damask had joined him as Co-Chancellor. By now the pair would have the levers of power aligned to ensure they remained in office for as long as was necessary before a galactic crisis ensured none would want them to step down.

Whoever they had chosen to replace Dooku as Darth Tyrannus – if that name was still used – would soon be ready to begin stirring the pot. Assuming it remained a Jedi Master, then it wouldn't take much to search the Holonet for mentions of a member of the Order speaking out publicly on the failings of the Republic in the Outer Rim, but to search for that I needed to be away from Kro Var and back in civilization.

The question, once that figure was revealed, was determining if they had the acumen of Dooku to influence others in the ways he had in the formation of the CIS, or if they would travel down a slightly different path. That, however, would only become clear once I knew who the Banite Sith's puppet was.

Even if I had to wait a few more years to discover the puppet, I could start making moves to prepare. The development of a third faction, one offering another path forward, was perhaps my best choice. That faction would be far smaller than the Republic or CIS, but with the right people, planets, and companies backing it, I felt it held a good chance to royally fuck up the Banite Sith's plans, perhaps even offering sight of the path through the coming chaos that I and Anakin had to thread.

Something hinted to me that beyond us and Dooku, Maul and Vosa had roles to play in finding and then widening that path, however, I was unsure of what those roles would be, and in the case of Vosa, if I wanted to accept her service.

The obvious non-Force users to focus on were the Mando'ade and Lokella. The latter were small but dedicated toward goals I could support and would induce new forms of chaos into the Banite Sith's plans. The former, however, had the potential to derail things majorly. There were, potentially, hundreds of millions of Mando'ade spread across the galaxy, and if they could be united under a single banner, under a new Mand'alor, and bring the full strength of their arms and technology to bear, they could be incredibly useful.

However, they alone wouldn't be enough, but I had a few plans, some downright insane that I could enact that might, if not outright help my cause, then disrupt the Banite Sith's plans. One such group was the Anzati, or more accurately their assassins.

From the general stories on the Holonet that one read of the Anzati, they sounded like this galaxy's version of vampires. Feeding on the 'soup' or 'luck' of others to enhance themselves and live longer was the stuff that gave people nightmares. More so when one considered that they considered those strong in the Force delicacies of the highest order.

When one dug into their culture, however, one saw that while all that was true, only those who lost control of themselves and became little more than feral beasts deserving of nothing but a quick and painful death, attacked and fed on others so indiscriminately. The majority of the species lived for centuries, learnt to control, and rise above their urges, and through those centuries if not millennia of life, trained to become some of the deadliest fighters in the galaxy, with many specialising in assassinations. So much so that HK considered them the apex meatbag species for such missions, which from him was as high praise as he could offer to a sentient.

All that meant that I would be safe to train with an Anzati Master Assassin if they were willing to train a Force user. However, Anakin and the others wouldn't save perhaps for Simvyl. For the droids, Fenrir, and Raven, it would be another five or six months of sitting around, but I felt the time was something Anakin could use.

I was uncertain how easily I could slip away from my training to oversee Anakin's; however, he had his project waiting for him. He'd not been able to focus on it while we were on Kro Var, but nearly half a year of training by himself aboard Raven would grant him the time to create his droid; something that might help keep HK and R2 occupied as well, at least to some degree.

The door to my room sliding open drew me from my thoughts, and a moment later Master Walrion stepped in. "Good Morning. How goes your recovery?"

"The pain's gone, and I can finally feel my fingers," I said, flexing them for emphasis, savouring the relief.

He smiled at the sight. "Good. The healers expected you'd be ready for the final bandages to come off today. Then we can begin the last stage of your trial."

I frowned, puzzled. The battle with the Fire Master was supposed to be the final test. "I've finished the duels," I said, watching as he stepped further into the room, a hint of amusement on his face.

"Yes, the duels are done," he said, his smile widening, "but you've yet to be confirmed as an Apprentice of Fire. You still need the markings that signify you as one of us."

"How are the tattoos applied?"

"The process is simple." He raised his arms, revealing the intricate flames etched from his hands to his shoulders. "Look closely, at the places where the flames seem to meet and intertwine."

I leaned in, examining the stylized flames that danced up his skin. They crept under his clothing, but I knew they extended across his chest. The markings were striking, giving the impression that his arms were alight, an effect that became even more mesmerising when he summoned flames to dance across the tattoos. The ink seemed to come alive, each line of fire blending seamlessly with the real flames, a merging of flesh and fire that was both a mark of power and a promise of what lay ahead.

"Do you remember how in your first lesson; I spoke of what my tattoos represented?"

It took only the slightest bit of effort to have the memory come to the forefront of my thoughts and in crystal clear detail. "That they mark your mastery over the flames, and display to others you have proven your status as a Master of Fire."

Walrion nodded and lowered his arms. "Indeed, and you have now passed your Apprentice trial, it is time for you to gain your first markings." That held some appeal, as I had no issue with tattoos, at least not when they weren't as all-consuming as Walrion's. "Each Shapers' markings are different," he continued, moving closer to the bed, "the marks shaped by events of their trials. The scars your arms bear will form the base of your markings, and the more dangerous the trial, the greater the scars one can experience." I nodded, seeing the logic in that.

"What about the other elements?"

"Those are not as prone to scarring the body as fire, but where they do they are used in the markings. For example, Master Ranalis' markings to show his mastery over earth are based on scars. At least the ones showing his status as Master. Earlier trials rarely leave the same lasting impression as the cleansing flames do."

"In that case, I'm honoured to accept my markings," I said with a smile. A tattoo should always have meaning, signifying something the person did or earned, and not just a mark because they liked a picture. The idea of healing the scars was gone now, replaced by the understanding they carried respect and honour with the Shapers.

"Good. The Custodian and the other Masters were concerned you might reject markings based on personal belief."

I chuckled. "You remember the markings on my armour?" He nodded, remembering when I'd brought part of the armour to show the sigils I bore for both my clan and myself. I'd done so as Anakin had detailed the story of my verd'goten to his friends, and it had spread through the tribe to the point I had to prove them with a recording of the hunt. While many disliked the use of technology to show that, almost all were impressed that I downed the greater krayt dragon with nothing more than a knife. "Then I'm uncertain why you would think I would reject marks of honour and courage."

Walrion grinned. "I knew of this, but the others did not. They needed me to confirm that you were agreeable." He turned and moved toward the door. "I will have the healers visit you soon to remove the bandages. Then this evening, your markings will be created so that you can display them with honour on your travels."

… …

… …
I watched carefully as I ignited the fuel at the centre of the furnace. Having taken days to gather the ferrocrete needed for it, craft that into shape, and then build the forge, the last thing I wanted was for it to fail as I started the fire at its core.

Quickly, the heat rose, stifling the surrounding environment. The Force protected me from the worst of it, yet I could see the air around us simmer from the intense temperature emanating from within the forge. The flames inside roared; twisting around seeking freedom to destroy everything around me, but I knew I couldn't allow that. I had to take control of the flames, control the heat they generated, and focus toward helping me achieve my goal.

Adas had been clear that to forge a crystal in such an intensive way, the Force user had to be the dominant party; they had to ensure for however long the process took that the fire obeyed them in every way they demanded. For the Sith, that meant building a crystal from scratch, applying each layer of lattice one at a time, painstakingly using their fury to endure the time and effort needed to do that, and ignoring the pain brought forth by the intense heat of the furnace as they knelt before it. I was uncertain if I could do that, and with the cracked crystal available to me, I hoped I wouldn't have to.

Once the flames were hot enough, I opened one palm, and using the Force lifted my cracked lightsaber crystal into the furnace. Attempting to repair the crystal using the method the Sith used to create their crystals was a longshot, but since there was no other way to recover the crystal for its primary purpose, I figured it was worth a shot.

On the journey to this remote planet – one in a system known simply by galactic coordinates rather than a name – I'd spent hours using the Force to examine the two micro crystals down to their atomic structure. Or at least as best as I could. The Force had resisted helping me, almost as if it knew what I intended and wanted to stop me, but it had bent to my will and assisted my work; just as it was going to do now.

Even as the crystal floated to the centre of the furnace, I could feel it buckling under the heat. The crack within it widened as the heat affected the lattices within as the flames probed for more weaknesses to exploit. If I was simply trying to repair the crystal, then that would be an issue, but I understood that I couldn't do that. No, what I was attempting was to break the crystal down and rebuild it into something usable.

Focusing my emotions into a fine edge, using it to slice through the Force as it tried to prevent me from accessing the elements that went into the creation of the crystal, I got to work.

In the depths of his holocron, I knew Adas expected this to fail, for it to become nothing but a waste of my time. However, I felt I had to try. This crystal was one I worked to acquire, defeating the worst possible versions of myself in the process, and then discussing the future for a brief moment with Revan.

My mind knew what I had to do, and the Force would bend to my desires helping me achieve that. This was going to take hours, if not days, but I felt the effort was worth the risk.

… …
I slumped back, the exhaustion of what I'd done finally catching up with me as I felt my work was finished. However, before I could saviour rebuilding my crystal, I felt a shift in the Force and a flare of Danger Sense. Understanding what was about to happen, and as the ferrocrete of the furnace began to glow ominously, I reached out and engulfed the furnace in a Force bubble.

The furnace exploded spectacularly, and I had to shield my eyes. The bubble I'd created held, and I felt it strain against the pressure that slammed into it. However, I wasn't letting the bubble fail. If I did, I was dead. The Force bent to my desires, strengthening the bubble, ensuring it withstood the onslaught inside.

Opening my eyes, I saw the flames moving slowly around the inside of the bubble, desperately seeking a weakness it could exploit; a gap to escape and unleash its fearsome fury. The hand that had shielded my eyes from the initial explosion came up, helping me focus on strengthening the bubble. The flames inside moved around slowly, allowing me to see individual spikes of flame fight with the bubble and other spikes, seeking to assert their dominance over each other.

The heat and intensity from the flames were easy to feel outside the bubble, far surpassing anything I'd seen any Shaper generate and control. That, however, didn't mean I couldn't control them. Closing my eyes, I focused on the flames, attempting to assert my will over them. Before Kro Var, this would never have worked, but with my training with them to draw upon, and the full breadth of the Force at my command, I wouldn't be losing this battle. The fury of the ferocious flames would bend to my desires.

The flames pushed back, somehow understanding that an outside force was threatening them. Their intensity grew stronger, challenging my position, but I wasn't going to lose this battle. Reaching inward, I found the source of my emotions, those filtered and focused into a razor's edge and drew on that. Every cell in my body was fuelled by my emotions, pushing the Force to strengthen me further and bend the fury contained in the bubble to my demands.

I watched, a small, delighted smirk creeping onto my face as the flames, dancing to their nature, slowly started slipping in intensity. The air inside the bubble slowly was dying out as it was fed upon by what had destroyed the furnace. Knowing this was the moment to begin to end this struggle, I reached out, grasping control of the flames while at the same time shrinking the bubble.

The flames, those that bent easily to my demands, turned on their compatriots, feasting on them even as the space available to the fire shrunk. Those flames not under my control slammed into those that were and the bubble, raging against what was happening, but I didn't care. I knew this battle was over. All that remained was to snuff out the remaining strands that refused to obey me.

This kept up until the only flames left within the bubble were subservient to me. Wanting to end this farce and see what state my crystal was in; at the same moment, I had the flames shoot upwards and opened the top of the bubble. The fire easily accepted my wishes and raced skyward. They rose like a rocket, and then on my command, once high enough to not be a threat to anyone, I flicked open my hand.

The flames exploded outward, resembling a firework with such intensity that if this was a habited planet, I suspected those in orbit might well have seen the momentary flash before the flames died.

With that done, I slumped back on my legs. To anyone watching, everything that had happened had taken place in merely a few seconds. With the Force enhancing me, time had passed much slower for me, and it felt as if I'd just run a marathon. Yet even in my exhaustion, I felt a surge of delight. I had dominated the flames and proved my dominance over them. now all that remained was to…

"Fuck!" the word slipped from me as I saw that, where the furnace had been, all that remained was ash. The ferrocrete not consumed by the flames slipped away as a gentle breeze past over us. "FUCK!" I screamed, my voice blasting away the remaining dust as I understood that, at some point, while I'd been fighting the flames, the crystal I'd worked for Force-knew how long to rebuild was gone. Reduced to ash along with the furnace.

The ground around me cracked, the dust scattered with the shockwave that emanated from me as the rage I'd drawn on to control the flames was if only for the slightest moment, unleashed fully. Plants were ripped from the ground, the topsoil and their roots shredded by my rage, while trees metres from me bent and cracked as my fury slammed into them.

As the blast of fury eased, I looked at the spot where the furnace and crystal had been. The ground around it hadn't endured my fury, clearing a ditch around that spot and me. Yet where the furnace had stood, the ground had turned to glass, which had then shattered when I'd lost my control for a fraction of a second. As I regained control of my fury, I sensed Anakin's panic. Behind that, similar feelings of worry came from Raven and Fenrir, the former also expressing a primal desire to fight those who had angered me.

Once the rage was reforged into a cold, hard blade, I pushed it back down inside myself and then reached out to the trio. I let them know, with feelings pushed through the Force, that I was fine and not to worry. Raven and Fenrir accepted that easily, though there was doubt coming from Anakin. Another wave of reassurance, mixed with disappointment and determination settled his doubt and I brought my thoughts back to my location.

Rebuilding the crystal had failed, much as Adas would've expected it to. However, as I reviewed what had happened, and what had caused the furnace to explode, I understood my flaw. Or at least the one I felt had caused the destruction of my old crystal. The mistake hadn't perhaps been in attempting to reforge the crystal but in the construction of the furnace. Reviewing the memories of its explosion, I could see where the flames had first weakened and then engulfed the ferrocrete. I saw the flaw in the design. One so slight it had slipped my attention in the furnace's construction.

A small growl of annoyance slipped from me as I understood that, because of the failure of the furnace, the chance to reforge my old crystal was gone. Now I would be forced to do as Adas had suggested; to create a focusing crystal purely from my control and domination over the Force. It angered me to have failed, to have lost a small connection to my past, but the notion that I now had to follow Adas' instructions - to accept that his way was the only way - infuriated me to my very core.

I shifted around, wanting to stand for the first time in Force-knew how long. The muscles in my legs protested, straining against what felt like days of inactivity, yet within a short while I was standing. Carefully turning and stretching – I might not experience cramps as most sentients did, but I could feel pain in my body from being stationary for so long – I worked out any potential kinks in my muscles and sinews. Once I was recovered, I would begin anew. I needed a new crystal and knew this was the time for me to forge one, and thus, while I raged at Adas being right, at my failure, I would push forward. Not because Adas said this was the path to take, but because as the Force swirled around me, I knew this was what I had to do.

… …

… …
This story is cross-posted on Fanfiction.net, Archive of our Own, and Royal Road.
...
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USSExplorer · Dec 17, 2024

A/N: As always, a huge thank you to those helping with lore and planning for this and my other stories.

And again, this chapter was released to those of sufficient rank on the story's Discord (it pays to talk) about a month ago. For those who support my writing, then it was released between 1 to 4 months ago (and those supporters can also access chapters that far in advance).

If joining the Discord or supporting my writing interests you, there is a link at the end of the chapter for how to do so.

A/N (2): This chapter hasn't had the same careful looked over from LuciferBael as usual as he has begun his own story and then was challenged by a Smurf to get out 100k in 10 days.

LuciferBael managed the challenge, and the name of the story is at the end of the chapter, but if there's something that feels rougher than normal, blame the Smurf.

3.09 Family and Training
… …

The furnace whispered its surrender. The heat faded, the air cooled, and in my hands, I cradled the fruit of fire and will—a crystal, born of my defiance. This one had been forged with nothing but my strength of will and desire. I was still disappointed that the first attempt had cost me one of the two crystals I'd gotten from the crystal cave on Ilum, but with a replacement now in my hand I accepted the price I'd had to pay.

There had been another attempt before this one as well, where I'd tried to temper my rage in shaping a crystal, pushing other strong emotions that weren't associated with the Sith into creating the lattice of a crystal. However, that attempt had produced a flawed crystal, one Observe made clear was unusable in a lightsaber. I had placed it in my Inventory on the chance that one day it might have a use, but I was uncertain if such a day might ever arrive.

This crystal was forged in blood and rage, tempered in the fires of my refusal to yield. It was the reflection of my war—not against an enemy, but against the galaxy itself. Against what it demanded I become. It had taken days of constant effort, the third such effort inside half a month, but in the end, my efforts had been rewarded and as I held the crystal up, placing it between my fingers, I failed to see any sign of a flaw. Still, I had to be sure.

Artificial lightsaber crystal (miniature)
An artificial lightsaber crystal created by Cameron Shan.
This crystal, while capable of being used as a focus for the Force, is too small to be used as the single focusing crystal within a lightsaber.
HP: 15
Rarity: Unique
Value: 5000 Credits
Energy Value: 500
Attuned Users: Cameron Shan (100%)
Special Features:
Grants a minor boost to the usage of Force powers that a Force user demands the Force help them with.
...

My brow rose at seeing the slight boosts this artificially created crystal granted me, and curious about the differences I pulled the remaining crystal from Ilum from my Inventory.

Ilum Adegan Crystal (miniature)
A crystal from the caves of the planet Ilum.
This crystal, while capable of being used as a focus for the Force, is too small to be used as the single focusing crystal within a lightsaber.
HP: 5
Rarity: Uncommon
Value: 3000 Credits
Energy Value: 300
Attuned Users: Cameron Shan (100%)
Special Features:
Grants a minor boost to the usage of Force powers that work in concert with the Force.
...

It was interesting to see the differences between the two crystals. The Ilum crystal sang with harmony—a melody of millennia, a hymn of the Force as it wished to be. My crystal roared—a symphony of defiance, raw and untamed, its notes jagged and sharp.

The fact the artificial crystal was worth more than the natural one was an odd discovery, however, days of effort to make the crystal didn't suggest it was worth considering creating crystals for revenue. And that was before I considered how much my writings and holomovies were making me.

The Energy Value of the crystals, and other objects that had it listed, was still something I'd yet to determine the purpose for. It only appeared on objects that held strong connections to the Force, yet the more obvious possible uses – such as trying to store the Force inside them, or using them as focusing crystals for the Force had failed to achieve anything. I'd used some of the crystals I'd found on Dantooine when I'd visited there many years ago with Fay, as other than using one for the focusing crystal in my shoto lightsaber, and another for Padmé's lightfoil, they'd served no purpose until now. I was uncertain if I might ever learn the reason the Interface listed Energy Value with objects connected to the Force, and I was not going to commit more thought to discovering its purpose.

My thoughts right now were more on the fact Observe gave no hint the crystal I'd created wouldn't work in a lightsaber, and trying to contain my excitement, I pulled the various components – those that had survived the battle with Maul and those I'd had to purchase as replacements – from my Inventory. The small greater krayt dragon crystal and the Mantle of the Force were also taken out. Holding the Mantle in my hand, and knowing this would be the last time in a long time that I could do so, I used Observe upon the ancient Force crystal.

Mantle of the Force
(Unique Force Crystal)
One of two legendary Force crystals linked with Revan.
While the origins of this crystal have been lost to the ages, the potential it possesses has not.
HP: 20
Rarity: Unique
Value: 50000
Energy Value: 1000
Attuned Users: Cameron Shan (100%)

Special Features:
Enhances the benefits of any other crystals used in a lightsaber.
Grants a small increase in the potency of an attuned user's Force abilities.

...

It had taken far longer than I'd expected to attune Revan's former crystal to me entirely, and when I'd finally managed to do so, I'd not yet gotten Mechanics [Lightsaber] to the required level to allow me to add it as a fourth crystal to my old lightsaber. That restriction was gone now, and I was curious as to what boosts it brought to the two main crystals I would be adding to my new blade, and my ability to focus the Force through it.

I placed a clean, silk towel on the ground, ensuring that the various components didn't bring even a speck of dirt into what I was about to begin. This towel was one I'd been given years ago by Fay as a way to help clean and maintain my lightsaber, and to rest the components if I ever disassembled my blade to make alterations. I had everything I needed to create my lightsaber, though the casing I was using this time wasn't the one I intended as the final design.

For that, I would need to travel to Mandalore. One of the smaller teeth from the dragon I'd killed for my verd'goten – yet the tooth was still longer than my palm – would be used for the hilt. The inside of the tooth would be hollowed out and the components placed inside. The tooth would be coated externally in beskar, preventing anyone from destroying my blade as Maul had done on Naboo.

I knew many would see my usage of Mandalorian Iron in my lightsaber's hilt as a sign that my loyalties ran stronger with the Mando'ade than the Jedi, but that choice had been one I'd come to over the last year and a bit. If I had to choose, my loyalty lay with my fellow Mando'ade and not the Jedi, nor the masters they failed to question in the Republic.

That said, I had no intention of leaving the Order just yet. Staying a member of the Jedi offered many benefits that I intended to exploit, including potential access to the Archives with a focus on the Holocron Vaults. Dooku had ideas there, but I could think about those later. My focus now, as I made sure each of the components I would be using was clean and ready, was on building my new weapon.

I took one final look at everything that lay before me and then closed my eyes. I stretched out my arm, placing my organic hand above the towel, and after taking a deep breath to centre myself, called forth the Force. I felt it flow through me, understanding my desires, and moving toward what lay on the towel. My breath caught in my throat as I felt my connection to the crystals I would be using – even the dragon pearl – as the Force brushed over them. I'd never experienced that before, providing yet another reminder that Natural Selection had been the correct choice.

From the Ilum crystal, the connection was gentle and soothing. It was as if the Force was melding with me, granting me the ability to flow with its desires and help bring forth the path it wished for. From the crystal I'd just created, the Force was more energetic. Not turbulent, but definitely primal. It desired control or for me to dominate it and guide it to help create the galaxy I wished for. The Force in the synthetic crystal bore hints of my Force presence, in much the same way as Raven did, yet without the higher intelligence the living starship possessed. From the pearl, there were lingering hints of animalistic mentalities, yet it was the Mantle that drew my focus.

I could sense my presence within it, yet the way the Force flowed with, through, and around it was different: something unique. It felt as if it wished to work with other crystals, to help them become something greater as it, in ways I failed to truly understand, altered the very Force that slid through it. This aligned with everything Observe had stated, yet being able to feel and experience it was an entirely different matter than simply knowing it was happening.

Understanding now instinctively how the crystals responded to the Force and me, I created the weapon I wished to build in my mind's eye. I knew in my soul how the crystals should align, and how the various technical components would be placed around them. Understanding my desires and working with me, the Force shifted, and I felt everything that was to be part of my lightsaber lift into the air.

I took things slowly, not wanting anything to be misaligned, and had the crystals and components float around each other, finding the perfect positions to create the most powerful weapon. This task, the creation of a lightsaber, could only be done by one skilled in either using or working with the Force. The Jedi and Sith were the obvious choices, but I felt others, such as skilled Shapers, could create a weapon of similar potential. To create a weapon of this magnitude demanded more than a connection to the Force—it demanded mastery. Precision. A will unbroken and unyielding. This was not an instrument of peace or war. It was a monument to power. A singularity of purpose that could rival the stars themselves.

Time dissolved, a casualty of my singular focus. The Force bent to my will, shaped by my purpose, moulded by my command. There was no partnership here, no harmony—only control. Each component, each crystal, moved where I demanded, the galaxy itself aligning with my design.

Eventually, uncertain of how much time had passed though it felt as if I had only just closed my eyes, the last piece slid into place. This was the configuration I needed, the one that would work best with me, the Force, and how I wished to use it. I moved the temporary hilt forward, sliding the assembly inside it, and then sealed the hilt with a latch that could only be opened by someone using the Force. Others could attempt to build a lightsaber, but only one skilled in the use of the Force could create a hilt for which the latch to gain access to the crystals and components was stored internally.

I opened my palm, and the hilt glided toward me. My fingers closed slowly around it, taking ownership of my new lightsaber, and as I felt the Force react happily to my creation, my eyes opened so that I could see what I'd forged.

I couldn't help but smile as if I were a youngling in a candy store as I took in the weapon I'd created. The hilt might not be the final one, but the familiar curved nature of it and the simple pommel felt comfortable in my grasp. This weapon was one built by and for me, and I now felt complete.

This blade was as much a part of me as my mechanical arm was, more so even. The parts might not be made of flesh and blood, but the blade was an extension of my will. I turned the hilt over, marvelling at what I'd created. It was smooth, with the ignition switch being stored internally.

Once the final casing was ready, I'd be adding other options as well, all of which would also be stored internally. Well, all but one of them. The only external extra would be an in-built DNA scanner in the grip. That was to ensure that even if another Force user activated the internal switch to ignite the blade if their pattern wasn't stored in the hilt then the blade would fail to ignite. The other features, such as the ability to work underwater, or alter the length of the blade on whim, would be internal. They would only work if my hand grasped the blade, so none could interfere with my weapon, nor turn it against me.

I stood slowly, careful to not let the hilt slip from my grip, and quickly moved into the standard opening stance of Makashi. Without trepidation, as if I knew the blade would work perfectly, The blade ignited with a whisper—a predator's growl echoing across the ages. The sound curled in my ears, primal and alive. It was not a weapon. It was a heartbeat, a howl, a promise. I smiled—a predator's smile—as the glow bathed the room. This was no Jedi's weapon.

"Interesting," I muttered, my gaze fixed on the blade's crimson edge. The red bled into the darkness of the core, consuming the light. It was not a deviation—it was an evolution. A mark of what I had become. The change must have come from the crystal I'd created that now lay at the heart of the weapon. The black light at the blade's core, which seemed to consume all light around it, darkened the red of the edge, but even so, I knew many would see this and assume more deeply that I had turned to the Sith.

I should've seen this coming to be honest. Almost every Sith blade – be they of the Banite line or one that came from before Ruusan – had borne a red artificial crystal at its core. Why, when I'd used the same process, should my blade be any different?

Now, there were some Jedi who used a red blade, but those crystals were naturally occurring ones. Much like the one I'd found on Dantooine that I had used in the creation of Padmé's lightfoil. Those Jedi with such blades were rare, with only black being rarer. In theory, the fact other Jedi had wielded red blades should absolve concerns from the Order, but I knew for a significant faction, it would only increase their distrust of me.

Jon Savos and Master Belfarr had always been the two most vocal voices against my presence in the Order. Others, such as Masters Windu and Piell had grown more accepting toward me, though I knew they still harboured reservations about me and my intentions. The newest voice to speak against me was Sia-Lan Wezz.

The former friend had turned, choosing to speak negatively about me because of what had happened to Serra and Master Drallig. That was disappointing as while we weren't that close, I had enjoyed her friendship, and watching her movements while we sparred. The girl was very blessed in ways that I could appreciate. Yet for all that, I was fine with losing her friendship.

She and the others could say what they wanted. I would deny it, of course, but it was amusing that they were right that I was a threat to the Order. Just not, perhaps, in the way they believed. The path I lay on was different from the Jedi, and so long as they made no move to prevent me from travelling where I wished to go, then I could ignore them for now. In the future, as war swallowed the galaxy, I knew I would find myself across the battlefield from the Jedi at times, but that was far enough away that I didn't allow it to concern me greatly.

I stepped forward, guiding my new blade through one of the base velocities of Makashi. The movement was, as it had been for years, perfect. Yet now, with the Force flowing freely and a blade crafted by my intentions, the action was smoother, perhaps even easier and more efficient. The blade slid around, moving so easily and accurately that it was as if it could sense and anticipate my intentions and desires. This blade was an extension of me, and moved in perfect alignment with my actions, letting the Force flow through and around us.

My smile grew wider, threatening to encompass all of my lower face, as I worked through more of the velocities of my base form. My feet shifted, bringing in the Ataru footwork I'd adopted into my personal style. My movements became easier, more fluid and graceful as the Force shifted with me, accepting my intentions, and acquiescing to them.

For the first time since Naboo… no, since my rebirth in this universe, I felt complete. I'd never understood just how much of a part of someone their lightsaber was until this moment. Around me, the world fell away as I moved through various velocities. Nothing else mattered for the time being, not Anakin or others I cared deeply for, or my slowly developing plans for the future. All that existed was myself, my lightsaber and the Force.

… …

… …
I pulled back, avoiding the fist that rushed toward my face, yet as the hand opened, I understood what was to happen but didn't react in time. A second later I was flying through the air, landing with a thud in the dirt around me.

"Osik!" I spat out and slammed my fist into the ground, angered at again failing to stop Simvyl from taking me down. Yes, I'd agreed to not draw on the Force heavily while we sparred, and yes he had become a far stronger warrior since Naboo – when he was still as good as most of the Mando'ade – but this was getting fucking annoying. What made it worse was the pleased smirk the Cathar had as he moved toward me.

"That's seven-six to you," he says as he extends a hand. "As much as I'm enjoying taking you down, I can tell something is bothering you."

I grunt in annoyance even as I take the hand. "Perhaps you've just gotten better than me over the last week," I snapped back, though it would be clear to even a youngling that I don't believe my words.

Simvyl sighed. "Cam, in the time since we first met, I've seen you fight hundreds of times, and sparred with you more times than I can count." My mind instantly supplied the number, revealing to be north of seven thousand, though some of those were spars that bled from one into another so might not count as individual spars. "Yes, ever since Naboo I have grown stronger by joining you and Anakin in your training, and I am grateful for you helping me become an even stronger warrior, but don't lie to yourself. For each step forward I've taken, you've taken a dozen more at least. I barely manage to score a single point in our spars and yet all morning you've been off. A hair too slow, a fraction late in responding. Even a blind, deaf, and dumb gundark could tell something is bothering you."

I look at Simvyl carefully as I consider his words. Since we first met on Zonama Sekot he's matured, and while still young at twenty-one, he has evolved into a powerful and skilled fighter. He is someone I consider a good and trusted friend though I know I've spent more time since Naboo training Anakin than interacting with him. He has never hinted at being upset about this and worked hard to join our training when and how he can. Yet for all that, I know that he still has some way to go before he reaches his peak and becomes one of the greatest ever Cathar warriors.

I grunt in annoyance at his words and kick the ground at my feet. "It's complicated," I mutter as I watch the clump of dirt I just kicked go flying away, "and has much to do with where we are."

We landed on Mandalore about a week ago, and I quickly sought out the Mando'ade metalsmiths so that they could create the hilt I desired. However, it turned out that my exact idea wasn't feasible, and they suggested something slightly different. Instead of creating a simple coat of beskar to go over the tooth, the metalsmiths told me they could infuse the metal into the tooth, making the entire thing stronger and allowing the natural colour of the tooth to remain, though enhanced by the distinct ripples of beskar. I was overjoyed at their suggestion and asked them to create it, and while it wasn't yet finished, they assured me it would be but another day or two until I had a weapon worthy of a true Mando'ade in my hands.

Word of what I was creating leaked to the two most powerful figures in the sector, and over one dinner Dukes Adonai and Torrhen – though both barely used the Republic-created titles for themselves – had asked me about the weapon. Between the pair of them, they controlled nearly seventy per cent of the sector and had the loyalty of nearly sixty per cent of the people. The rest, while not openly backing the pair, chose to follow decrees they passed, suggesting one or both could attempt to become Mand'alor.

Neither had however and while they both said it was because they felt unworthy of the title, I knew there was more to it. There was already a reigning Mand'alor, Jango Fett, though he had no interest in claiming the title, or at least using it to unite the clans. Instead, he had devoted himself to bounty hunting, becoming, unless something had heavily altered in this timeline, the template for the Clone Army and using Kamino as his base of operations white he raised his son, Boba.

Jango had become Mand'alor when his adopted father and the last to claim the title through strength of arms, Jaster Mereel, was betrayed and killed. Jango had avenged his father's death but afterwards turned his back on his people. Tor Vizsla had styled himself the secret Mand'alor and ruled via the Darksaber, and while Jango had killed him, I knew that Pre had the blade and was working to become the next Mand'alor. However, like Adonai and Torrhen, he didn't seek out Jango and challenge the bounty hunter to single combat.

There was a good reason for this, as from what I'd seen of his fighting, Jango was a greater warrior than any of the three. Because of that, until Jango died, or some new and unexpected challenger emerged who could defeat and kill Jango, there would be no Mand'alor to lead the people.

I didn't know for certain that Jango was on Kamino, beginning the training of the clones, but given many other warriors – names such as Vhonte Tervho, Kal Skirata, and Dun Marod who had all fought for me on Naboo – had gone missing, I felt it was a safe bet that he was there. The project was, as was always intended by them, under the control of the Banite Sith. The question was, with Sifo-Dyas dead, who was the puppet that Sidious had ordered to take control of the project?

I was heavily interested in the clone project, but knew that turning up on Kamino without an excellent reason to head to such an isolated system, would draw the suspicion of the Kaminoans, and through them, have the Banite Sith know that I knew of Kamino. Such a move risked exposing that I knew more than they thought I knew, and as I knew I was far from ready to take on either of them, never mind both or with Anakin in tow, then the longer they remained unknowing of the extent of my knowledge, the safer it would be for me and those I cared about, and it was two such people that had left me distracted all morning.

As I'd known would happen, the first night I was back on Mandalore, Bo and Naz had dragged me to bed, wanting to make up for our time apart. I had happily indulged those needs, though their suggestions that I challenge the dukes and attempt to become Mand'alor myself were ones I ignored and avoided. I wasn't strong enough, at least not without the Force, to defeat Adonai or Torrhen, to say nothing of Jango.

"Complicated as in dangerous, or complicated as in involving your females."

Simvyl's insightful comment drew my thoughts away from the future of the Mando'ade, and I chuckled at how easily he'd hit the nail on the head. "Where females are involved, is it ever anything but both," I responded, drawing a snort of amusement from him.

I turned and looked to where I knew Keldabe lay. Somewhere in the city, with HK and R2 as escorts, Anakin was being led around by my two lovers. I knew that Anakin would be heading to a Mandalmotors design facility later today – Alor Dred had allowed my request for Anakin to research some of his ideas at Dred's company's facilities, though on the promise that if the boy wished to have his designs made, that Mandalmotors had an opportunity to consider helping – but beyond that he was at their tender mercies as to what they'd do and where they'd go.

Fenrir was further to the south of me, enjoying himself deep in a remote forest. I'd left him there two days ago, letting him be the alpha predator he was, and I'd felt semi-regular bouts of delight from him. No doubt that meant that he'd either made a fresh kill, defeated a challenger or even both.

Simvyl and I had headed out to this open field so that we could spar and so that I could take my mind off the offer Naz, and less enthusiastically, Bo had made last night after our latest evening of carnal pleasure. However, it seemed their offer was haunting my thoughts and distracting me from the spar.

"They seek offspring?" My head snapped back to Simvyl, shocked at him knowing what the ladies wanted. He chuckled at my reaction. "I may not be Human," he explained, "but the mating dance has many similar actions regardless of species." He took a long sniff of the air. "As usual their scent is all over you this morning. Add in that you all are over the Age of Responsibility, what I now know of how important offspring are to Mandalorians, and that through Anakin you have shown yourself to be a good father, is it any wonder they wish to bear your progeny?"

I smirk at his words. "You are a touch too diplomatic and formal about their request, but you are right." I turned around and looked toward Keldabe, to where the two women who had taken space within my heart were. "I'm not opposed to having children, nor with them being mothers to my kids. It's just…"

"You fear for their safety because of the war you have made clear you know is coming?" I nodded but kept my focus on the city hundreds of miles away. "Understandable, but illogical. You are a warrior, Cam, an alpha in the most animalistic sense. Deny it you might, but you seek this war and look forward to it. That means you also want to establish your dominance over the coming darkness, which you believe will be perhaps ten years from now." I nodded again. "Then why are you afraid of bearing younglings with those you love? If you deny yourself the chance now, then as the war grows closer and the danger increases, the chances your offspring will be capable of surviving decreases. It is both logical and primal that you have your children now so that when the war comes, you have prepared them for it as best you can."

I grunt in annoyance at the wisdom in his words and begin walking toward where Raven is parked. "You're right."

"Of course," he responded with a smirk. "But I feel there are other concerns you have about taking your women and having them bear your progeny."

I fought back the image that formed in my mind of Naz and Bo, my cum leaking out of their bodies after I'd impregnated them. That was something I didn't need to see currently, not even in the deeper corners of my mind. "The Jedi," I said slowly, responding to his inquiry. "If they discover I have children, they will seek to test them, and if they display aptitude with the Force, will want to take them to the Temple and deny me access to them. And of course, the fact that, while not a requirement, most Mando'ade would be expected to marry those with whom they share a child."

We were within sight of Raven now, and I moved to a small crate I'd brought out, knowing there were chilled bottles of water inside. As I reached the crate, Simvyl spoke up again.

"I can't speak for Lady Vizsla, but we both know that Bo-Katan has about as much interest in marriage as you do in becoming celibate." I choke at his blunt, but arcuate comparison. "Even with the emphasis that Mandalorians place on family, she's something of an outlier."

"True, but Naz is another matter, and not just because she might like the idea of being bound to me," I say as I reach into the crate. "Her father… well, it's clear he dislikes the Jedi, and me even more so. She was engaged to the heir of another clan, and while that is over, I believed that the heir is still interested in her, so taking Naz as mine would cause issues with that clan as well as Alor Pre."

Simvyl caught a bottle as I tossed it to him. "Are any of them strong enough to challenge you for her hand?"

"Pre perhaps, but I know I can take him," I say as Simvyl take a sip of his water.

"Then it doesn't matter," He said after his sip, "as much as there was a time when I would've felt insulted to say this, Mandalorians are not unlike the Cathar. We might claim to be civilised and obey expected Republic norms, but we are a warrior people, as are the Mandalorians. For our peoples, it is strength or arms, both personal and clans, that matter and not who has the highest office, or who holds the most credits." He grunted and shook his head. "Perhaps that is the failing of the Republic," he muttered to himself, but his words reached me regardless. "If they dislike your arrangements with Lady Vizsla and Bo-Katan, then they can either challenge you about it and lose, or know their place and mind their tongue."

"Is this how Cathar society works?" I asked before drinking some of the water in my bottle. I could've said more, but I'm interested in what else Simvyl has to say. I've spent much of the morning going over the matter of children with Bo and Naz in my head, and I find that I'm enjoying having a male to speak with. Simvyl has, without me realising it, become my closest male friend. Hells, with Darihd dead, he is possibly my only male friend. That is both amusing and slightly concerning.

Simvyl smirked, exposing his fangs. "To a degree, yes. But then all cultures work along similar lines. At least where the influence of the Republic hasn't twisted their ideals. To those in the Core and worlds like them, power comes from credits and political influence. On the more remote worlds, or those home to species and cultures like the Cathar, Zygerrians, and Mandalorians, sentients understand that while credits and influence grant some control, true power belongs to those with the strength to take it. That, when push comes to shove, the galaxy belongs to the warriors and not those who seek peace and understanding."

My head tilted as I accepted and agreed with his logic. The Core is flawed and corrupt, something easiest to see on Coruscant but present elsewhere. What amused me about his statement was how, even if he would never know it, how close some of his ideas about what true power was and what it meant aligned closely with those of Adas.

"As for your concerns about the Jedi taking your progeny, I feel there is little for you to be concerned about." My brow rose questioningly at the certainty in his voice. "Mandalorians dislike the Jedi, thus I'm sure they have ways to falsify the records of the Force potential of any born into their culture. If you are still concerned that the Jedi might seek out your children regardless of the test, I suspect Duke Adonai in particular would be willing to ensure your name is not on any public records regarding the parentage of the children."

I looked at him, impressed with the insight. "Such a simple deception wouldn't fool the Jedi or Sith, and the moment they learn either of the ladies are with child, they will move to take the baby, knowing it's mine. It won't take them much effort to take either, no matter how hard Bo and Naz would fight, they're no match for a Jedi Master or a Sith Lord." I smirked as I finished my bottle and then used the Force to levitate the crate. "It's not exactly a secret how close I am with the pair."

Simvyl chuckled as we moved to enter Raven. "No, it certainly isn't," he said, "I believe half of the city has heard your couplings over the last few nights." A wide grin spread over my face at the idea I might have kept others up while Bo, Naz, and I partook in carnal desires with each other. "Still, while you are right that neither of them would be a match against a Jedi or Sith, we both know they would not face such a threat alone. Their clans, and perhaps much of the sector, would take up arms against any attempt to take one of their children or interference in Mandalorian affairs by the Jedi or Republic."

I didn't reply immediately, instead working to ensure the crate was onboard and settled on the floor. Simvyl made it sound as if the Mando'ade would declare war against the Republic if the Jedi took any children I potentially had in the future. I, however, doubted that would be the case. Oh, I'd expect their clans to seek vengeance, but only them. That said, the idea of Bo and Naz launching a two-woman assault on the Temple, and doing considerable damage to it, was quite amusing.

"Thank you for your counsel," I said once the crate was secure, and I had asked Raven to close the ramp. "You've helped me see the path I might take. Though I warn you that any lack of sleep you get from tonight onwards is your own fault."

He laughed good-naturedly at that and patted my shoulder. "I shall ensure I have aids to block out external sounds then. As much as the glances I get from others because of your behaviour amuses me, I need my beauty sleep."

"That you do," I snapped back with a grin. He smacked my shoulder as we both laughed at the joke though before anything else could be said or done, the comm unit in my arm beeped for attention. A simple tap opened the channel, and a small hologram of a familiar person appeared. "Osto, what can I do for you this morning?" I asked the heir to Clan Ordo.

"Cam," he replied, making clear instantly that this was a social call, "just wanted to check in with you and Simvyl. We've got another game of Meshgeroya planned for tonight."

I smirk at the revelation. "We're game, but I thought you'd be tired of losing so much," I responded, commenting on the fact that in the five games that we'd played so far, Osto had always been on the other team, and the score was four-to-one in my favour when it came to victories.

Meshgeroya was the Mando'a name for Limmie, a popular sport played throughout the galaxy. Amusingly, the name translated into 'The Beautiful Game', which fit well as the game bore a lot of similarity to football from my former life. The biggest difference, beyond the size of the playing area, was that it was far more violent, at times bearing more similarity to rugby than football, and thankfully had none of the more recent 'improvements' brought into football that had slowed things down and sucked some of the enjoyment from the game.

The rules of Meshgeroya weren't too different from football, so I took to the game easily, and since that first game, Simvyl and I had always found time to play it with the Mando'ade around our age. Beyond the building camaraderie that brought forth, it helped Simvyl become further accepted by the Mando'ade.

"Today will be the day you fall, defeated and broken at my feet!" Osto proclaimed dramatically while pumping his fist in the air. A moment later we all laughed at his comment, and he then continued. "I just wanted to be certain. This evening Gar and Tor will depart on assignment."

I nodded, remembering that Gar Saxon told me that he was, along with about twenty others including Rook Kast, Bryn Tyri, and Tor Vizsla, heading to the Gaia system. There they'd help the Lokella train their warriors for future raids against various slaver groups, and advise on ways to improve planetary and system defence.

There was something oddly poetic about Gar heading there to train the Lokella when it had been his father who had led the first assault from Decca the Hutt that attempted to re-enslave the, at the time unnamed group. He had long accepted that my killing of his father was honourable, even the actions of his father were not, but I still at times found it odd how easily Gar and I had become, if not friends, then comrades in battle.

Gar was aware that many Lokella wouldn't be happy to have a Saxon present on Mtael's Gift, but he was unconcerned by it. He had chosen this assignment aware of that issue, and like any true warrior would face the challenge head-on. I'd believed him for the most part, but still used the Force and Observe to confirm his honesty on the matter.

What was interesting, at least to me, was that Tor Vizsla, the son and heir of Pre and Naz's older brother, would be joining Gar and the others. Since the assault on Keldabe at the start of the most recent civil war, Tor had become a vocal opponent to the Death Watch, so much so that Observe didn't register it among his loyalties, though he retained a strong loyalty to his father. Tor's hatred toward Death Watch would infuriate Pre, as that man intended to rebuild the Death Watch in his image and, after either defeating Jango in combat or learning the bounty hunter was dead, proclaim himself Mand'alor. Though perhaps not as much as how close I was to Naz, or that through her Tor and I were becoming comfortable in each other's company.

One day, based on the quest I had for him, I knew Pre and I would face off in battle. If, as was the most likely option, I was forced to kill him in that battle, it would be interesting to see how Tor and Naz responded to that. I expected Naz to be sad but accepting, even – if we had children by then – that I proved her choice in taking me as her mate. Tor, however, was going to need watching, which was why the growing friendship with him was a useful thing in that regard as well.

"What time will we play?" I asked Osto.

"The usual," He replied.

I checked with Simvyl and got a nod, confirming he was interested in playing. "Then we'll see you then," I said to Osto before closing the channel. I started heading toward the cockpit, Simvyl walking with me. "I guess we'll have to pick up Fenrir earlier than I expected."

The Cathar chuckled. "I'm sure he's going to love that."

I laughed. Fenrir was going to hate having his hunt cut short, but I knew we wouldn't be spending much longer on Mandalore. The beskar metalsmiths assured me that the hilt for my blade would be completed by this evening, and I wanted to depart from the planet by tomorrow night at the latest.

Anzat was to be the next culture that I was to train with. Simvyl had expressed interest in learning from a race known to produce some of the most dangerous assassins, blood trackers, and hunters in the galaxy. Anakin, however, wouldn't be joining this training. He was too young, and I didn't want him around a species that, even if they didn't do so to every outsider, were known to feed on the lifeforce of others.

Now, only the most feral of Anzati tried to feed without thought, but I wasn't going to place Anakin, someone with the highest Force potential in the galaxy – if not of all time – into such a place. He would remain on Raven, guarded by Fenrir, HK and R2. I'd see what I could go about coming back to train him when I could, but regardless I'd be leaving detailed instructions of what he should do and when; along with permitting HK to gently enforce my rules.

Of course, before we could go to Anzat, I had to gather up my oddball family and say goodbye to friends and lovers. Perhaps, if the timing was right, leave one or both with the gift they desired.

… …

… …
I rested on the ground, my knees taking most of my weight while my lower legs were bent under me. I kept my backside off my heels, as that was part of the instructions the Guardian of The Way had given me when I, and around fifty others had entered the Hall of Testing at this Sanctum of The Way. The Way was how the Anzati referred to the overarching martial art they followed.

I'd learnt this, and a bit more about the world when we arrived in orbit about a week ago, the Star Marshall who greeted our arrival providing a decent overview of how to learn The Way. There were five Sanctums upon the planet – all located on one of the two northern continents, where those wishing to learn The Way – be they Anzati or off-worlders – could attempt to prove their worth.

The Sanctums only opened on certain dates each year and were very particular about which sentients they would take as an Initiate of The Way. Anyone who failed a Sanctum's Trial had to wait half a year before reapplying to another Sanctum, and if one failed to gain entry to any of the five Sanctums, then they were unworthy forever of learning even the first steps of The Way.

Those taken as Initiates trained at the Sanctum where they had proved their worth for however long it took to be determined by the Guardians to attempt the First Judgment. Completion of the First Judgment saw an Initiate become an Apprentice and then be able to choose the path they wished to walk.

The most common path taken by off-worlders was the Path Of the Hunter; a route dedicated to warriors who fought with distraction and diversion. The two other most common paths were that of the Tracker and the Assassin. Most Anzati favoured the Path of the Assassin, which was why to the galaxy at large they were generally regarded as a race of that profession.

I was unsure as to which path I wished to follow, but from what little I'd managed to gather from the locals while Simvyl and I waited for the next Sanctum Trial, I found myself seeing use in the Path of the Assassin and the Path of the Hunter. Training to use the Force in subtle ways to slip past and engage targets, while not ideal to how I generally fought, would be a useful set of extra skills in my arsenal and could be of use if Dooku's hints of a plan to redistribute some of the treasures of the Jedi Temple developed into more duracrete plans.

A faint grunt of struggle drew my attention to my right. There I saw Simvyl resting in the same position as me, though it was clear he was fighting to maintain it. When we had first entered the Hall of Testing, assuming the position we were in was easy, yet as the hours stretched, and the sun slowly set somewhere outside, many of those in the room began to fall from their position, be collected by one of the Attendants monitoring us, and sent home.

One hundred had entered the Hall yesterday afternoon – I was sure a new day was upon us as I could see the sun rising outside – but now only twelve remained. Simvyl and I were the only non-Anzati remaining, as the other off-worlders – about ten – had failed during the night. It was clear that Simvyl was struggling but I could feel him drawing upon what little connection he had with the Force to strengthen himself. That was a sign the teaching of the Matukai had taken hold with him, and a clear indicator of his improvement over the last two years.

The challenge that lay before him, was to remain as he was as we waited for the Trial to end. I had no such issues, the Force granting me the strength to easily endure this trial, but I hoped that when it was time to become Initiates, Simvyl was still with us.

… …
As the sun rose high above the hall, increasing the temperature inside, I looked around. We were down to seven remaining, and impressively one of those was Simvyl. He had been struggling all morning, sweat flowing freely down his brow, but I was proud of my friend for not giving up. I was uncertain of how long we had been here, but I felt we were slowly approaching a full day in the Hall.

There was an unpleasant odour in the Hall, the result of two who failed during the morning losing control of their bodily functions. They had been escorted from here by the Attendants, embarrassment at their public humiliation evident on their faces, but no effort was made by the Attendants to clean up the messes left, nor nullify the smells. It hadn't taken me long to realise they, or more like the Guardians, left the issues to further test those of us who remained. In their place, I might not do the same, but I could see the use of taking advantage of the unexpected opportunity.

The doors at the front of the Hall slid back, drawing everyone's attention. We watched cautiously as Grand Guardian Frauq stepped into the Hall. He looked at all of us in turn, his eyes lingering on me more than any of the others. "Be at ease. The Trial has ended. You have proven your worth as potential Initiates." He paused there waiting for us to shift from the positions we had been in.

None of us moved at first, either fearful or curious that this was some form of final test. The Grand Guardian chuckled at our reaction. "I assure you this is no trick, no test or challenge you must face." He clapped his hands and the Attendants around the edges of the Hall stood. Most moved away though four came into the centre, moving to clear up the issues left by those who'd failed embarrassingly.

Seeing that, everyone shifted. I could tell they were all tired – their hands rubbing their calves to regain feeling in them – but I had no such issues. Even if I didn't have the Force to ease my burden, Player's Body ensured, even as altered as it now was from when I'd first been reborn in this galaxy, that such physical issues were heavily minimised.

I moved around and sat cross-legged, waiting for the others to recover and the Grand Guardian to continue. "Each of you has proven your dedication to taking your first steps on The Way," he said slowly, a faint outline of a smile creeping onto his lips. "In the coming hours, the Guardians of this Sanctum will speak to you in turn, seeking to know what your purpose here is, and thus determine which Path might be best suited for you. However, you will not begin any Path until you prove yourself worthy of being more than an Initiate. I warn you that for many it can take years, even decades, to gain such skill. Many depart this Sanctum never reaching the next destination on their voyage along The Way, though I have hopes that some of you here today," again his eyes focused on me, "will impress myself and my fellow Guardians."

The Grand Guardian stood at that and nodded. At that signal, the Attendants that had departed returned, bringing with them trays. My nose perked up as I caught the faint, but growing stronger, hints of food. While I didn't need the same sustenance as others – due to the Force and Player's Body – hunger was still an issue I faced.

Two of the Attendants – both females who offered me demure but hungry smiles – placed their trays at my feet. Lifting the lid from the bowls I saw one brought what appeared to be rice and vegetables, the other a hot broth with a strong and very distinct scent.

I offered the Attendants a nod of thanks and then reached down for a spoon, curious as to how the broth tasted, and then later, how the discussions with the Guardians would go. I had not hidden my status as a Force user from the Anzati when I arrived in the system, though they, like many, had simply assumed that meant I was a Jedi. That was true enough, but it did amuse me how that was always the first-choice others made and when the time came to leave the Order, it was something I could exploit if I so wished.

… …

… …
I moved through the paths of the Sanctum, about half a month into my training here. So far that had revolved around simple training focusing on ensuring that I, Simvyl, and the six others with us knew how to move silently around a location. The Guardians also taught us, or in some cases re-educated us, on how to move through the shadows, mindful of any – be they organic or mechanical – that might be seeking to find us.

After the meal following the First Trial, I had spoken with three Guardians about my intentions. They were impressed to see another Jedi coming to them to learn – it was uncommon but did happen on occasion – and they explained to me the purpose of training with the Anzati.

At this sanctum as an Initiate, I would work on drawing on the Force in subtle, almost untraceable ways. The intent was never to overwhelm a target, but to distract, disorientate, and dissuade them while moving toward whatever target one who follows The Way had.

Already that training had begun on nullifying the sound we generated as we moved. With my immersive Force connection, doing so was easy, but I was working hard on making such actions something I could do with the slightest effort. I wanted it to become as second nature to me as breathing; something that would always be used even when I had little or no use for it. The Guardians that were teaching us had decent potential with the Force, or at the very least their skill was such that they could sense if I drew too heavily upon it, helping to guide me to the point of manipulation of the Force that I desired. I wasn't there yet, but I knew I was close.

In the coming weeks, the Guardians would advance the training, teaching us how to mask our scent to further improve our ability to move about without detection. Once that was mastered, and I intended to do so as quickly as I could, then the training – the final section of that for an Initiate – would be using the Force to brush against the minds of others and guide their attention and thoughts in ways that allowed one following The Way to move past them unseen.

Everything about how that trick was applied sounded similar to Force Persuasion, the gentler form of the common mind trick the Jedi used that Master Fay preferred. Thinking about that had me wondering how Fay's task was going. It had been around three years since she left with Satele Shan's holocron to locate Tython, I knew she still lived as I could sense my former Master through the Force, but beyond that, I remained unaware of her progress.

I hoped she was successful as the more she could bleed off Jedi unwilling to fight in the coming war, or even better who wished nothing to do with the Republic at large, the fewer obstacles I would face in the future. Yes, such an action would also help the Banite Sith, but for now, my goals aligned slightly with theirs, so actions that could benefit us both were acceptable.

I would normally have spoken with Adas in my quarters aboard Raven about the training the Anzati had placed me through so far, however, there had yet to be an ideal time to do so. Since being accepted as an Initiate, I had been sequestered in the Sanctum, sharing a room with Simvyl. I trusted he would not question the holocron, nor speak of it to another, but I could not be sure if there were any listening and watching us while we rested.

Access to my ship, and more importantly Anakin, was why I was moving through the Sanctum today, heading for a meeting with the Guardians. Even if they granted my request, I would not be using the ancient Sith holocron. Adas likely had already sensed Anakin around me, but I would not speak with the long-dead Sith Lord with Anakin anywhere nearby and risk the Sith trying to corrupt and manipulate my son. When he was older, ready for what I had learnt from Adas, then if he so desired, I would teach Anakin what I had learnt, but access to the holocron would never be his. That path carried too great a risk to even consider.

Anakin would not become Darth Vader, and join the Banite Sith, but I understood now, after over a year and a half of interacting with the Force normally that, just as with myself, the darkness that gave birth to Vader was within Anakin. The challenge I would be facing in the next decade was teaching Anakin how to accept that darker part of himself, that part that was always there, and not allow it to take control of him, and drive him down a path of rage and anger from which he would be lost to the Dark Side, possibly forever.

As I passed a pond in the Sanctum, fish of some form swimming freely within it, my mind rolled back to my early days as an Initiate and my ideas about Balance, about how one should be able to draw on both sides of the Force by channelling the correct emotions. I understood now that those ideas were, to be gentle, impossible.

The ways in which one used the Force, what most termed the Dark Side and the Light Side, were almost discordant. The base ideologies of those two Orders were simply irreconcilable. You could have a Jedi that was more aggressive and drew on their impulses to make decisions (which I was sure many would feel was a good description for me), but they ran the risk of getting lost in their needs and placing personal desires over any sense of what was good for others. Or you might find a Sith that would try to not place their selfish needs ahead of things that might help the greater good. However, in each case, the sentient ran a high chance of slipping and shifting to the other side of the Force. Trying to be both Sith and Jedi, both Light and Dark, would only lead to one's mind shattering as it tried to reconcile the two paths.

Interestingly, this was, at least according to what I could discover in the Jedi and Celebratus Archives, what had happened to Revan. Hundreds of years after defeating Malak, and falling in love with Bastila, he had left her and ventured into the galaxy seeking out a threat. That threat had emerged centuries later as the Sith Empire fought a decade-long war against the Republic and the Jedi.

Yet it was after the rise of something called the Eternal Empire – the Celebratus archives had little on the exact details, and what I'd seen on the matter in the Jedi Temple had been highly restricted even as a Knight – Revan had somehow returned. Reading between the lines, he did this to stop a Sith Emperor who may also have controlled the Eternal Empire, and in doing so split his soul. The Light and the Dark within him were unable to reconcile their need to defeat this Sith Emperor with how they would do so.

In the end, Revan had been stopped from whatever insane idea his Dark Side had produced, but if his soul had split, then how had I spoken with him in the Crystal Cave on Ilum all those years ago, and what the fuck had happened back then?

I shook my head, pushing those thoughts aside. Every time I spent more than a few minutes trying to determine what had happened, I ended up with a migraine that would shatter duracrete and drive my mind close to shutting down. Perhaps one day, if he ever reappeared, I could ask my ancestor about how he could become one with the Force when his soul had severed itself, but given I'd yet to see him in the decade since that meeting, I wasn't holding out much hope of that happening. Nor of my completing the quest he gave me.

As I neared the Guardian's Quarters, I pushed thoughts about Revan and the Force away. There were two guards outside the building, each holding impressive-looking pikes that I had confirmed via Observe were coated in phrik and cortosis. Their armour was blaster-resistant to a degree and an interesting mix of practical and ceremonial. I wasn't sure where they gained the phrik and cortosis for their weapons, but I knew this was not the only Sanctum that would have such weapons, suggesting an impressive supply was available to the Anzati government.

Seeing the guards my mind turns back to the first afternoon as an Initiate. Two of the more senior members of the Path of the Hunter provided us with a demonstration of their capabilities. They moved with impressive speeds – not on-par with what either I or Anakin could, but beyond what most without a strong connection to the Force could manage – striking and avoiding each other with fluidity and grace. Simvyl struggled to follow the fight, but I had no such issues and found myself mesmerised by the deadly dance the two Hunters engaged in.

Afterwards, the Grand Guardian had spoken to me, impressed that I had tracked the movements of the Hunters so easily. He spoke of the last Jedi to train here, which had been Master Tholme who I knew in passing, and how it was always illuminating to have one of the Order train with their Assassins, Trackers, and Hunters. What the Great Grandmaster was surprised by was learning that I was a Jedi Knight. It seemed he had believed me a Padawan sent by my Master to study with them, and not a fully-fledged warrior of the Order.

"Why are you here Initiate?" one of the guards asks as I come closer. "The dormitories and training facilities are over there." He uses his pike to gesture in the direction of where those places are.

I bowed, showing respect for them, and acknowledging that they outranked me. "I have come to speak with the Grand Guardian. He is aware of my request and bids me to arrive at this time."

The guards looked at each other and then at me. It was early evening, less than an hour after dinner, and one of the few moments when Initiates were not in lectures, training, or spars. That I would use that small amount of free time when the Guardians were not pushing us to our limits, to seek out the Grand Guardian was unexpected.

One of the guards lifted his arm and accessed a small computer interface on his vambrace. As he did, I watched the sun slowly setting to my right. Anzat had a twenty-eight-hour day, and our training took up much of that time. Nearly twenty-two hours in total, with only four hours allowed during the night to rest. It didn't take a genius to understand the Guardians were pushing us past our limit, forcing us to keep going even when barely able to. Unlike the others, however, I had the advantages of being a Jedi, Player's Body, and a Meditation skill that was maxed. With those working in concert, I could negate any weariness my body and mind experienced.

It was because of that, and not being able to train Anakin while inside the Sanctum, that I was here to speak with the Grand Guardian. I hoped that even if just a few times each month, I might be allowed to return to Raven to monitor Anakin and test his progress.

"The Grand Guardian is expecting you." The guard said after something flashed on his vambrace. "You may enter and will be escorted to him. Do not attempt to deviate from your path, or escape the notice of your guide."

I bowed again, accepting the orders, and ignoring the tone the guard used. He was just doing his job and not, I felt, targeting me because I was an off-worlder. I entered the building, my mind already devising altered training patterns for Anakin if my request was granted, and the extent to which HK could go to ensure Anakin followed my plans.

And perhaps, while I was there, I might see how my son was coming along with his two projects.

… …

… …
I slipped forward, moving from the wall I'd just scaled toward a row of bushes five metres further in. My steps were silent, the Force working in an almost inconceivably small way to dull the sound of my steps so that even I failed to hear myself as I moved. I was also using it to mask any scent I might produce. I could feel the Force swirling around me, subtly asking me to use it, offering its services, wanting me to rend every threat in the compound I'd just entered to pieces. I refused to do so. This challenge I faced was based on my skills and subtle usage of the Force, not overwhelming power. Failure to complete it sufficiently would deny me the chance to advance beyond Initiate, and prevent me from learning some of the greater skills those who followed The Way had.

Two months had passed since I, Simvyl and five others had been accepted as Initiates, and while Simvyl was doing well in his training, thanks to my ability to draw on far more reserves of the Force, and years of combat training before being reborn, I had advanced faster than him or anyone in our intake. This exercise, to infiltrate a compound, locate the target terminal, and then exfil without being detected was my Test of the Initiate; a chance to show that I was ready to learn more, and I was not going to fail it.

The major difference between this exercise compared to the various training drills we had been put through by the Guardians over the last two months was that this was a live-fire exercise. If the guards found me, they would shoot. The only small upside was that their blasters wouldn't be set to kill, just a form of stunning that induced great pain.

To prepare me for what might happen, one of the Guardians had shot me with a blaster with that setting. Even knowing it was coming and preparing for it, I had been driven to my knees. My senses had struggled to remain active as every nerve ending in my body felt as if it was on fire. At that moment, the Force came to my call, and only the barest thread of control and the knowledge that this was something I had accepted as needing to happen prevented me from lashing out. From using the Force to eviscerate the Guardian who had dared induce the pain I had felt.

I was relieved that I had been able to control my rage during that demonstration and knew that if I'd come to Anzat not long after taking Natural Selection, I'd have never been able to contain my rage. Sithspit, even before Naboo I wasn't sure if I'd have had the control – at least without Player's Mind – to not lash out at those who'd dared to hurt me.

I stayed still in the bushes I was in, looking around the compound. The Guardians had made clear that beyond the three objectives of infiltrate, locate the target, and exfil without detection, I was free to use all the skills and weaponry at my disposal. I had chosen to not bring my lightsaber, as this was – even if I was to be shot at – just a training exercise. The use of the lightsaber would make it far too easy to maim and kill any who got in my way and certainly cost me any hint of anonymity.

Instead, I had a simple blade along with a holdout blaster at my hips, and the tools located in my mechanical limb. The Guardians, while aware that I had the replacement, and understanding and accepting of it, remained blissfully unknowing of the extras the limb possessed. Ideally, that would remain the case even after this exercise, but if not, the myriad of tools I had at my disposal would ensure that I could escape without detection regardless of whether I found the required terminal or not.

I went still as the sound of movement reached my ears; the Force boosting my senses to make it easier to know what was happening around me. Staying low in the bush, I waited for the guard – there should not be anyone here but guards – to approach while examining the map of the compound that I had overlaid on my minimap. I was still several metres, and at least two paths, from coming into sight of the central building that contained the terminal I was to access. Yet as I stayed there, listening as the guard grew ever closer to my location, I felt something was wrong.

The guard was unaware of me, I was sure of that. Yet within the Force, there was a distant echo. As if something was happening elsewhere. Not on Anzat but off-world. The faint sight of blue flashed through my mind before I drew my focus back to my location.

The steps grew closer, and the crunching of gravel louder, as the guard walked along the path. I stayed still, trusting my cover, the skills I had learnt, and the gentle applications of the Force I was using to keep me hidden. The rules of the exercise said the guards wouldn't have anything like night-vision goggles or scopes, but I wouldn't put it past the Guardians to change those rules without telling me. I stayed low, using the bushes to mask my presence and waited for the guard to draw ever closer.

I listened carefully, tracking the sounds of his movement, and comparing them to the compound's layout on my minimap. As the sounds of his footsteps moved away, heading along the path, I stayed still. The routes and timings of the guards weren't given in the briefing so I had no certainty as to when or if the guard would turn and come back.

Once the steps became quieter, and the minimap confirmed he had moved around a bend, I slipped forward, sliding under the bush so that I could see the path. There was no moon in the night's sky, but using the Force to enhance my sight I saw the faint shifted sections of gravel where the guard had stepped. Pushing myself up to a kneeling position, I noted the marks in the gravel and the next row of vegetation.

Those bushes weren't as tall or dense as the one I'd just moved under, meaning it would be harder to avoid detection once in them. I looked both ways, searching for a better route. However, two trees, each about three metres from me on each side marked the end of the bush: the ground beyond them being open and exposed.

The bush across from me was my best path. At least unless I wished to sneak around the walls of the compound seeking another route toward the central building that contained my target. I felt that path carried more danger. The guards would be more alert to shifting shadows and unexpected sounds the closer they were to the walls. Deeper in the compound, the odds were higher that they might be less alert to a threat, thinking those further out would find a danger before it moved inward.

I moved over the path, placing my feet gently into the indentations the guard had made, and reached the other bush. My steps were muffled by the Force dampening any sound I made, but I still moved slowly, not wanting to risk a sudden mistake that might expose my position.

Sliding low, I slipped under the bush and crawled forward. Yet before I was fully under the cover of the bushes, I heard the sound of shifting footsteps on the gravel. The guard had turned and was coming back. Not wanting to be found, I pulled myself as much as I could under the low bush. Then, as the sounds of the footsteps grew ever closer, I called the Force to me, bending it around myself as a sort of second skin in a way the Guardians called the Unseen Façade that they had been teaching me over the last few months.

The Force would distort my appearance, in theory making it difficult for any to be able to focus upon me. In well-lit locations, that would make it harder for others to shoot at or attack me, and in the darkness of the night, as it was now, it would allow me to remain unseen even if someone were almost on top of me. In time, I would be expected to use this new power to hide from the detection of droids and mechanical sensors, but I'd yet to begin such training as that was considered an Apprentice-level skill. Provided I passed this exercise, then I should move to that rank and begin more advanced training. That said, I could already see how it would in theory work, and with two droids at my disposal if I couldn't learn it before my time on Anzat was over, I'd be able to learn it for myself.

As I lay there, unmoving and waiting for the guard to pass by, my thoughts drifted for a moment to the Jedi Shadows. Master Giiett had suggested on occasion that I would be well suited to serving with that subset of the Order. However, while I was skilled at subterfuge and able to think outside the box, I had grown to prefer being in the heat of battle instead of slipping around the edges of it to cause damage others wouldn't notice until it was too late.

The training that Giiett had provided me with when trying to convince me to join the Shadows – at least before his death – bore similarities to much of what the Anzati Guardian taught and wondered if the other Jedi who'd' come here – such as Master Tholme – had been Shadows themselves.

I refocused as the guard came to a stop almost on top of me. I remained still, waiting for him to move yet preparing to strike. Darts in my arm would render him unconscious in an instant if he spotted me, however, such a move would place a severe time restraint on the exercise. Either the guard would wake up in four or five hours and remember what had happened, or another would find him; either by walking along this same path, or by him missing a check-in.

Time seemed to slow as I readied myself on the chance I was detected. My heart rate remained steady even as I felt my body and the Force wait for my signal to strike. The idea to cast a false sound elsewhere in the compound came to mind. It was not a trick the Guardians had suggested, but one Fay had taught me years before. I'd never needed that power before, nor had it registered as a Force Power back when the Interface tracked such things, but it was an option if the guard lingered for too long.

Thankfully for me, the guard resumed moving, heading back in the direction I'd first seen him coming from. I stayed still listening intently to the sound of his steps, as the gravel crunching under his feet grew ever quieter. Once he was far enough away, I shifted, moving through the bushes toward the centre of the compound.

Once out from the bushes, I looked around. Ahead of me was a flower bed. There was no way I could move through it without damaging some of them, which risked giving away my presence. I could move around it, but either side offered no cover on the small expanse of grass before. That, however, was acceptable for now as my location granted me a clear line of sight of the central building in the compound, and where on the top floor the terminal I was expected to access was located.

At five floors tall, the building was a good ten metres above anything else in the compound, which made it easy to use as a point of reference. However, the downside was that scaling the outside of the building would be troublesome as I'd be visible to anyone who looked at it from the side I climbed up.

The terminal on the fifth floor was special in that it was air-gapped to the networks running in the compound, and supposedly the only one used for accessing several highly classified files that I needed to duplicate. The problem was always going to be gaining access to that terminal, and as my eyes scanned the base of the building, the difficulty increased exponentially.

The only visible entrance – I could make out two sides clear and catch hints of the third – lay before a large open expanse of gravel. An area of around ten square metres in size. Two guards stood at their posts on either side of the door, and as I watched, I saw at least four guards moving around near the sides I could see.

I could get past those guards, or at least I thought I could. However, doing so would either take too much effort to do so without alerting them or if I took them out, draw the attention of the other guards before I had completed my assignment.

My eyes searched the building, spotting windows on each of the floors between the ground and the fifth floor. However, as I looked closer – the Force granting me impressive depth of vision – I noted that all were locked from the inside. To make matters worse, along the edges of the building, shaped in ways to hide their presence with the architecture, I saw what I assumed to be sensors and cameras.

That removed the idea of taking out the guards, as I'd be seen by others before I was close enough to take the two guards down quietly. Oddly, I smiled as I understood the cameras were an extra layer of security, one not mentioned by the briefing before the exercise that was designed to catch out any who chose to rush the building in a desire to reach the terminal.

My gaze moved to the building's roof. From what I could see from my vantage point, it appeared flat. In theory, there would be some way to enter the room I wanted from there, however, getting to the roof would be a challenge. The sky might be black due to the missing moon, but using the Force to leap onto the roof would make it highly likely I would be spotted, if not heard as I landed.

My gaze shifted around, seeking a way to reach the roof of the central building without being seen by guards or cameras. There were a few smaller buildings nearby, though none within easy jumping distance. Some were close enough that I felt I could make the leap with the Force boosting me, and ensure that no one saw or heard my actions. Yet, as my eyes focused on one building in the corner of the compound, out of the way and seemingly unimportant, the Force subtly shifted.

That drew my attention, and I examined the building as best I could from my location. There was nothing seemingly important about it, and it lay far from my target, with only a single guard patrolling nearby, yet the Force was implying that this building might be of use. Curious about why that was, and knowing I had until the first light of the morning – about six and a half hours from now – stretched over the compound to complete my assignment, I decided to investigate.

At the very least being able to watch the target building from another angle might offer a way into the target. And at best… there might be a way to complete the challenge without needing to risk discovery.

… …
"Why were you drawn to the building you ended up entering?"

The question had come from one of the three Guardians that I was standing before. It was a few hours after the exercise had ended, and it was confirmed that while I hadn't accessed the terminal in the main building, I had completed it successfully.

"A feeling," I replied, thinking back to the small building the Force had guided me to. As I drew closer I discovered several instances of hidden security around the building, which only served to further my curiosity. "The Force hinted to me that there was more to the building than met the eye," I added as the Guardians looked at me. "Unlike the other buildings in the compound, bar the primary target, this one had more security than one would expect. Because of that, I decided to trust the Force and investigate further."

As it turned out, the building the Force guided me to had a terminal in it as well, one that connected to the supposedly air-gapped one on the top floor of the building I was meant to infiltrate. I had copied the files from the new terminal and then slipped from the compound without being spotted by any guard or sensor.

"You abandoned your orders?"

"My orders were to access the terminal in the main building and copy the files on the secured terminal. Whether I could or could not complete that, I was expected to leave the compound before sunrise without being stopped, or ideally detected. The target building with the terminal was too heavily guarded for there to be much chance that I could gain entry without being detected. Deciding that remaining unseen and learning as much as I could about the compound that night, so if allowed I could return the next, was the prudent course of action."

The three Guardians turn to each other. I could see their lips move, yet was unable to hear what they were saying as they discussed my actions. Soon, they turned back to me.

"The exercise is deemed a success," one of the Guardians stated, drawing a small smile from me. "Few Initiates ever consider accessing the secondary buildings, and fewer still locate the secondary terminal. Interestingly, you are the tenth Jedi to train at this Sanctum in my time as a Guardian," which, from what I knew of how long an Anzati could live, could be centuries if not millennia, "and all have located the secondary terminal. However, only five including yourself accessed said terminal."

"Because of your performance, we deem you to be ready to take your next step in harnessing The Way. Well done Apprentice." I bowed in thanks for the promotion. "We should state that an increase in rank brings with it a more gruelling training schedule. We are aware the Grand Guardian has permitted you to depart the Sanctum one night a week to train your Padawan. However, with your new training schedule, you shall only be granted two evenings of rest each week. You might also be sent to another Sanctum for additional training if we felt it would benefit your journey in harnessing The Way to do so."

I frowned at hearing that. While the increased training would help with the quest I had linked to my time here – which was focused on the skills of Stealth, Sleight of Hand, Lockpicking, and Perception, it would mean my time with Anakin might be curtailed.

"An Apprentice of the Way is pushed to the very limits of their physical abilities," the third Guardian said, "pushing you past the limits of your species and testing just how long you can rely on the Force for support. We understand that this might interfere with the training of your Padawan, and as such grant you a choice which needs to be made by the end of the day. Either you accept Apprentice training, and all that entails, or your time with us will see you remain as an Initiate; barely being pushed to improve yourself or harness The Way."

I bowed in thanks for the time to consider the matter and stayed there until the trio had left the room. Once they did I stood up and sighed. Anakin disliked only seeing me once a week as was, and while I should be able to keep seeing him as an Apprentice, I feared that I would not be able to do much training, or even supervise much of his training if I became as worn out and ragged as the Guardians were suggesting.

I left the room, and knowing I was under the clock sought out a quiet corner to meditate on my choice.

… …

… …
As I neared the ramp to enter Raven, I suppressed a yawn. The training I was undergoing now as an Apprentice of The Way was more tiring and strenuous than the Guardians had hinted at. Two nights of rest a week, at no more than four hours at a time, was stretching me to my limits, and with me needing to keep returning to my ship to speak with Anakin, even with the Force to help me it was starting to place a strain on my nerves.

I knew Anakin would sense my tiredness, but the more I could hide it, the less he would worry about me. I knew I was pushing myself heavily, running myself ragged with training with the Guardians and continuing to train Anakin, but I could handle it.

To help slightly with that, Simvyl came back to Raven once a week now, training Anakin in unarmed combat and other things so that I could focus on fewer matters when I was here. I was glad for that as while the training with the Guardian was intense, it felt extremely beneficial.

Learning ways to slip the Force around me to gently guide others to either ignore me or consider me less of a threat were tricks that would be extremely useful going forward. Haran, I would've killed to have such skills in my former life. Yes, it would've seen me shift from being a front-line operator to becoming a spook, but what one was capable of with the Force if one looked beyond the narrow ideals of the Jedi was mind-blowingly scary.

As I reached the ramp, I sensed an onrushing presence and looking up I saw the large black mask of my tuk'ata bounding toward me. "Fenrir!" I called out as he rushed me. I ducked and slid to one side, letting him sail through the air before turning to face him. "Down!" I snarled, some of my anger slipping into the Force with the word.

Fenrir stopped and his head dropped slightly, as if understanding he'd angered his pack leader. I sighed at the face he made; somehow even though he was almost as tall as me – and considerably bulkier and stronger – he still managed to pull off the sad puppy face that I'd have thought he would've grown out of by now. "It's okay," I said softly, holding out a hand to gesture him closer. "I'm just tired."

His head perked up at that and he moved closer, pushing one side of his face into my hand. I chuckled at the display and scratched him under his ear. "How have you been, boy?"

He whined softly and leaned into my touch as I once more felt the gentle shifting in the Force whenever I returned to Raven. At first, I'd thought it was simply the force feeling that I was home, yet the longer my training on Anzat had gone on, the greater the sensation had grown, and I was now certain it was the Force slowly letting me know that my time on the planet and training with the Guardians was drawing to a close.

I was a few weeks short of my nineteenth birthday, with the anniversary of the invasion of Naboo a few months further down the line. It was slowly getting to the point where I'd have to stop my various training voyages and begin preparing for what was to come, but I felt I still had time for one more trip, though I was uncertain as to which Force sect or warrior culture to visit next.

An excited ball of energy surged in the Force, and I turned back to the ramp to see Anakin bounding down it. "CAM!" He called out excitedly, and as I knelt– without taking my hand from just under Fenrir's ear – waited for him.

He ran into my arm, and I held him tight as his arms closed around my neck. "An'ika," I said with a smile at the warm reaction to my return. I patted his back as he held me tightly, almost as if scared I might not be real. "I'm here, don't worry."

"I know," He said, his head half-buried in my shoulder, "I'm just happy you're back." He loosened his grasp about half a minute later and pulled back so he could look me in the eyes. "Are you finished here?" He asked the same question he asked every time I returned to Raven to check up on him.

I knew he was doing well as HK and R2 sent regular updates to me, and from the sound of things, Anakin was obeying the training and studying regiment I'd created for him well, or at least HK hadn't suggested a need to discipline Anakin to me, nor had Anakin complained about HK's strictness. At least not since the end of the first month of the schedule.

"No, I still have some time to go," I replied, causing some of his energy to fade away, "but not long. Perhaps a month or so." That had the enthusiasm return slightly. "Now, how have your projects been going?" I asked.

His face lit up as I'd expected and he turned, moving toward Raven, one hand trying to drag me with him. "Great!" He said with the bounce back in his step. "Come on."

I chuckled as I allowed him to drag me up the ramp and into Raven. Fenrir moaned, unhappy at my hand slipping from his fur but followed along in the hope of more attention. As we reached the top of the ramp, I stopped, making Anakin turn to me. "Go and get your pads and I'll meet you in the main hold," I said.

He nodded so fast I feared he'd hurt his neck before bounding away a touch too quickly to be entirely normal. Such frivolous use of the Force wasn't something a Jedi would normally tolerate. However, I was far from being a normal Jedi, and as he was excited, and as it was a sign he was becoming more comfortable with drawing on his power in his everyday life, I saw little harm in allowing such behaviour to continue.

I moved forward, heading toward the central area, knowing he'd have the pads and schematics ready for me by the time I got there. I'd not asked about either project – the one for a starfighter and the one for a droid – in about a month, so it would be interesting to see how far he'd advanced his concepts.

At my side I heard Fenrir grunt, hinting at his amusement at my son's behaviour. It might've been less than two years since Shmi had died and I'd adopted Anakin into Clan Shan, but Anakin now considered me, Fenrir, Raven, and even the droids as family. That was a sentiment I shared wholeheartedly.

"Hey R2," I said as I saw the astromech rolling through a corridor, "been keeping out of trouble?" The droid beeped loudly at my comment, making me laugh. "Yeah, I know there's nowhere to get into trouble here, but I don't think that would stop you or HK if the chance arose." He beeped again and his head rotated around. "I know, I know. You're the responsible one out of the four of you, but that's not a high bar to clear." He whistled in irritation before turning and rolling away, deciding he didn't like the conversation.

I shook my head as I chuckled at his behaviour. I was being truthful in saying that of the four who stayed on Raven, he was the most responsible, but again when the other three were an assassin droid that wanted at times to wipe all meatbags, a creature bred to hunt and kill, and an almost hyperactive young boy with incredible potential at his fingertips, being the responsible one wasn't a hard position to take.

I knew I was not counting Raven in that grouping, but if the chance arose to do some acrobatic if not downright dangerous flying, she would. It was just that with us stuck on Anzat for such a long time, she had no chance to push to do something unwise. Though as my hand ran over her hull, generating a symphony of happy light from her, I knew she would the moment we left the planet.

As I reached the central area, which served as the meal hall, and general relaxation room, I saw Anakin at the central table. A dozen datapads were strewn on the table, though two in particular held places of importance before my son. "I see you're ready," I commented with a wide smile as I walked closer. "HK," I added as I spotted the assassin droid standing nearby, guarding the short corridor that led to the cockpit.

"Greeting: It is good to see you, Master. Query: When might we leave this pitiful excuse for a world, or at the very least, seek out meatbags so that I might test my latest calibrations?"

"We'll be leaving in a month or so," I replied, ignoring the suggestion that he wanted to go on a murder spree. He said that often but had yet to do so; at least without asking me first, which I always shut down. "Simvyl's coming along in his training and I'm not sure there's much else new that I can learn from the Anzati without committing to being here far longer than I'm comfortable with."

Simvyl was doing well in his Initiate grouping, standing third of seven. He wasn't overly happy about his placement, seeing it as a failure on his part, Yet I knew it was impressive. The others were all Anzati who had over a hundred years of experience on him – one was just north of two hundred according to Observe – so for him to be ahead of any of them, even considering he wasn't a raw recruit, was a worthy achievement. Before Naboo, he had been a good warrior, but now as we closed in on two years since then, and with training with the Matukai and Echani to draw upon, he was a far more dangerous fighter for any who stood against him.

My training was now handled alone, as I was too far behind any Apprentice grouping at the Sanctum to join them, but too advanced to remain with the Initiate grouping. The training was tiring, and draining, but I would manage it. I wouldn't allow it to break me. I knew that both Adas and Dooku might likely feel I could do better, or improve further faster, but I was content with my current level of exertion, as going any further might harm my ability to spend these evenings with Anakin.

Anakin struggles to remain still as I approach, and as I slide in beside him, he thrusts a datapad – one of the two directly before him – into my hands. Activating the pad, I let out a low, impressed whistle.

The image before me was of a fighter never seen before in this galaxy. The lineage of the Z-95 in it was clear to see, as were – rather amusingly – hints of the X-Wing. I'd not offered Anakin any hint of that vessel during his time working on this project, but even with just this basic rotating image of a starfighter, I could see how this vessel and the one made famous in the other timeline, came from the same family of design. Just with different minds pushing their creation.

I slid the screen to the next page, taking in the dimensions and specifications of this fighter. Anakin's creation – which I noted he'd not yet named – was about fifteen metres long, twelve wide and four high with the landing gears deployed. The wings of the Z-95 were present, though they started further along the fuselage, not far behind where an astromech slot was located, and tapered to rounded edges in line with the engines. Each wing was in fact a pair of S-foils that opened in combat, just like the X-Wing. The tip of each of those four wings carried a laser cannon. The stats of those, and other weaponry were missing, suggesting Anakin wasn't sure of the exact power output or models of such things. Still, the presence of four cannons like that was amusing.

The image before me shifted, showing me the underside of the craft. Three hardpoints for extra weapons – be they bombs, missiles, or extra cannons – were on the bottom of each wing while in the centre of the fuselage is a section that, according to Anakin's suggestions, could be used for supplies if the fighter has to travel for a long time, or to carry extra munitions. The specifics of what would go on these hard points and into the internal bay would depend on the mission, but I could already imagine various layouts to suit different operations. The flexibility of this wasn't something I'd suggested to Anakin, yet it was a feature I highly approved of.

The fighter had a hyperdrive, which would drive up the cost but was a good idea. Anakin seemed to want a 1.0-rated drive, which would make this fighter extremely quick in reaching its destination. Once there, the four engines would grant it impressive acceleration and atmospheric top speed.

"Anakin," I said slowly, looking at him in awe at what he'd created. "This is incredible." Yes, the design needed refinement – the specifics of the powercore, engines and weapons weren't defined as he didn't have access to some of the data needed to punch in the numbers – but I knew that what he'd created was a solid, if not amazing, base from which to create a fighter to rival anything the galaxy had seen.

"There's more," He said with a large smile. I passed him the pad, expecting him to give me another. Instead, he touched a corner of the one I was holding, and the image of the fighter gave way to some rough specifications.

I blinked as I saw figures that I'd not expected. "How did you get this data?" I asked, knowing some of it wasn't anything I'd granted him access to.

He shrugged. "I used the Holonet to find the files," he said before mumbling something else.

"What?"

"I, um, I used some of your credits to purchase some files and contacted Raith," he explained looking down at the ground. "I needed details for the design, and you weren't here to ask."

I chuckled and reached out to rub his hair. "In future, if I'm not here, so long as you're not breaking any laws, assume it's fine to spend credits for projects such as this," I said. Yes, he had gone behind my back on the matter, but the results of it – the details here suggested how different components from various manufacturers could be added to the inner workings and how many would alter various systems – was an incredible leap beyond what I'd asked of him.

After he nods, I turn back to the datapad, scrolling the list of equipment that could be used for each section. It appeared that Anakin had decided to make the internals as modular as the externals. Different components would need small alterations to fit into the fighter, and each would alter the circuitry slightly, but there was good logic in this approach. "Why did you not settle on a single supplier for each component?"

"I remembered you talking about the danger of placing all our eggs in one basket," Anakin replied with a smile. "some of the parts won't work with others, but I'd programmed the pad to mark out the pieces when that happens."

"Well done." I looked back at the details and grinned. "I asked you to create a starfighter with a focus on superiority, and you went and made something that was much more adaptable."

His smile widened. "I… I was also thinking about how we could use the base design for other ships." He spoke slowly, as if unsure of himself. "I wanted the ship to have every weapon possible, but doing that caused big problems."

"That's one way to put it," I said with a grin.

"Yeah. So, I was thinking of this." He tapped the pad again and this time it displayed four new fighters. Each was similar to the first one but altered in ways – some subtle, some less so – that made certain each was unique while having a common foundation. The details of each ship weren't present, but each had a title hinting at their various roles.

"Anakin," I said slowly as I understood the concepts he was going for here. "This is amazing."

Using a base airframe to build variants built for specific things – bomber, rapid recon or deep-strike, interceptor, and missile-boat were the four names Anakin had given to the new designs – was a smart way to standardise production, and in theory, keep down costs. Now, the variants were missing the level of detail that the main fighter design had, but I could see ways that many of the components suggested for the starfighter could be used in the variants.

"There's more," Anakin said, changing the display on the pad to show two more fighters. Again, there were clean lines that suggested the commonality of them, yet these two were significantly different. The first was larger by about fifty per cent and had a cockpit designed for two pilots and a built-in astromech droid. It looked slower but had more armament – potentially enough to take out cruisers and other mid-sized starships – and the more I stared at it, the more it reminded me of the ARC-130 the GAR would use in the Clone Wars.

The second variant was more akin to a scout craft. It was large again but seemed to be designed for outright speed. Yet with the larger central hold, it would be able to deploy its cargo and depart before most others were aware of its presence.

These designs were not things I'd seen on my previous trips as I'd spent the majority of the time training him with his lightsaber forms and usage of the Force. Yet it seemed he'd been far from idle in my absence.

Some of the concepts he had created bore similarities to fighters, bombers, and interceptors I'd seen on the galactic market, but the specifics of such vessels were hard to be certain of. Yes, their creators listed their capabilities, but I couldn't be sure they weren't overselling their creations. Nor did I know what other advanced projects and designs they had in the pipeline. The Banite Sith would be working with various companies to develop and build the ships and equipment for the GAR so that when war came, the Republic could fight back and, as the war dragged on, the Jedi could be dragged around and taken out slowly until the Banite Sith were ready to strike and end the Republic and Jedi in a single day or so.

"Are you planning for a war?" I asked him after looking over the variants. While alone a fleet of starfighters to his designs wouldn't be enough to win a war, in theory, they'd be more than capable of turning the tide of just about any battle.

"No," Anakin replied with a giggle. "But you've made clear you think there's one coming inside our lifetimes," I grunted, remembering I had hinted in his presence about the coming Clone Wars, unaware that he'd taken that knowledge in and that I had influenced his thoughts and intentions. "Even if there's not if we can make a fleet of these, then Lia and the Lokella can be safe from future attacks."

"Ah," I said softly, understanding now coming to me. While he was concerned about the war I felt was coming, his focus was on protecting his family. He knew I, along with Fenrir, Simvyl, and the droids could look after ourselves, but that his younger half-sister currently couldn't. Given she had little potential for the Force, she'd never become what Anakin could, but I felt with the right – read Mando'ade – training, she could be as dangerous as someone like Bo or Naz.

"There's nothing wrong with wanting to do everything you can to protect those you love, An'ika. But even if we do that, no matter what we do, even if we burn entire worlds in an attempt to save our loved ones, we have to accept that death is a natural part of the universe. Even the stars die. It is a law of the universe that cannot be overcome."

He looked up at me in shock, his eyes wide. "St…stars can die?" He asked, having seemingly considered it as possible.

"Yes, Anakin they do. That is how Black holes, and other such phenomena occur." I reach over and place a hand on his shoulder as I sense the cold, almost mind-numbing fear radiating from him and push the warmth of my presence to him through the Force. "I know it scares you. It scares me as well when I consider that one day you, Bo, Fenrir, and others might die. However, dwelling on that fear, letting it consume you in some false hope that you can alter things so no one you care for dies is a dark and dangerous path to walk down. One that, if you do so, will see you consumed by the Dark Side and become nothing but a puppet of whatever twisted desires it demands of you."

"I know," he whispered though I felt he didn't yet understand, "it's just…" his head dropped, and he looked down at his feet, kicking them aimlessly against each other. "I miss her, and I don't want to lose you."

I reached forward and pulled him into a hug. His arms closed eagerly around my waist as I held him tight. "I understand, Anakin," I said gently. "I miss my grandfather and don't want to lose you either. That's why all this training is needed."

I held him for a while, letting him draw strength from me and allowing him to gather his thoughts and calm his raging emotions. He might not have the issue I did with the Interface, and through it, Eidetic Memory making it impossible for me to let go of my emotions and fears, but I knew he dwelled on such thoughts heavily. So much so that, in the other timeline, Sidious had exploited that and his fears over his wife, to corrupt him into Darth Vader.

After what felt like a few minutes, I felt Anakin shift and let him slip from my grasp. His face was long, and while there were no tears, I could sense his unease. I smiled in understanding and moved my hands toward the datapad he'd given me. "I'm proud of you and your creations, An'ika," I said softly, drawing his thoughts away from his mother and his fears for the future, "in the time we've known each other, you've gotten stronger and stronger. Don't ever think otherwise, nor that I don't want you trying to protect those you love. You just need to learn that we cannot protect everyone all the time."

His eyes came up, and a faint smirk came to his lips. "Not even you?"

"Yes Anakin, even me," I said as I ruffled his hair. "I know I have, shall we say, a talent for getting into trouble," he giggled at that, "but when I do I need you to stop and think before you act. It might seem to draw trouble to me, but I have never failed to escape that trouble with my own skill and power. I'd rather find my way out of that trouble than have to worry about you running in to help, acting like a bantha in a crystal shop."

Anakin laughed happily at the analogy. "Says the man who jumps from starships to help those he cares for." My brow rose at him throwing that back at me. I'd never talked to him about my rush to help Serra after her verd'goten or to reach Bo and Naz during the Battle of Keldabe, but it seemed he was aware of at least one of them. "Bo and Naz told me about your adventures."

"Ah," I muttered in understanding. "Still, I do hope that you learn from my mistakes – and such reckless action, even if it worked out was reckless – and make your own choices." With hindsight, I can see how I could've approached those moments better, and still achieved my goals, but I knew well what the saying about hindsight was.

"I'll try."

I shook my head as I laughed at his non-committal answer and ruffled his hair once more. In moments like this, I felt sympathy for Obi-Wan when he'd had to raise and train Anakin in the other timeline. The issue was that I knew I was, at times, a bad role model. Just like Anakin, I was the sort of person to rush headlong into the fire to save those I cared about, and while that had worked out for me for the most part – the loss of my forearm notwithstanding – I knew I had to temper my instincts. If not for my sake, then for Anakin's and the others I cared for.

He was only eleven, but already my thoughts were starting to drift to two years in the future. At that point, he would be old enough for his verd'goten, and I couldn't deny a hint of fear at what that might entail. I knew I'd trained him well, and that he could look after himself, but I feared that he would – like myself before him – face a challenge for which he wasn't entirely ready. The hardest part was going to be not doing what I wanted and rushing to help, as that would see him fail the challenge, and possibly hate me for doing so.

"So," I said slowly, pushing thoughts of Anakin's future aside, "the base fighter, do you feel ready to consider making a prototype?" If he was, then I'd have to contact either Raith or Alor Dred Yomaget – more likely the latter – and see if they or someone they knew could help with the creation of a prototype. The sooner it was made, and the kinks worked out, the sooner production could begin, giving at least the Lokella access to his creations.

Anakin's eyes widened, and I sensed his surprise at me suggesting he move forward with the project. "I… um… I mean, maybe. In a few months. I guess." He paused and rubbed the back of his head. "It's just… the parts I want to use, they're not cheap."

"How much?" I asked, not caring greatly about the cost, as beyond my wealth, I had access to the Jedi's funds. The idea of having them pay for the creation of a fighter that would, in all likelihood, be used against them, was amusing enough that I could see myself doing that.

"At least a million credits I guess. Both the parts and paying someone to build and test it for us."

"For you, An'ika," I countered, "this is your project, not mine." I saw his mouth open, probably to argue, and I held my hand up to stop him. "The idea of you creating a starfighter was one I gave you," I said slowly, wanting to explain my logic. "I did so because you have a talent for technology that I don't, which I'm fine with by the way. I wanted this project, and the one for a droid, to push your skills. I never intended for you to take it so far, so my influence over this project is over. All I will do is back you, however much it takes, with the credits to build the prototype. Whatever becomes of it, from the name to how far this goes, is up to you, and you will have my full, unqualified support for whatever you decide."

It took a few moments for Anakin to accept my words, but when he had, he looked at me with a wide smile. "Okay." There was a long moment where he seemed to revel with pride at having control of the starfighter project before he blinked. "Oh, the droid…"

He turned and all but snatched the datapad with the details of the starfighter on it from my hand, before replacing it was the other pad that had a place of prominence of the dozen or so that were on the table around us. Normally I would warn him about such behaviour, but it was clear he was doing it at this moment because he was excited, and not as might normally be the case, angry or upset.

As I turned to the new datapad I was curious as to what he'd done with the droid project. If the starfighter designs were anything to go by, this should be an interesting one. Especially with HK and R2 offering more opinions for this than for the starfighter.

At first glance, the droid didn't appear too different from a well-modified 3P0-series protocol droid, but as I looked closer, and read some of the information on the first display, I whistled. "I know I just said it about the starfighter, but this is impressive, An'ika. I see you took in many of HK's ideas," I added as details of the hidden extras on the droid appeared on-screen.

The stomach no longer exposed internal wiring, and the odd brackets on the joints that seemed to limit the movement of such droids were gone. The entire thing was encased in metal with no obvious spots where it could be opened. A note on the page suggested using either beskar or phrik in the plating and I was not inclined to the former. Beskar was too rare to use on a droid, and the Mando'ade would never stand for such apparently frivolous use of the metal.

Elsewhere the deactivation switch on the back of the neck didn't shut down the droid. Anakin wanted an option in the programming so that the droid could either fake being shut down or ignore the button entirely, and I knew that had come from HK. The same was true of the various hidden extras that the droid had.

"Yeah," Anakin said with a broad smile, though a second later it slipped. "Um, this won't be cheap either," He added, which made me laugh.

"I believe I just told you that cost wasn't a problem with the starfighter. Why would that be different for the droid?" His face lit up again at that. "So, show me," I add.

Before arriving on Anzat, my publisher had contacted me. Fellowship of the Ring was doing far better than he and the production company had expected. At that time, I'd gained nearly forty billion credits from the holomovie, and by the end of the year, he suspected the figure would clear a hundred billion, if not close in on two hundred billion credits. That figure didn't include anything from the merchandising, but the projections there were impressive as well and I could be looking at double to tripling the movie figures.

Yet, for all my new-found wealth, I suspected I was still far from being even the richest Mando'ade, to say nothing of the wider galaxy. Still, using those credits for Anakin's projects was a better thing than simply letting them sit in various accounts gathering dust. I just hoped that whatever Anakin had added wasn't overly complicated as, based on my experience in this life and the last, things worked best if they were kept relatively simple.

… …

… …
I leaned back in the worn and tattered chair I found myself in this evening. I tapped the table in front of me, seemingly thinking about the cards I'd drawn in this round of sabacc, but in reality, my thoughts were elsewhere.

I was no longer on Anzat, the training had gone as far as I thought it could go without me committing time I knew I didn't have. Simvyl had, before we'd left, attempted a similar exercise to the one I had. While he hadn't succeeded as well as I had – as was expected of most Initiates – he had done decently and understood his mistakes. Indeed, he'd managed to slip from the compound without being detected, which was the minimum the Guardians had expected.

That had helped guide my decision to leave, and after saying our farewells, with a loose promise to return if the Force allowed, we'd departed the system. After speaking with Anakin about a new extra he wanted to add to his droid – something akin to a chameleon cloak that would allow it to project the appearance of being organic over its frame – I'd had to hunt for where to find such things, and then locate a seller. That hunt had brought me to my current locale; a bar in one of the less reputable sections of Worlport; the capital city of Ord Mantell.

To any who approached the world, they'd see a beautiful and modern world, a symbol of the Republic's influence in the Mid Rim. But that influence ran below the surface as Ord Mantell was just as superficial as Coruscant or any Core World. Step away from the brilliant Corellian-inspired architecture in the Government District, and one quickly finds corruption, decay, and decadence. All signs of the failings that Republic was known for to any who knew to look away from the blinding light of the glittering central buildings.

The contact that I needed to meet had insisted on gathering on Ord Mantell, and I'd already spoken with them about what I needed. They claimed they could get the various components I'd need for Anakin's droid, but it would take time as while not illegal some of the parts were restricted. They'd said it would take half a month to gather them at most, and after five days on Ord Mantell, I was regretting agreeing to wait here for them to get what I was purchasing.

The first few days had passed easily enough. Anakin, Simvyl, and I had explored Worlport; first as Jedi and then as travelling Mandalorians. The reason the switch had taken place was because I kept getting invited to the planetary governor's mansion, as apparently there was some issue they wanted my help with. Sensing that whatever the issue was, I'd not enjoy it, I'd rejected the offer and then seemingly left the planet in Raven.

We'd returned a day later, taking over a more remote landing port; one where the planetary security was much laxer and more open-minded. The guards there had been persuaded with a handful of credits to mis-register Raven as another vessel but to avoid being bothered by the governor's people, Anakin and I had started travelling as Mandos.

Simvyl had used the time on the planet to contact a few fellow Antarian Rangers, getting updates on issues throughout this slice of the galaxy's Mid and Outer Rim. Looking them over, there was no apparent pattern to the grievances and skirmishes between various worlds and groups, but knowing what I did of what was to come, it didn't take much to convince Simvyl that all of it was interconnected to the failings of the Republic.

With little to do but kill time, I'd ended up wandering the three gambling districts in Worlport. Not because I had any real interest in gambling, but more to see how those not sitting around the top table lived. The first district, Path of Coins, was aimed at the high rollers; those unconcerned about losing a few million credits here and there. I'd spent some time there gambling and testing out my social skills, but I'd grown tired of the place.

Port of Coins was meant to represent the best of Ord Mantell, yet even though the common terms weren't used, slavery, drug dealing, and other illegal activities took place there. What made it worse was the fact the local law enforcement made no effort to deal with the problem. I knew the reasons – corruption and the like – but it still angered me that they would allow something as illegal as slavery to exist so openly simply by changing the name and, I suspected, forcing the workers to sign contracts that while seemingly making things seem legal, were little better than indentured servitude.

After a few more days of exploring, I'd ended up in Herglic's Folly, travelling from one establishment to the next. This district lacked all but the most token of security forces, but even though this place was dirty, worn-down, and dangerous – three sentients had made the mistake of trying to rob me on the first night in the district – I found it more real. Yes, there was slavery, drug-dealing and illegal trades taking place here, and those I was sharing the sabacc table with all had bounties worth at least twenty-thousand credits on their head, but they were open and honest about their rule-breaking.

Oh, if I wanted to, I'd happily gun everyone at the table down, along with the majority of the casino I found myself in. They were scum of the lowest kind, but at least they were truthful about what they were and that, at least for the time being, was enough for me to grant them leniency. Well, that and the facts I had to kill time on the planet, that playing with such reprobates was a clever way to practice my social skills, and between the Force and Observe I never left a table with fewer credits than I sat down with.

"I see your bet and raise you." That came from a Zabrak named Farld. This sentient, and I used the time loosely, was a trafficker in people, and had bounties from various sectors, the highest of which was thirty-five thousand credits from Taris. "Five thousand," he said as he slid a pile of credits into the centre of the table.

I watched him with amusement, already aware that my hand beat his. It might've been cheating to use the Force and Observe in such ways but as everyone I was playing with was scum of the lowest sort, I didn't care. Force, if they caught me cheating, then it just gave me a reason to gun them all down here and now.

"I see and raise," I replied, pushing seven thousand credits into the pot. It was a small increase, but should tempt him into meeting and raising it, which was what I…

"Cameron!" The shouting of my name when I'd not given it to anyone had my attention. If I'd been wearing my helmet, the HUD could've told me who called out, but I wasn't wearing it as faces had to be exposed at the table. "Cameron Shan!"

Hearing my full name, I knew the male – the voice made that clear – knew who I was, and as I turned, my hand grasping my blaster, I felt a familiar if off sensation in the Force. "Quinlan?" I muttered in confusion when I saw my fellow Jedi Knight coming toward me, dressed nothing like a Jedi should be attired, though since I wasn't in Jedi garb either, I couldn't hold that against him.

As he moves closer I notice a Devaronian enter behind him, one that looks remarkably like a devil, however, my focus is on Quinlan. Beyond the dishevelled look, his Force presence is off, if not wrong. As if part of him was missing or gone. "What's wrong?" I ask as I remove my hand from my blaster, sensing the Force swirling erratically around the Kiffar.

"It's Aayla! She's missing!"

I blinked at hearing that. "What? How?" I demanded, trying to figure out how he could lose his Padawan, why she was missing, and why he was coming to me. I could see him begin to explain only for me to remember the game. "I fold," I said, tossing my cards into the pile and then picking up my helmet. "Now," I said as I moved closer and placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him, "tell me what happened. From the beginning."

He nodded, and as he gathered his thoughts I felt the Force shifting. There was something about this moment, and about Aayla's disappearance, that it seemed to be suggesting might be of use to me. I just had to figure out what was going on, help Quinlan find Aayla, and then determine how it might affect me.

… …

… …
A/N: And with Quinlan's appearance, the training run is over. If you know your Dark Horse comics, you can guess which arc from that I'm about to adapt.

A/N (2): LuciferBael's story is here Of Lightning and Blood
...
This story is cross-posted on Fanfiction.net, Archive of our Own, and Royal Road.
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May the Force be with you. Always

USSExplorer · Jan 15, 2025

A/N: As always, a huge thank you to those helping with lore and planning for this and my other stories.

And again, this chapter was released to those of sufficient rank on the story's Discord (it pays to talk) about a month ago. For those who support my writing, then it was released between 1 to 4 months ago (and those supporters can also access chapters that far in advance).

If joining the Discord or supporting my writing interests you, there is a link at the end of the chapter for how to do so.
A/N: The training arc is over, now onto missions.

3.10: The Lost Apprentice 1
… …

I walked into the cantina just outside the Herglic's Folly gambling district, the HUD scanning for an empty booth. Failing to find one, I instead moved towards one with a pair of Rodians in it. "Get lost," I snarled at them as I neared. The pair stared at me with large black eyes. "Now." The two shared a look, hands drifting under the table, though that stopped when I had a blaster in my hand before either could unclasp their blaster. "Last chance."

There was a fraction of a moment where I thought the pair might not leave, but in the end, the pair shuffled from the booth, collecting their drinks, and muttering some choice insults in their native tongue. I ignored those, and slid into the booth, gesturing for the two accompanying me to do the same.

"Villie likes your style," the Devaronian with me said as he slid into the booth.

I ignored the horned alien and tossed a credit chit to a rather nervous-looking Togruta female as she shuffled to our table. "We desire privacy," I said as the female almost dropped the chit. She nodded rapidly and then turned and moved away as fast as she could without making it too obvious my behaviour scared her.

Once she was far enough away, I turned to Quinlan who had moved into the booth last. "Now, how about you tell me what is going on and how you managed to lose your Padawan, Quinlan," I asked, knowing my choice of words would cause a reaction.

Quinlan's eyes snapped to me, fury burning in them, and I sensed him grasp his lightsaber. "I didn't lose her!" he snarled. "She was taken!"

I closed my eyes, using the unstable burst of emotion to see a glimpse of him being Force pushed over a ledge by Aayla. That had me frowning as the two were, from everything I remembered, as close as siblings could be without sharing blood or parents.

Ever since he had appeared during my sabacc game, all I'd been able to sense from him was rage and confusion. His mind was a mess with no hint of even the basics of control that were taught to Initiates. Almost as if he had forgotten everything he'd ever known and lost his moral and mental centre. The pain and anger flowed out from him like a fountain threatening to consume a mountain. Still, the burst he'd aimed at me wasn't something, even in his current state of distress, I was going to tolerate.

I slid my helmet off so I could look him in the eyes. "Quinlan," I began slowly, "control yourself," I continued, using a gentle application of the Force to strengthen my words. "I'm here to help, otherwise you wouldn't have sought me out," I added, trying to not display my amusement at the fact that, for once, it wasn't me who was on edge and close to losing control of their emotions.

Ever since Anakin's kidnapping, and taking onboard the techniques Adas had taught me, I'd felt far more centred and if not balanced as how the Jedi Order might wish me to be, then with the stability to avoid lashing out like a wild rancor. Now, I'd yet to have that control tested, but I felt my mental strength was sufficient that even if the whirlwind of emotions I sensed in Quinlan existed within me, I wouldn't be as unbalanced as he was.

Quinlan blinked, my subtle use of the Force pushing aside just enough of his misplaced rage that he could see clearer. "I…" he slumped into the booth, as if ashamed of his behaviour. "I'm sorry. It's just… Aayla."

I nodded, understanding the pain he would be experiencing since I'd gone through something similar – though Anakin and I didn't share the strength and length of connection that Quinlan and Aayla did. Still, now that he was calmer, and back from the edge of fury, I could feel how different Quinlan's presence in the Force was, and not just because of his fear and anger centring on Aayla's current unknown condition and location. Wanting a read on him, I used Observe and frowned at what it stated.

Quinlan Vos
Race: Kiffar
Level: 28
Health: 100%
Age: 27
Force Potential: High
Threat Potential: High (Currently Low)
Reputation: None
Affiliation Loyalty: Aayla Secura (65%)
Emotional State: Confused/concerned/disorientated
Quinlan is frankly a wreck. Recent events have left him uncertain of a great many things, though he knows that Aayla Secura is important to him, akin to family.
He also knows that they were both Jedi, yet he has no memories of this; only fleeting images from various objects with those brought forth by his ability to read the history of objects.
It is through such images from Aayla's lightsaber that he has sought out Cameron Shan, understanding that he is, like him, a friend to Aayla, and now he seeks your help in finding his lost Padawan.
...

It seemed that Quinlan was something of a blank slate with his memories now gone, though I currently had no idea of how that had happened. The lack of loyalty towards the Jedi and his former Master Tholme was interesting, a clear sign of this memory loss, as was his threat potential being considered Low currently when it should be High.

I recalled sparring with Quinlan on occasion, though not since before I was Knighted. While his base was, like Aayla's, centred around Ataru he fought unpredictably; almost as if he were forever living on the edge of losing control. Based on what Observe was saying, and what I could sense from him within the Force, Quinlan had gone over that edge and, when combined with his loss of memories of decades of training as a Jedi, was a loose cannon. He should have gone to the Order, or even his former Master for help, yet it was clear he hadn't and instead sought me out.

I leaned forward and tilted my head to one side. "What happened to you, Quinlan?" I asked gently. "Your Force presence is to be blunt; a mess and I can't get a clear read on your surface thoughts beyond a desire to find Aayla." He tensed at her name, making clear she was the driving force behind whatever had made him seek me out. "From the beginning, tell me what happened. I need to understand why you're this way and why Aayla was taken."

Quinlan took a moment and inhaled deeply. I could sense him trying to find some sort of centre as he did so. Giving him the time to do so, I turned my focus to the Devaronian, Villie. The alien claimed to be Quinlan's friend, and from what little we'd talked before reaching this cantina, Quinlan suggested that was the case, but male Devaronians weren't considered trustworthy. As such, with a few seconds to spare before Quinlan began his story, I used Observe on Villie and instantly felt my distrust of him increase at what was revealed.

Villie (Vilmarh Grahrk)
Race: Devaronian
Level: 29
Health: 100%
Age: 39
Force Potential: Low
Threat Potential: Low
Reputation: Disliked
Affiliation Loyalty: Vilmarh Grahrk (100%)
Emotional State: Amused/Curious
Vilmar, though he often goes by Villie, is enjoying the confusion of the Jedi around him. Vos' behaviour has been constant since Nar Shaddaa; however, he isn't sure what to make of you.
Seeing a Jedi – Vos assured him that you were a Jedi though he has yet to see a lightsaber – in Mandalorian armour is unexpected.
Still, he is wondering how he might further profit from it, and how good of a gambler you are.
...

There wasn't much there that helped get a read on Vilmarh as he was truly called – I assumed Villie was a nickname he used – but what was revealed was enough. The only loyalty he held was to himself, or at least the only loyalty that was over 50% that the Interface was willing to reveal to me. He might have some faint respect and loyalty to Quinlan, but it wasn't showing and even if it did, it would never override his self-interest. With all that in mind, I wanted the alien gone as soon as Quinlan was finished recounting the events that led him to seek me out.

Honestly, if it was just him we were talking about, I would likely offer to help him. I owed him after my capture by the Bando Gora even though I barely knew him. Aayla, however, was a friend, or at least had been when we'd last spoken, which had been before I'd been knighted. It was possible that Sia-Lan and others had spoken to her since then and turned Aayla's opinion against me, but I had no way of knowing that currently, and would work on the assumption that we remained friends.

"It started with an assignment from the Jedi Council," Quinlan started slowly, bringing my focus back to him as I noted that he was frowning as if struggling to recall the events of which he was speaking. "There was a new drug spreading into various corners of the Republic, Glitteryll, and the Council assigned us to investigate the matter as I had several contacts in the underworld."

"Glitteryll?" I asked as while I had heard the term in passing on the Holonet, I'd never bothered to do any deep dive to learn more about it. The galaxy was vast, and a single new drug or hallucinogen seemed to appear every other week.

"It's a synthesis of glitterstim and ryll. From what I've learnt, it's made by feeding ryll to energy spiders that are capable of producing glitterstim. I believe that I've destroyed the only source of the drug, but what it did was when ingested or injected into a sentient, it caused them to forget their memories – possibly forever if the dosage was high enough – and often made the recipient docile. At least on those not strong in the Force and not kept on a constant supply of the stuff."

I growled at hearing about the abilities of this drug. "I do hope you've destroyed the source, though if I ever hear of its existence elsewhere, I'll be seeking to exterminate the spiders and those feeding them ryll with extreme intent."

A faint hint of a smile came to Quinlan's face as he heard that. "I will be doing likewise having been made to experience glitteryll." He paused and placed his hand against his temple for a moment before continuing. "Anyway, our investigation, as you might expect given where ryll comes from, took us to Ryloth where we met Pol Secura." one of my eyebrows rose at the name. "Yes, he is… was related to Aayla. Her uncle in fact. He, along with a member of my clan from Kiffu, was involved in the creation of the drug," he added with a growl, one laced with more rage.

Quinlan growled and I sensed an almost unrestrained well of rage directed at one or both the people about whom he had spoken. At the same time, the Force subtly moved around us in a way that I didn't entirely understand, yet I felt it was hinting at something that could affect the path we both took in the future.

"From what I've been able to piece together, when Aayla and I learnt the truth Pol and Asante Vos had us dosed with the drug." Quinlan paused here and closed his eyes as I felt him working to restrain the well inside him that seemingly bubbled as he spoke of the pair responsible for whatever had happened to him and Aayla. I remained silent, saving my questions for when he ended so that he could get through the entire story without getting distracted by minor matters.

"After being drugged, I awoke on Nar Shaddaa without a clue of where or who I was. The room I found myself in was a blaze, and at the time I managed to escape without understanding how, but I now know I used the Force to do so." That he knew how to use the Force instinctively, and I suspected could wield his lightsaber, hinted that his memories weren't necessarily gone; just lost in the deepest depths of his psyche. "That was the beginning of my… adventure on that world," he glanced at Vilmarh there. "One in which every sentient I encountered tried to kill me. It was after that first attack that I encountered Vilmarh."

"Villie find Jedi there. Confused and alone he was. Villie wanted to help him," the Devaronian said with a smile, exposing the large, sharp teeth of his species which when combined with the horns on his head and red skin created a fine image of a demonic figure from my former life. One many might call a devil.

Now, I knew it was wrong to judge a species by their appearance, but some concerns and misconceptions from my former life still existed in me, and when combined with what Observe had revealed, I doubted I'd ever find myself trusting this particular alien. Haran, if not for the fact Quinlan seemed to trust him – or at least tolerate his presence – I'd have already suggested the Devaronian left. Forcibly if he tried to say otherwise.

"Help is a subjective word," Quinlan added with a chuckle which only increased my distaste for Vilmarh. "Vilmarh, though he often calls himself Villie, is something of a gambler. A bad one at that…"

"Hey!"

"… as he, like almost everyone in Nar Shaddaa, decided to place a bet on when, where, and how I would die."

I grunted, fixing the alien with a stare that, if not for my immense control, would likely see him on the floor in pain as I used the Force to explain why trying to kill a Force user was an incredibly bad idea.

"Many placed bets on Jedi," Vilmarh said, failing to catch the cold fury behind my stare and seeing it as a demand for an explanation. "Many tried to cheat to win bet. Villie help Jedi escape cheats."

"Because if they had succeeded, you would've lost your bets?"

Vilmarh laughed at my question and slapped the table. "This Jedi gets it!" He said proudly to Quinlan before returning his attention to me. "Must be the Mandalorian in you," he added as his eyes looked over my armour with a hint of interest. I ignored the stare, along with the blunt probe for information on why I was wearing my armour. None of that was his concern, but if he made any move to acquire any section of the beskar I wore, it would be the last thing he ever did.

"He did have a bet on my death," Quinlan said as he continued his story. "However, thanks to the Force, I sensed this and reversed the powercell on his blaster before he could use it against me."

"Shame it didn't explode in his face," I muttered loud enough that they could hear me.

"Hey Now!" Vilmarh snapped, "Villie no like your tone Jedi." I chuckled, daring him to do something about it. "However, Villie forgive you. You friend of Quinlan, who is Villie's lucky Jedi, so Villie likes you too." I'd rather he didn't, but it wasn't a point worth arguing over.

"After his failed attempt," Quinlan continued, "two more sentients arrived. They were dressed like me, carried lightsabers and claimed to be Jedi. I was wary of them however and after Vilmarh warned me that they weren't Jedi, I killed them and took their lightsabers."

I nodded, thankful that they received the justice they deserved for pretending to be Jedi. Not because I cared about what little good standing the Order might have, but because of the principle of the thing.

"Once I held the lightsabers, I understood they were mine and Aayla's. When I grasped mine, I saw… flashes of my past, though the images were jumbled and had no emotional meaning to them."

"Psychrometry," I said slowly, "a rare gift that allows those who have it to read images and memories from objects they touch."

Quinlan nodded. "Yes, I learnt the name later, but at the time I didn't understand what I was seeing. From my lightsaber, I learnt my name and images of my past. Some were of my time as a Jedi, a few of when I was a youngling on Kiffu. Many centred around Aayla, though again, at the time I didn't learn her name until I held her hilt."

"That suggests that your memories aren't gone, but rather buried deep in your subconscious. There might be ways to recover them, but I'm uncertain of how to do so."

Quinlan nodded, seemingly accepting my words without issue. "When I held Aayla's hilt, beyond learning her name and that she is… was my Padawan and that it was my duty to protect her. However, I didn't have the time to truly focus on the blades and see what I could learn, not when others were still coming after me because of the bet." He smirked and jerked one hand at Vilmarh. "This one made a new bet after I survived his attempt to kill me; one with outrageous odds which required him to work with me honestly."

I looked at the Devaronian and considered the idea for a moment. "He bet on you to live… no, to escape the planet, as while you were on that world you'd be in danger," I said slowly as I closed my eyes, the answer coming to me with some logical thinking and a gentle grasp into the Force to confirm my suspicions. "He lost something… his ship on the first bet. To get it back he had to make an even riskier bet."

When I opened my eyes, both of them were looking at me. Quinlan understood what I'd just done, though he likely didn't understand that I'd used the Force to take the knowledge instead of asking for it. Vilmarh, however, seemed shocked at my understanding of the details of the situation. "How Jedi do that?" He blurted out.

I smirked. "The Force is a gateway to many abilities that some would consider incredible or unnatural," I replied, feeling amusement bubble in my chest. "Anyway," I continued, waving a hand to dismiss the matter, "given you are both here, it is safe to assume that Vilmarh won his bet, and you escaped Nar Shaddaa."

"We did, and once we did I spent time with the lightsabers, trying to regain what I could of my lost memories," Quinlan said slowly, one hand holding his lightsaber tightly. "Yet, while I recovered much about my past, there was no connection to them. I couldn't recall living them, and thus they held little importance. Save for those dealing with Aayla." He paused and leaned forward. "Is it normal for a Jedi to feel a strong connection to their Padawan as I do not feel such a bond to the one who once trained me?"

"The one who trained you was called Tholme, though I know little about him," I replied gently, taking my time to consider how to phrase my answer to the rest of what he asked. "As for the bond between Master and Padawan, it is a close bond – the closest most Jedi can experience to having a father or children – yet officially the Order prefers if the connection remains at best as one between friends and allies. It does, however, vary between the Jedi Knights and Masters. Some keep the bond in their thoughts while they train a Padawan, while others choose to ignore or dismiss its importance.

"I cannot say how you taught Aayla, but I recall when we were both just Initiates, that she knew you would be the one to train her in the ways of the Force. It was you, after all, who found her when you were a newly made Padawan yourself and brought her to the Temple." I smiled as my mind instantly brought back the warmth in Aayla's words when she spoke of Quinlan. "From what I recall, she considered you her older brother or cousin," I added, hoping it might help him remember something about his bond with her.

"Ah," he said slowly, as if a light had gone off inside his head. "That explains much of why she feels so important to me." He took a moment, gathering her thoughts, and I stayed silent waiting for him to continue. "There was one other thing that happened before we left Nar Shaddaa. An encounter with another Twi'lek named Bib Fortuna." I tensed slightly at the name, well aware of his connection to Jabba. I'd rather not find myself in the crosshairs of a Hutt, at least not for the time being, but if that was the case, then I'd do so for Aayla. "He knew who I was, and was connected to both Pol Secura and some, at the time, mysterious benefactor. He wouldn't reveal who that was, not even when I threatened him with my lightsaber." A small smirk came to his face, and I felt his enjoyment of the memory, wondering if the darkness that swirled around Quinlan had always been there or if it was a result of the memory loss. "However, before I could convince him to tell me, we were attacked by guards and droids."

"Droids?"

"Yes," Vilmarh replied with a nod. "Destroyer droids. Very bad news. Villie get Quinlan to leave quickly when they appear. Need to protect my bet."

I scratched my chin as I considered the reveal of the destroyer droids, and ignored Vilmarh's motivation for helping Quinlan.

Destroyer droids were linked to the Trade Federation, and while they had a new directorate after HK removed Nute Gunray and his assistants, they'd been keeping quiet while the Senate investigated their actions on Naboo. As expected, the matter was going slowly as with Gunray and many other Neimoidians dead there were few to question regarding the motives, but I felt the Banite Sith, in their roles as Chancellors, were working to delay and distract proceedings to suit their plans.

The fact the droids were seen protecting Bib Fortuna was more concerning as it hinted at possible ties between Jabba and the Banite Sith. Oh, I knew there had to be some sort of contact between them, but the presence of Jabba's major-domo meant things were far more interlocked than I realised.

"This is certainly interesting, and something I would like to come back to. However, for now, our focus should be on your story and what happened to Aayla."

"Yes," Quinlan said slowly in agreement. "After escaping Nar Shaddaa…"

"Villie win big on Quinlan doing that."

"… we headed to Kiffar," Quinlan continued, ignoring the comment from the Devaronian. "I had seen images of my people, and while we travelled I learnt the current leader of the Guardians was Tinte Vos, who I felt a connection towards. Once on Kiffu, I learnt she was my great-aunt and that before we'd lost our memories, Aayla and I had headed to Kiffu to speak with Sheyf Tinte." He paused and shook his head. "She hates the Jedi, claiming they stole me from her and my clan."

"All in Outer Rim know this. Jedi steal babies."

I sighed at Vilmarh's remark and pinched the bridge of my nose. "The Jedi don't steal younglings," I said slowly, ignoring the fact I was defending the Order's practices when I didn't agree with their methods. "They simply seek out those younglings who are strong in the Force, and if the parents or guardians agree, take the child to Coruscant and the Temple for training. Most parents want that, as they think it's a good life for their child, but not all agree and in that case, the Jedi are meant to leave and forget about the youngling."

Now, I agreed that those who could draw on the Force should be trained to harness their power, but the way the Jedi went about it – and their choice to not fully explain the reasoning behind it to the wider galaxy – was a mistake the Sith, even those predating the Banite Order that currently ruled, exploited to drum up anti-Jedi sentiment. The fact the Jedi had never rectified that issue, nor considered the need for a PR department after tens of thousands of years was beyond fucking stupid.

"Anyway," I said, drawing a line under the off-topic moment, "your aunt mentioned you had been to her before with Aayla, and I assume, guided you to Ryloth again?"

"Yes," Quinlan replied, fidgeting slightly in his seat. His mind was restless, a need to move and do something echoing so loudly in the Force that I wondered how the Council couldn't sense it on Coruscant. At least until I remembered that it had grown far harder for the Jedi to use the Force to see what was, would be, or might be happening in the galaxy because of the creation of a shroud or veil created by the Banite Sith to hide their presence and actions.

"It took some time for Vilmarh and me to discover the truth, but eventually we learnt that Pol Secura was involved in the creation and shipping of glitteryll. When I confronted him, he revealed that he was keeping Aayla among his slaves."

The word came out as a barely audible hiss, and I closed my eyes to centre myself against the wave of violent, malignant wrath I felt flowing from Quinlan. It reminded me of when I'd felt Anakin lash out at the Trandoshans, that immature, unfocused rage that I myself was prone to using up until that event. Yet what I felt from Quinlan was different in some ways.

Anakin's rage and that which I had displayed before the change in the Interface had been of one pushing up against an edge that we didn't truly understand or know what we were doing. For Quinlan, it felt almost as if he was drawing it into himself without realising; gaining strength and focus while unknowingly submitting to the whims of the worse elements of the Dark Side of the Force. However, what caught my attention, and for a moment drew me in, was the faint whisper offering to let me in, wanting me to take control and guide the rage emanating from Quinlan. To bend him to my will.

I pushed such thoughts aside and returned my full attention to Quinlan. "Why did he keep her like that?" I asked slowly, using the time it took me to speak to ensure the brief temptation didn't draw me more than a few inches from my controlled centre.

"Because she was family," Quinlan almost spat out. "He saw us in her presence, and kept her filled with glitteryll so she knew nothing but her name. He…"

His words trailed off and I saw the knuckles on the hand grasping his lightsaber hilt go white. Even as I reached into the Force to offer him something to focus on, I lifted my hand next to him and placed it on his shoulder. "Calm yourself, Quinlan," I said softly, using my control over my inner darkness to help him suppress the fury that threatened to overwhelm him. "Losing yourself to your rage over events that have happened, or might still happen, will not help us. It will instead make it harder to both find and then save Aayla from whatever danger she is currently in."

As I spoke, I used the Force to grant him reassurance, committing myself to helping him find her, regardless of her state or location. I watched as his eyes closed and he turned his focus inward, drawing on my presence in the Force while taking deep, calming breaths to find a point within himself where he could if not control then at least contain the wrath that burned deeply within him.

If I were a proper Jedi, I would've already insisted that he return to Coruscant for help and retraining, yet I had never been one to walk the path the Council wanted all Jedi to follow. Since Zonama Sekot I'd begun to realise that my path lay not just on one separate from the Council, but from the Order as well, and I was beginning to feel that the path I was walking might be one that appealed to Quinlan as well.

However, such thoughts were a matter for after Aayla was rescued, and the pair reunited. She might not remember me, but Aayla was a friend, and for that, I would do whatever it took to save her, the Council and the Republic be damned as to my methods.

After perhaps a minute, Quinlan opened his eyes and offered me a weak smile. "Thank you," he said quietly as I felt the furious storm within him if not disperse then at least lessen and withdraw for the time being.

"That's what friends are for," I replied.

"Are we friends?" He asked slowly, his head tilting to one side as I removed my hand from his shoulder. "From what I can recall from the images, we were never close. You and Aayla, however, were, though I feel from the lingering emotions I sensed from those images, perhaps not as close as she might have wished."

"We only really knew each other in passing; mainly because of Aayla," I answered honestly, feeling it was the right path to take. "We had sparred on occasion as well, but what you've forgotten is that I owe you as I was once captured by a rather evil cult. You and Aayla were part of the team that came to rescue me. It is because of that, and that I consider Aayla a friend, that I pledge to you, here and now, that until we find her I will be at your side." He nodded and the first flicker of a real smile came to his face. "However, for that, I need to hear the rest of your tale."

He nodded and I noted that the grasp on his lightsaber hilt had lessened. As if he no longer sought it and the memories it brought forth for strength and focus. "I spoke with her after Pol revealed her to me, and placed her lightsaber in her hands. Yet she couldn't recall anything." He grunted before continuing. "At that, I turned on Pol Secura and demanded answers. I wanted to know who he was working for, and when he refused… I summoned my rage as energy."

"Force lightning?"

He nodded. "Yes, that is perhaps the name for it. He gave me the name of his patron: Senator Chom Frey Kaa."

"I recall the news that he was removed from office a few months ago, but the Holonet didn't say why," I said slowly, the information, along with the ascension of Orn Free Taa to the position of Senator for the sector containing Ryloth. "Since he was removed, I assume this matter was brought to the Council and the Senate?

"It was, however, not by me." I frowned at hearing that, though I withheld a question as I could feel that was unimportant to the current position in Quinlan's tale.

"After Pol gave me the Senator's name, I could've released him. I could've let him go. But I didn't." He looked up at me with pained and confused eyes. "I wanted to hurt him. To torture and kill him." Understandable, if not exactly a sentiment the Council would approve of. "Aayla, not understanding why I was hurting her uncle, nor that I was doing it because of what he'd done to her… she lashed out with the Force. Pol and I were tossed off the ledge we were on. I survived the fall, the Force protecting me. Pol was not so lucky."

"Villie help Jedi escape. Wormheads not like political assassins. Like really not like. Bad poodoo."

"We… we were forced to escape from Ryloth before I could go back for Aayla," Quinlan continued, both of us ignoring Vilmarh's added commentary. "With little to work with, I headed to Coruscant. I wanted to take out my rage on Senator Kaa. I eventually gained a confession from that fat toad, but before I could execute him for what he'd done to me, Aayla, and countless others, Master Mace Windu appeared." I growled, knowing how that little confrontation had gone before Quinlan told me.

"He stopped me from killing Kaa, even fought me to protect that slug. I lost and he assured me the Senator would be punished in accordance with the law. He… he then offered to take me back to the Temple so that I could be retrained. He said he would help me find Aayla, but the Force told me he wouldn't. That he didn't care about her."

The storm within Quinlan began to grow wilder, and I placed my hand back on his shoulder, helping him push it back so he might continue his tale.

Quinlan turned his head to face me. "All he cared about was getting me to the Temple, to have me brought under the Order's control before my actions on Ryloth disgraced the Order."

"I'm not sure that's exactly why he wanted to take you to the Temple, or at least not the main reason," I said slowly, mindful of how I phrased my words so the storm that was his Force presence didn't overwhelm what little control he had. "However, that you killed an official on a Republic world would cause tension between the Order, the Senate, and the Republic at large. He would've wanted the matter brought in-house to avoid embarrassment to the Order," I added, barely able to keep my dislike of the way the Council operated at times from my tone and Force presence. "To help keep the peace."

"Yes. Exactly. That's what the force told me," Quinlan replied with a nod of hope. "I… he let me leave, saying that I could return to the Order when I was ready but all that mattered to me then, all that matters now is finding and saving Aayla."

"If you wouldn't accept help from the Order, why would you turn to me? I am a Jedi after all."

"You no dress like Jedi."

I ignored Vilmarh's comment and kept my focus on Quinlan, "And you say she needs to be saved?"

"Yes," he replied with a nod. "In the months since leaving Coruscant, as Vilmarh has helped me search for Aayla, I've grown certain she's in danger. Something… sinister is closing its vice around her. Something that I know will kill her if I'm not quick enough to find her. The Force showed this to me, along with images of you."

"Not easy to find you Jedi," Vilmarh interrupted again. "Name of Jedi on the Holonet, but location of you not. Took Villie much effort to find your ship."

"The Force guided me here," Quinlan cut in before I suspected the Devaronian attempted to get me to pay him for his troubles in helping Quinlan. I was going to do that anyway as there was as much chance of a Wookie falling in love with a Trandoshan as there was that I'd let him on Raven, but the fact he was trying to drive up his price only proved how unreliable he was if another made him a better offer.

Yet, for all the Devaronian's attempts at increasing his pay, my focus was on the Force as I felt it continuing to swirl around Quinlan and myself. Faint, almost indistinct whispers of what might be slipped past me, their words, and ideas just beyond my reach. However, while I felt that I knew what was being at, my focus remained on the here and now, and working to find and save Aayla. At least for the majority of my thoughts.

"You will help me, won't you?" Quinlan asked a hint of desperation in his tone.

"I will," I replied. "However, without anything to go upon, finding a particular Rutian Twi'lek female in the galaxy is going to be very difficult," I continued, ignoring the alert that popped up in the Interface. That would be a quest for finding and saving Aayla, and I'd find time to see what exactly was required for the completion of the quest.

"I know that!" Quinlan snapped, though his tone and the rage he generated within the Force was less than it had been when we'd first sat down. "I spent months looking for her without success, and then I saw hints of you in the Force and I knew that you were the key to finding her."

I offered him what I hoped was a comforting smile. "I can attempt to search for her through the Force, but it was never something at which I was particularly skilled. What would help with that would be something that belongs to her. Do you have anything?" I asked softly. Fay had told me before that having something to focus on often helped with seeking help from the Force relating to a specific sentient, however, I had never attempted such a thing. Both because the Interface had dulled my connection to the Force, and because I lacked the, to be blunt, patience to spend days if not weeks in communion with the Force seeking answers.

"No," Quinlan replied, his shoulders slumping. "I did have her lightsaber, but it was lost on Ryloth. I assume she took it with her, but I can't be certain of that. After Pol Secura's death, Vilmarh was more insistent that we escape the planet before we were arrested for the death than trying to stop Aayla or taking anything of hers."

"Hmm, that's going to make things more complicated," I said slowly only to stop for a moment as I realised I was stroking my chin in that oh-so-typical Jedi manner. It was a minor thing, but I'd once sworn to not do that, yet I kept finding myself doing it more and more as I matured.

Putting my irritation with the small lapse in concentration, I return my focus to Quinlan and how to find Aayla. "Heading to Ryloth might be possible, so long as you remained on my ship, but I'm uncertain if that would be any major help as I'm uncertain they'd give me anything we could use as a focus while meditating."

I gestured for Vilmarh to stand so we could all exit the booth. Once I was up, I slid my helmet on and turned to face the Devaronian. "Your services are no longer required," I stated bluntly to him.

"Now wait a minute Jedi, Villie…" his voice trailed off as I placed a handful of credit chits in his hands.

"Consider that more than ample payment for helping Quinlan up until now," I said, casually using about ten thousand credits to get rid of the Devaronian. Perhaps I was over-paying him, but Quinlan trusted him so I might have some use for him in future, and thus placing the idea that I paid well into his mind didn't harm anyone. Ten thousand credits was a drop in the ocean considering my reserves were over three billion credits with more rolling in every day from my cuts from the holomovie for Fellowship of the Ring and its merchandising.

"Do not follow us," I added, though I already knew he couldn't, not unless his hyperdrive was at least 0.7-rated. Raven could go faster if I delved into the Force and flew the lanes with her, but I preferred to keep that factoid hidden until it was critically needed.

"Vilmarh is a thief and pirate, but he's helped me so far," Quinlan said as he caught up to me as I reached the door to the cantina.

"He has, but I suspect that is because he won that bet on Nar Shaddaa and now considers you something of a lucky charm," I replied as I pushed my way out of the cantina; the pair of Weequays about to step in scurrying to avoid the armoured Mandalorian exiting the place.

Quinlan's robes were darker and more worn than those usually seen on Jedi, but even if they weren't it was doubtful anyone would believe he was a Jedi. Not so long as they failed to see the lightsaber at his hip. Yes, I had mine there as well, but people's eyes were drawn to the armour, and then if they knew about it the beskar used in its construction over the rare weapon at my hip.

As we moved, the HUD was capturing the images of everyone nearby and through the Battlenet linking it to Raven's computers, accessing the local Republic security systems. While those weren't the most dependable – especially on a world where corruption was almost as rampant as Coruscant – about forty per cent of the faces were known to local security forces. On another evening, if I felt the need to blow off some steam, I'd find the worst of the lot and either remove them or drag their defeated bodies to a security station and claim any outstanding bounties on them. Yes, I wasn't a member of the bounty Hunter's guild, but as a Jedi, I could easily circumvent that issue.

However, tonight those fools were safe as I had more important issues to handle. "My ship is about an hour's walk from here," I said to Quinlan as we moved. "Once there, we'll consider our next steps, and I can introduce you to my Padawan."

There was no hiding Anakin from Quinlan, so being open about it was the best path to take since I'd committed to helping Quinlan find Aayla. The issue would be that once Aayla was found and saved as if they returned to the Temple, then they would mention Anakin to others. That would let the cat out of the bag – with about the Council and the Banite Sith – but after around twenty months with Anakin as my ad and Padawan, I was secure in the fact he wouldn't let anyone separate us. Nor would I for that matter.

Having Quinlan along, and then later Aayla after we found her, would do Anakin some good I felt. He was limited in his interactions with others who could use the Force. I mean, he had spoken with Vosa – as much as I disliked her interest in my son – and been trained a little by Dooku, but outside of that, he had no interaction with any major Force user. Yes, Quinlan was off-balance and missing much of his memories – or at least the emotional attachment to them – but he was a trained Jedi and would be a new sparring partner for Anakin.

"You have a Padawan?"

I chuckled under my helmet at the shock in Quinlan's tone. "It's not that recent a thing, but also one I've not advertised. I took him not long after the Battle of Naboo, though I suspect you know little about that."

"I do actually," He replied. "When I was searching for you on the Holonet, I found images linking you to the liberation efforts though there are articles claiming you overstepped your bounds as a Jedi by interfering." I glanced at him.

"Yes, I've heard those voices. Both politicians, social commentators, and even inside the Order and from the Council."

"They're wrong!" Quinlan said firmly. "The Council only care about themselves and not the younger members of the Order!" Images of Aayla rushed from him into the Force. "Why would they care what you do to help others when they won't?"

I stopped and turned to face him, sensing the raging storm of his emotions surging forward within him again. Wanting to see if this storm was simply a result of his memory loss, or if there was something else buried in there, I peered into him through the Force, seeking the core of his personality.

With his training only existing in the subconscious, his mental defences were, to be blunt, pathetic, and I was easily able to circumvent them without him realising what I was doing. As I dove into what shaped his presence on the Force, I found that Quinlan had something buried deep within him that fuelled his aggression. Something that perhaps had always been an influence on him even before he lost his memory.

While the source of his aggression and reactive tendencies was his, it was familiar, reminding me of both myself and, as much as he was still young and immature, Anakin. A gentle pull existed from Quinlan's core, tempting me to push deeper and possibly even shape this fury that lay at the very core of his being; however, this wasn't the time nor place to consider such an action and I pulled back.

"Wh-what did you do?" He asked slowly, suggesting even though I'd been careful he'd sensed my mind entering his.

"I looked at you through the Force," I replied honestly. "It is a slight invasion of privacy, for which I apologise, but I wanted to get a proper read on you and see what was affecting your actions and choices in the Force. Amusingly, I see much of myself in you, though as we're both prone to rushing into situations that's not a huge surprise." A faint flicker of amusement flashed over his face. "Perhaps if we had both spent more time at the Temple growing up we might've become good friends. Who knows, after this perhaps we might become so," I finished before turning and resuming my walk to Raven.

Quinlan stayed still for a few seconds before he caught up with me. "I sense that you are right," He said slowly as we walked. "That might be why the memories of you were so prevalent in the images I saw while holding Aayla's lightsaber. That I felt a connection to you through the Force but didn't understand it at the time, and why I chose to seek you out over taking Mace Windu's offer to return and retrain at the Jedi Temple."

"Perhaps," I replied, not wanting to dwell on the matter until I'd had more time to consider it. "However, what might have been, and what could be, is less important than what is. Our focus must stay on finding and helping Aayla. Hopefully without her trying to kill you for the death of her uncle," I added.

I understood why Quinlan had wanted to kill Pol, and if our positions were reversed, I'd have done the same. However, that didn't change the fact Aayla blamed Quinlan for Pol Secura's death, and might well seek to kill him when they next met.

Silence came from Quinlan as he considered my words as we walked. In that silence, I accessed my HUD. The merchant I was waiting on to find the component Anakin was seeking for his droid would need to be contacted and I'd have to have the order either cancelled – unlikely given about half the time we had to wait had already passed and this deal wasn't strictly legal – or I'd have to ask him to hold the component.

Another idea came to me then, and I used the Battlenet to access the planetary communication network and reached out to see if any other Mando'ade were on the planet. I smirked as five responded to my greeting. There might be more who couldn't or didn't want to respond to my call, but five should be enough.

After explaining the issue, I discovered one – someone who had fought under my banner on Naboo actually – was in orbit and was willing to take the component elsewhere for me. I considered having it sent to Duke Adonai, but in the end, chose to have it delivered to Dooku in the Gaia system. I knew that no matter how this mission to find Aayla played out, that would be my first port of call afterwards.

My fellow Mando'ade accepted my request to deliver the component, and after the transfer of a thousand credits – for discretion as the component wasn't strictly legal without the proper permits – I considered that matter closed and could avoid Anakin complaining at us leaving before he got what we had initially been here for.

With that handled, my thoughts returned to Aayla. She was somewhere out in the galaxy; the question was where. Also, who, if anyone, was she running with and what sort of danger did she find herself in? I accepted she would be in danger even without opening the quest that would likely confirm it as, where I was concerned, The Force seemed to enjoy throwing me into chaotic situations that while I emerged from stronger; either caught me by surprise or tested me in ways I didn't realise I needed to be tested. Often at the same time.

The Force was using me to seek whatever it considered balance, yet I had to be careful. What it wanted and what I desired were, in all likelihood not going to align perfectly. I had to carve out my path so that I could survive and flourish in the coming chaos, and as I walked, I felt that Quinlan and Aayla might have some role to play in creating that trail, though what it was would have to wait until after Aayla was found and saved.

… …

… …
I sat on the floor of my quarters, seeking guidance from the Force over where Aayla was. The Force, however, was, in its oh-so-infinite wisdom, being reluctant to help me. Not only could I feel that it was unable or unwilling to answer my requests, but part of it was actively seeking to block me. Something that, as I felt my anger rise, reared up as if both challenging me and inviting me deeper into it.

My eyes snapped open at that shift in the Force. A glance at the chronometer on my arm drew a deep, guttural growl from me. Fourteen hours I'd been sitting here, seeking some kind of help and guidance from the Force but I had shab'an to show for my efforts. Or from any previous attempt I'd made since leaving Ord Mantell with Quinlan.

"Why the fuck won't you help?" I snapped, directing my anger towards the Force. I knew it wouldn't respond, but I needed to vent the anger and let go of the pointless need to blame the Force if I was to focus and move on.

It'd been a week since Quinlan had sought me out, and a day since we'd left Ryloth without anything of Aayla's that might help in locating her. The Twi'leks, while sympathetic to my need as a Jedi to find another of my Order, were unwilling to help given it was a Jedi that had killed Pol Secura.

After that complete waste of time, Raven had slipped into hyperspace bound for the Core. Now, I knew that the odds of Aayla being there were slim, but once we had a hint of where to head to find her, we'd have access to all the major hyperspace lanes which, in theory, would make it quicker for us to find her than leaving from a random point elsewhere in the Republic.

The problem was that neither I nor Quinlan were gaining any insight into where Aayla was, and to make matters worse the various meditative techniques I'd been shown by Dooku and Fay for seeking support and assistance from the Force were, to put it bluntly, failing. Now, I understood that some of the issue was that the Banite Sith had done something to darken the ability of those who used the Light Side – or in my case tried to use it – but the fact the Force was so hesitant to help me was infuriating.

I'd never had issues before when trying to gleam a hint from the Force, save when Anakin was kidnapped. However, at the time I had thought the issue was that I was struggling to control my emotions. Yet now, when I was – bar the odd minor burst of irritation at the Force being as useful as a snowball on Tatooine – in control of myself, the fact the Force still refused to help was infuriating, and yet also interesting.

Wanting to take a break from my so far failing attempts to glean anything of where Aayla might be, I stood, stretching once up. Thanks to Player's Body I didn't need to stretch and work out the kinks when I shifted after a long time in one position or awoke, yet I still did so, finding something relaxing about the ritual. Once up, I closed my eyes and reached through the Force for the bond I shared with Raven. She responded in less time than it took one to blink, and I intuitively knew the status of her various systems and the location of everyone else onboard.

Simvyl was in the cockpit, monitoring the various mechanical systems while Raven soared through the strange energies of hyperspace. If anything was wrong, however, it would be Raven who alerted me first through our bond. Fenrir was resting, as semi-normal in the central area, lounging on one of the sofa-like seats there while the droids were in a small cargo bay that Anakin had converted into his workshop. The pair were either charging – as that was where the alcoves had been moved – or discussing whatever it was droids talked about in their downtime.

Anakin and Quinlan were the only two really doing anything, as I could feel the pair enjoying themselves from within the bay converted into a training area. Even as I slipped from my cabin, I knew the pair would be sparring. Anakin dragged Quinlan any time he could to the training area so they could spar.

After rebuilding my lightsaber, I'd given my shoto blade to Anakin so that he had a blade to train and use. At least until he constructed his own. For that, however, we first had to find him a crystal. Now, I could just give him one of those half dozen I had in my Inventory, but I knew that wouldn't be an ideal fit. No, it was better if he found and selected the crystal for himself, or in theory created one. However, I knew he wasn't anywhere near trained enough to attempt that last option as I remembered well the effort it had taken me to create the micro-crystal that was now part of my lightsaber and given it the new red central colouring.

The most obvious place for him to find a crystal would be the caves on Ilum, however, that would need permission from the Council for him to head there. Assuming that Quinlan and Aayla returned to the Order once she was saved – something I had grown slightly less expectant to happen – learnt about Anakin, I had little interest in returning to the Temple with him. The Council would want to test him and there was far too great a chance that they'd discover Anakin was more than just my Padawan.

However, I was less certain that Quinlan and Aayla would return to the Order, and that was due to the Interface generating two quests relating to Aayla's disappearance, with the second being unexpected but potentially very exploitable. As I walked through Raven's corridors, I pulled up both quests to quickly review them.

The Lost Apprentice [ƍ] [֍]
Find and save Aayla Secura alongside her Master Quinlan Vos.
Rating: A
Objectives:
:a : Find where Aayla is inside half a year.
:b :Ensure that Aayla is saved.
:c: Make sure that Quinlan survives.
Rewards:
:a :1500XP
:b :2500XP
Passed test of Friendship with Quinlan Vos
A Large increase in Reputation with Quinlan Vos
:c: 2000XP
A decent increase in Reputation with Quinlan Vos
A variable increase or decrease in Reputation with Aayla Secura.
Failure:
:a :Death of Aayla Secura.
A massive loss in reputation with Quinlan Vos
Permanently lock Reputation with Quinlan Vos at hated.
:b :Death of Aayla Secura.
A massive loss in reputation with Quinlan Vos
Permanent block Reputation with Quinlan Vos of hated.
:c: Death of Quinlan Vos.
A variable increase or decrease in Reputation with Aayla Secura.
...
A Change in Path [֍]
An opportunity to alter the destinies of others has occurred.
Rating: A
Objectives:
:a :Convince Quinlan and Aayla to return to the Jedi.
:b : Convince Quinlan and Aayla to join you on your travels so that when galactic war comes, they are more likely to fight at your side.
:c: Convince Quinlan and Aayla to explore the galaxy themselves.
:d: Begin training Quinlan and Aayla in what you have learnt over the last few years in preparation for the coming war so that they might fight at your side in it.
Rewards:
:a :1500XP (for each that takes this path)
Variable increases in Reputation with members of the Jedi Order once they learn of your actions.
b: 2500XP (for each that takes this path)
Variable, though small, increases in Reputation with the Jedi Order once they learn of your actions.
Decent to large increases in Reputation with Quinlan Vos and Aayla Secura.
:c: 2000XP (for each that takes this path)
Small to Decent increases in Reputation with Quinlan Vos and Aayla Secura.
:d: 3500XP (for each that takes this path)
Creation of a new quest
Failure:
Paths :a :, :b :, and :c: are mutually exclusive, thus no penalty is assigned if one of these choices is taken of the others.
:d:
Potential for large losses of Reputation with Quinlan Vos and Aayla Secura.
Potential for the Jedi High Council to declare you a Dark Jedi and send members of the Order to apprehend or kill you.
...

The first quest was exactly what I expected, and yet far more limited than I might've hoped for. Before Naboo, a quest was clear in what had to be done and listed several hidden objectives. Reveal the Hidden had taken away the hidden nature of some objectives, so I had expected this quest to reveal more than it did. Since it didn't, all I could hope was that more objectives would appear as I learnt more about Aayla's situation, as had happened with The Phantom Menace and a few other long-winded but time-restrained quests. Either that, or finding and saving Aayla was going to be far easier than I felt it should be, but when had my luck ever been that great?

It was the second quest that had me wondering if the pair would return to the Order once Aayla was saved and was giving me a lot to consider.

Assuming that the whole glitteryll incident happened in the other timeline, then both had rejoined the Jedi and fought for the GAR in the Clone Wars. While Aayla's death was shown on-screen, Quinlan's wasn't. Regardless of that, they had returned to the Order, yet this quest was suggesting that I could alter that destiny for both of them; perhaps even to the point that they would ally with and learn from me.

Now, they could still return to the Order, and I'd complete the quest, but that was the path that offered the lowest XP reward, and thus I assumed, the path with the highest likelihood of occurring but also the one that offered the least benefit to me. The other paths, to either travel with me or head off on their own, were more interesting. Not least as the implication that I could train the pair myself, helping them relearn what they once knew but from a perspective more aligned with my opinions on the Force and how it should be used.

Now, I had been helping Quinlan with his training in the week since I'd agreed to help him, but I was keeping to purely Jedi techniques currently as while much of his training was still within him, his ability to understand and draw upon that was non-existent except when he stopped thinking too hard and just acted. That might not be an issue if he had better natural control over his emotions, but he didn't and as such he was prone to, when pushed too hard, lashing out.

To be clear, he wasn't a danger around Anakin as he knew far more instinctively than Anakin did when I came to sparring, but on the occasions I had sparred with him and overwhelmed his form, there had been moments where he'd almost lost control. Thankfully, I was able to ensure he didn't, though a few of those moments had been handled by drawing on teachings I'd gained from Adas. It was unlikely that if he returned to the Jedi, Quinlan would remember what I was showing him, but it was a concern and why I was sticking mainly to Jedi techniques even when those didn't seem to be working that well for him currently.

However, if the pair chose to journey with me after this adventure was over, and showed reluctance to return to the Order, I would consider training them, which was what I assumed the hint of a creation of a follow-up quest was based around. Plus, I couldn't deny that the prospect of having Force-capable allies around my age with me wasn't a tempting one.

For a long time, I had felt the first to join me in such a capacity would be Serra, especially after our relationship evolved into a romantic one. However, after Naboo she'd been taken as Windu's Padawan and given we'd not spoken directly since, I couldn't be sure that she would still be willing to follow me along the path I was heading. If she did, that would be great as I missed having her at my side, but even then that would only mean her, me, and Anakin in this new group I was forming. Quinlan and Aayla would add two more bodies to that group; ones that I knew had fought in the Clone Wars directly in the other timeline. A comment I couldn't make about Serra as she'd never appeared on-screen in any media I'd seen. Still, I was going to wait until Aayla was found and saved before considering how to approach the A Change in Path quest.

As I neared the training area, the expected sound of lightsabers clashing with each other reached my ears, with the sounds growing much louder – and the sight of yellow colliding and moving around green greeting my sight as the door to the area slid open. I slipped inside quietly, not wanting to draw either from their spar. I could feel each drawing on the Force, and while he was younger and lacked the muscle memory that Quinlan retained, Anakin was the one shaping the Force to a greater degree.

He was moving impressively fast for one so young, more so than I suspected I had even after maxing out the old Force Speed power I'd had via the Interface. Even so, it was clear that, as had been the case each time they sparred, Quinlan was overwhelming Anakin. He might not be able to utilise his preferred Ataru-based style in the cramped conditions of the converted cargo hold, but his size, reach, and power meant that for all Anakin could draw on the Force to a greater degree – and thanks to the training since Naboo, with more refinement – my son was slowly losing the spar.

I leaned against the wall as the door slid closed behind me, watching the pair as they continued to spar. Yes, Anakin was again losing, but that was good for him. Not only did it teach him that he couldn't simply assume because he had a great reserve of Force potential to draw upon that he'd win every battle, but it allowed him to face off against someone who wasn't me. Now, I didn't go easy on Anakin, at least not as much as I might do if I didn't know what was looming less than a decade away, but he was still a child, not quite eleven yet, and there were limits to how I could push him.

Even with the cargo hold limiting his options, Quinlan was still able to draw on Ataru, using the wall and ceiling to bounce over Anakin, forcing my son to roll to one side to avoid Quinlan's blade as it swooped overhead. While I had adapted Ataru's footwork into my personal style as a way to overcome the handful of shortcomings Makashi had, I shared Dooku's distaste for the form. It was too flashy, too energetic, and grossly inefficient for conserving oneself in a pitched battle. If the terrain prevented the space needed to truly exploit the more advanced velocities, then the form became even more ineffective.

Now, in the hands of those who dedicated themselves to the form as I and Dooku had done with Makashi, then it could be a devastating form. Something that was seen in how Yoda could use it and his size to be a kriffing nightmare on the battlefield. However, it wasn't a style that appealed to me. Function over flash was what I preferred. That said, I still considered it a better base for most Jedi than low-level Niman; which sadly far too many Jedi used but never bothered to master even to a basic level.

In the hands of one skilled in the form, Niman had the potential to be incredibly lethal. Yes, it lacked the speciality of the previous forms, but it had none of their weaknesses and was a great base for using Force powers in battle, and I had slipped into elements of it at times when trying to adapt my Force powers into my combat style. However, for the majority of the Jedi, it was learnt simply because it was so karking basic and simple that they could devote their attention to other matters that appealed to them more.

In times of peace that was fine, but as proven on Geonosis in the other timeline, in battle that logic only got them killed faster than others. Seven Hells, as he was now, I felt Anakin could defeat a few newly christened knights who use Niman as their base but failed to give it the attention it, like any of the forms, deserved.

Quinlan landed with grace and his blade swept around preventing Anakin from advancing, showing that while he might not remember his training, the knowledge was ingrained into his mind. He then turned and came at Anakin using a series of quick, slightly in my opinion extravagant, sweeps and thrusts to overwhelm my son and drive the boy back. This spar was over, which was shown when Quinlan's blade came to a stop close to Anakin's head. The blades were set on low power so being struck by them would only sting badly, but still Anakin had lost. My complaint was that Quinlan could've ended the spar mere seconds after I entered the room, and then a dozen times after that before he finally did. Now, perhaps he was seeking to train Anakin and maybe remained uncertain of his actions, but it was a flaw that against a more experienced opponent would cost him a battle. As had been the case every time we had sparred since leaving Ord Mantell.

Anakin's eyes widened as he saw Quinlan's blade close to his head and then his shoulders slumped. In the Force, I could feel his annoyance at losing, though I was pleased to see that any anger at another defeat was minor and quickly pushed away and forgotten. There was no point in dwelling on losing a training match.

Quinlan powered down his blade and moved closer to the boy, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You fight well, and your Master has done an excellent job in bringing you up to your current level in such a short amount of time. However, you lack the size, strength, and reach to truly use the techniques you want to use, and as such, it leaves you open against more experienced opponents."

I chuckled at Quinlan mirroring my words about his style as he spoke to my son. "That will change with age," I said as Anakin realised I was there, and I shifted against the wall. Anakin's face brightened at hearing my words, and I was glad once again that Quinlan was missing much of his training of the Force otherwise he might sense that the bond between my son and me was more than just a simple Master-Padawan bond. Of course, since he was hellbent on finding Aayla, even going so far as to reject retraining as a Jedi for the time being, he wouldn't exactly have solid ground to stand upon to question the depth of my bond with Anakin.

"How goes your mediation?" Quinlan asked, his thoughts instantly turning to Aayla, helping to prove my point.

"The Force is still reluctant to help," I replied, trying to not sound as vague as many Jedi were when they spoke about the Force. "While seeking guidance from the Force was never my forte, it has gotten harder for me to do so since Naboo," I explained, glossing over why that was. "I'm not giving up though, I just think I might have to try something a little more… unorthodox," I added slowly, my mind playing over an idea that had been growing stronger ever since leaving Ryloth.

It was clear to me that using Jedi techniques wasn't getting me anywhere, and with the shroud that the Banite Sith had placed over the Force limiting my ability to peer through the Force for answers even more, I wondered if I should instead use the veil for help. The issues with that were that I had little idea of how to peer into the Force and demand it reveal what I wanted and that the Banite Sith might sense my actions and use it in some way to either track me or influence my actions. Maybe even both.

For the former issue, the obvious way to correct that problem was to speak with Adas. However, I was reluctant to do so as I knew I was turning to him too much for answers, that activating the holocron would be sensed by Quinlan, and that Adas might sense Quinlan's presence as well. I'd rather not risk Quinlan mentioning that presence of something so steeped in the Dark Side in my possession to the Council if he returned to the Jedi, and I didn't want Adas considering teaching another his methods.

For the Banite Sith, the pair might well be able to sense when someone used the Dark Side and attempted to pierce the shroud they'd created to engulf the Force and limit the ability of the Jedi and others to see into possible futures. If that was the case, and I was leaning toward it being probable, then they could, in theory, use the shroud to try and influence me. Potentially furthering the idea that one or both had to either make me into their minion, or possibly even their apprentice.

While I felt they knew I was, as the Council would put it, tainted by the Dark Side after my last visit to Coruscant – I knew the defences I'd created to hide my presence and usage of the Dark Side, while good wasn't enough to ensure the pair of Sith ruling the Republic couldn't sense something amiss – I'd rather not give them an opening, or another one at least, to tempt me to their side.

What was amusing was that, in many ways, I might already be an apprentice to a Sith Lord. Oh, Adas had never used such terms whenever we'd spoken, but I felt that was how he was beginning to see me. Though, unlike Sidious and Plagueis, he wasn't showing me the way of the Banite Sith, but those of the true Sith, and by that I meant the species and forerunners to the Sith Order that was created by exiled Jedi who ended up on Korriban millennia ago.

That, however, was something I could think about in greater depth at another time.

Pushing myself from the wall, I moved towards my son and Quinlan, getting the impression Anakin had something to say.

"Um…" the boy began slowly, uncertain if he should speak up. A gentle smile and rolling of my hands encouraged him to continue. "Well, Qu… Master Quinlan is from Kiffu, right? Wouldn't Aayla know that simply from looking at him and seeing the tattoo on his face and then searching the Holonet?"

I paused for a moment, considering Anakin's idea. "That is possible," I replied slowly, weighing the idea in my mind. "However, facial tattoos are not unique to the Kiffar. Still, they are one of the more prominent groups to use such markings, at least from what I know," I glanced at Quinlan who nodded slowly, uncertain in his confirmation. "But, as we've got little else to go on, and it's not too hard to alter our flightpath once we exit hyperspace next, it's worth a visit."

"Yes, and even if Aayla is not there, my great-aunt, who is the current Sheyf of the Guardians, might have some new clues to help us find Aayla. Or possibly ways to help me regain my memories." Quinlan smiled as he spoke and then offered a small bow to Anakin. "My thanks for the idea, Padawan, and for pointing out something we adults should've thought of."

Anakin frowned for a second before returning the bow. Almost as if he didn't think what he'd said was worth the thanks. That made me chuckle before I pushed myself off the wall and moved closer to the pair. "From what Raven's telling me, we've got a few hours before we're due to exit hyperspace," I tapped at my gauntlet transferring the new destination to Simvyl so that, if I weren't there he could input the coordinates into the hyperspace computer. "So how about to kill time we have another spar?" I asked Quinlan as I unclipped my hilt from my belt.

Quinlan considered my request for a moment before nodding. "Yes, that is a good way to keep relearning what I have forgotten."

"And it might help us clear our thoughts before we next mediate," I added as Anakin fist-pumped in excitement at getting to watch Quinlan and I spar again. So far I'd won every spar with ease which wasn't a surprise given Quinlan's mental state. However, I felt that I could take him most of the time even if he hadn't lost his memories. He had never struck me as someone as advanced in Ataru as needed to be my equal as I was now, but I understood that sometimes luck played a factor in who won.

Quinlan activated his blade and slipped into a standard Ataru opening stance. I mirrored him, though my lightsaber gave the familiar and comforting little roar it always did as power flowed into the blade, and after a little flourish that while impractical was something that worked with Makashi, I settled into my opening stance.

As I waited for Quinlan to move, letting him have the first attack, I couldn't help but smile at how good it felt to have my lightsaber in my hand again. Yes, the hand was now mechanical, but it and the blade were a part of me and with the blade ignited, I felt whole again in ways that I'd not realised I'd missed until the new crystal had been created.

… …

… …
The swirling exotic energies of hyperspace slipped away as Raven slid back into normal space. My fingers flew over her controls as she scanned the nearby space and system, confirming we were in the right location. I smiled as it was confirmed we were in the system containing Kiffu and Kiffex; the homeworlds of the Kiffar sub-species and also where Quinlan was born.

"I know I have said it before, but this ship of yours is something special," the man in question remarked from the co-pilot's seat. "To be able to sense her in the Force, and you say interact with her, is something I would not believe possible if I was not currently here to, however abstractly, experience."

"That's something every Force user who's been aboard Raven has commented on," I replied with a chuckle as the long-range sensors reported their initial data. "Looks like we've got no orbital structures near the planets," which wasn't a shock as the two worlds often crossed close enough that, according to the Holonet, electrical storms could reach from the surface of one world to the other, "though there are ships of various sizes moving around Kiffu." If I didn't know that Kiffex was used as a prison world by the Kiffar, I might find that odd. "Are you sure Sheyf Tinte will be willing to help us?"

Quinlan had revealed that Sheyf Tinte was both his great-aunt and a member of Clan Vos, but from how he spoke about their last meeting – before Quinlan had gone to Ryloth and killed Pol Secura – it seemed she disliked him still seemingly choosing the Jedi over his people. So much so that I was considering not mentioning I was a Jedi to her. However, I knew Quinlan wouldn't see a need to hide that, nor did I want him lying to his aunt for my sake.

"It is likely she will," Quinlan replied slowly. "We have confirmed from the Force that Aayla is, if not here already, then on her way, and while my great-aunt dislikes the Jedi, she will help as we are the same clan and that matters to her."

I nodded in acceptance of his reply, and as Raven moved quickly towards Kiffu, I turned my thoughts back a few days.

After Anakin's suggestion about Aayla coming here based on Quinlan's facial marking, I had meditated again on Aayla. The Jedi approach had been as unresponsive and unproductive as ever. However, after taking the time to find my centre and draw forth my focused fury, I had demanded that the Force confirm that Aayla might come here. In that instance, it had relented and granted me glimpses of something that had or would happen, confirming Aayla had some connection to the worlds Raven was now soaring towards.

I'd seen flashes of two ships fighting over twin worlds, and then an escape pod from the destroyed vessel landing on one of those worlds. A Rutian Twi'lek had emerged from the pod, and while I couldn't be a hundred per cent certain that it was Aayla I was seeing, I felt certain it was. Something that only grew stronger when Quinlan confirmed the markings I'd seen on one of the ships – the one that survived – were those of the Guardians of Kiffu and that the planets I described were those of Kiffu and Kiffex.

There had been two unexpected events relating to the meditation, however. The first had been not being able to confirm it was Aayla who emerged from the pod. Something on the planet, something powerful, dark, and dangerous was partially blocking her from my sight, and I lost Aayla as she neared what appeared to be a jungle on the otherwise arid world.

Who or whatever was blocking me was, while incredibly powerful, also paradoxically weak as hell. So much so that I wasn't sure I was dealing with another Force user. Or that was the case until the quest linked to this mission added a new condition requiring me to defeat whoever was controlling and manipulating Aayla, and granting 6000XP for doing so. The wording of that objective – to eliminate them – made clear that unlike with Bo and Pre Vizsla, I couldn't turn this sentient to my side, but given that they were controlling Aayla, I didn't have any issue killing them, not when doing so granted me a Test of Friendship with Quinlan. At least if I was able to save Aayla in the process.

The second surprising part about the meditation when drawing on the Dark Side was how long I'd stayed in communion with the Force. What had felt like only a few hours had been nearly two days, which while not unusual was far longer than I usual was in meditation. Adding that to the fact it hadn't felt anywhere near as long meant that while it had worked, I was reluctant to delve into a Dark Side meditation again, fearful that I might not emerge from it. As much as I'd prefer not to, as I turned to him far too much, I needed to speak with Adas about the matter, but with Quinlan onboard that wasn't currently possible.

A beeping from the communications console drew my attention as we neared Kiffu, and I opened the channel.

"Unknown vessel, you are approaching Kiffu which is under the protection of the Guardians. Identify yourself and the purpose of your voyage here." The speaker who appeared as a hologram was a young male remarkably similar to Quinlan, though their facial markings were the obvious difference.

I turned to Quinlan and indicated for him to respond. "This is Quinlan Vos along with Jedi Knight Cameron Shan," He said, removing any hope he might simply choose to not mention I was another Jedi. "We are here to speak with Sheyf Tinte regarding a personal matter."

"Quinlan Vos?" The man repeated with some surprise. "But we were told…" He trailed off before shaking his head. "We will contact the Sheyf and alert her to your arrival." The man paused again for a moment. "It is good you have returned home, Quinlan Vos. Something is wrong on Kiffex."

The channel closed before Quinlan could ask for further information, and once it had I turned to him. "Well, either we're in the right place, or we're about to be delayed sorting out whatever the mess down there is," I muttered as Raven logged the arrival of a location on Kiffu for us to land at. Along with that came a series of clearance codes that, I assumed, granted us some form of priority landing permission. However, with how limited the space lanes were around the planet, I wasn't sure such things were a massive issue. Certainly not when compared to most developed worlds, never mind an ecumenopolis such as Coruscant.

As Raven raced towards the planet, I felt Quinlan reach into the Force trying to locate Aayla. While he barely remembered the emotional connection to his memories of her, the bond they shared in the Force was strong so perhaps…

"Yes!" Quinlan said, cutting into my thoughts. "I feel she's close," he added as I opened his eyes and looked towards Kiffex. "However, something is wrong. The anger I can understand, yet there's something… sinister that has enveloped her."

I grunted, already aware of that but having to play ignorant. "Then who or whatever it is needs to be found and removed so we can free her from its control," I said as Raven brushed against the uppermost edges of Kiffu's atmosphere. Hopefully, after Sheyf Tinte gave us more information about whatever was happening on Kiffex.

… …

… …
"You have returned to us once more, Quinlan Vos," an old woman said as I followed my fellow Jedi into a large, open room with clear views of much of the capital city of Kiffu. "And this time you bring a Mandalorian with you. An improvement, if only a small one."

The architecture of the planet was interesting, and the Guardian who'd met us at the landing platform and escorted us to this chamber – to this old woman I assumed with Sheyf Tinte – had been more than happy to explain why it was this way. Due to the massive electrical storms that occurred when Kiffu and Kiffex aligned, the buildings had to be designed to withstand them, while also being able to capture the energy of the storms to power the planet's infrastructure. It was an interesting approach to the issue, and one that worked for the Kiffar, though they were smart enough to have backup generators and power stations on the chance the storms didn't generate enough energy, or the people needed more for some unforeseen reason.

"This is Cameron Shan, Sheyf Tinte," Quinlan said, introducing me and confirming the old woman was his great-aunt and the current leader of the Guardians of Kiffu. "While he might not dress as one, he is a Jedi like myself." I smirked at that, knowing full well that I wasn't like Quinlan; either before he lost his memory or after.

Tinte's gaze turned to me, and I bowed slightly, "Sheyf Tinte," I said gently, making sure the lightsaber at my hip was clearly visible.

"As Quinlan Vos says, you do not dress like a Jedi," Tinte remarked.

I scoffed loudly. "Why would I want to?" I replied. "Have you seen how they dress? Like paupers and with no understanding of the need for armour in battle."

Tinte's lips twitched at my comment as if she found my response amusing. However, she didn't reply to me and returned her full attention to Quinlan. "You have still not found your Twi'lek Padawan?"

Quinlan stepped toward Tinte. "No. However, thanks to the Force, we believe that she's come to either Kiffu or Kiffex."

Tinte lifted a hand to her wrinkled chin and pondered his words. "Then it seems the Force has guided you here just as your people need your help," She said slowly. "Less than a week ago one of our larger security fortresses on Kiffex, from which we monitored many of the prisoner settlements, went dark. As is procedure, a search team was dispatched after they missed two check-ins. They reported that everyone in the fortress was dead, but the rest of their transmission was garbled, and we remain uncertain as to what has happened." She leaned forward and fixed Quinlan with a hard stare. "I requested the Jedi Council send you to help, but they claimed you were unavailable; handling another assignment the Council deemed critical." I grunted at the bare-faced lie. "They offered to send another Jedi, but I will not tolerate one not of the Kiffar helping us. Only you are permissible to the Guardians to help investigate this matter."

"The Council… lied," Quinlan said slowly as I sensed a shift in the Force around him: as if he was losing more faith in the Order. "I have not been an active member of the Jedi Order for some time now. Not since I was last here and you directed me to Ryloth to seek out my Padawan."

"The Jedi often lie," Tinte remarked, drawing another, louder grunt from me.

"No argument there," I muttered.

Tinte's gaze shifted to me. There was the faintest of movements in the Force, as she could sense something through it before she offered me an amused smile. "I suspect you are not aligned with the Council?"

I chuckled. "That's one way to put it," I answered. "I've had a handful of run-ins with them as a Padawan, and as I'm now a Knight I've chosen to simply… ignore their summons whenever I can." I paused and gently reached out into the Force, seeking a hint of why something felt off about this meeting. "However, that isn't why we are here, nor why Quinlan has come seeking your help as you wish for his. You want him specifically, and not just because he's from your clan and a Kiffar."

"Distant from your Council you might be, but you have the insight of a Jedi," Tinte responded slowly, with I noted far less of the distaste she had held a few moments ago when I'd been introduced as a Jedi. She turned back to Quinlan as she continued. "Your psychrometric heritage, your birthright as a member of Clan Vos, is the strongest ever recorded. I had hoped that you could learn something from the fortress that the search failed to discover before their deaths. We need to know who, or what attacked the fortress. I cannot risk any other Guardians on the planet until this matter is resolved, and as such all outposts and fortresses across the prison planet are now abandoned; though the Guardians made sure to remove their weapons and such equipment before they returned home."

As she spoke, I felt there was something she was keeping from us, and on the chance it might reveal it, I used Observe on the Sheyf.

Tinte Vos
Race: Kiffar
Level: 31
Health: 100%
Age: 72
Force Potential: Low
Threat Potential: Low
Reputation: Disliked
Affiliation Loyalty: Guardians of Kiffu (100%), Clan Vos (95%) Tinte Vos (90%)
Emotional State: Grateful/confused/concerned.
Tinte is glad to see her grandnephew has returned to Kiffu, and that he seems to be at odds with the Jedi Order. Once the matter on Kiffex is resolved, she hopes she might be able to exploit this to bring Quinlan back under her control.
However, she is confused as to your presence, not least why you wear the armour of a people often at odds with the Jedi.
She is also fearful of what is happening on Kiffex. While not trained to use the Force, she can feel there is something wrong happening on the planet and wants the issue resolved quickly before it threatens Kiffu and her people.
...

Nothing useful came from it, save that her loyalty to herself, while exceedingly high, was overridden by that towards her clan and the Guardians. It had to be from the loyalty to Clan Vos that she was so accommodating to Quinlan, and why she disliked the Jedi so intently for taking him from his clan when he was a child. Apart from that, there was nothing to hint at why I felt there was something off about the Sheyf, or that she was withholding something that might be important to Quinlan or his mission to find Aayla.

"As this issue is possibly linked to Aayla's believed appearance on the planet, we will investigate the matter, Sheyf Tinte," Quinlan said after a second or two considering Tinte's words.

Tinte frowned. "No. Only you will go to Kiffex. He is a Jedi."

I stayed calm, pushing aside any irritation at her branding me with the same label she applied to the Council even as Quinlan took a step closer to her and I saw his hands clench. "Cameron will be going with me, Sheyf. While younger than me," Tinte blinked in surprise at that reveal though as I wasn't wearing my helmet, I'd have thought that would be something she'd have noticed was only about a month past my nineteenth birthday after all, and while broad, I still had a youngish looking face, "he is my friend. More than that, it was he who confirmed through the Force that Aayla is on Kiffex, and I know I need his help to find her and solve the mystery of what happened to your Guardians."

Tinte held Quinlan's gaze for a few moments before turning to look at me. Her eyes drifted over my armour, taking that in before she stared into my eyes as if searching for something in my soul. "Why are you helping Quinlan?"

"Honestly, he's not a friend if that's what you want to hear," I replied carefully. "However, when I was once captured by a Dark Side cult, he was one of those who came to rescue me, disobeying the Council in the process. His Padawan was also there, and she is one of my oldest friends. We were Initiates at the Temple together and she was one of the first to become my friend after the Jedi took me in later than they normally would." I knew that Quinlan had also been a late addition to the Order as his memories showed him with his parents when he was perhaps six or seven, so stating that I was also a late arrival to the Order might sway Tinte. "For her, for anyone I consider a friend, there is little I wouldn't do to help them in their hours of need. Nor to repay a debt of honour," I finished, gesturing at Quinlan to make clear that was a factor in my choice to help him, figuring it might further alter Tinte's opinion on whether I could accompany Quinlan to Kiffex. Oh, I was going one way or another, but I'd rather do it with permission than without if at all possible.

"You know of this debt?" Tinte asked Quinlan.

"I have a few fleeting memories of what he speaks of, but I can't confirm the details."

Tinte tapped her chin, and I felt a gentle shifting of the Force; as if, even with her low potential she was able to get a faint read on others through it. "Very well," She eventually said, "I shall permit you to accompany Quinlan to Kiffex."

I lowered my head as I replied. "My thanks, Sheyf Tinte."

She grunted. "I suspect that even if I had forbidden you, you would've found a way to go anyway."

"I'd prefer not to answer that," I responded, drawing a crackling laugh from the Sheyf. "Since I have permission, I must ask a favour. I have a Padawan myself, but he is far too young to risk against whatever is happening on Kiffex. Might I ask that he, and a creature I have a Force connection to, remain on Kiffu with my vessel while I and my other companions move to help Quinlan?"

Tinte frowned. "Your Padawan will be my honoured guest, and your ship placed under the protection of the Guardians while you are on Kiffex. However, these companions of yours, are they more Jedi?"

"No. One is a Cathar member of the Antarian Rangers, the other a combat droid." HK would be insulted at being called just a simple combat droid, but the less Sheyf and others knew of his capabilities, the longer it would be before people started asking questions. Especially with the second of the KOTOR trilogy, Shadows of the Sith due to be released in a month or so and HK, or a close facsimile of him, was part of the cover art.

As for bringing Simvyl, I felt I needed to. While I had forgiven him for what had happened with Anakin and the Trandoshans, I'd been reluctant to have him accompany me since. This mission was an effective way to overcome what I knew was irrational distrust of him that lingered within me and prove to him that I wasn't sidelining him. It would also let both of us see how the training of the last twenty or so months had improved him, as bar the Shapers, he had trained with the other groups and sects we'd headed to. Yes, Observe told me he was up a level since Anakin's kidnapping, now sitting at Level 26, but I wanted to see the changes in him on the field of battle.

"I have encountered an Antarian Ranger before," Tinte said slowly as if measuring her words. "The Togruta was a noble being who showed respect for our ways. While it is strange to see a Cathar travelling with one who wears that armour, in the name of that Ranger I will permit the one with you and your droid to join you and Quinlan Vos on Kiffex." She leaned forward as she continued. "However, I must warn you. Kiffex serves as the main prison for the entire sector. Many of those sent there should never be allowed free and might be sentenced to death in other sectors. Anyone you encounter who is not a Guardian should be considered a threat."

"Good," I said with a chuckle that made Tinte blink and lean back. "Means I don't have to worry about collateral damage or innocents getting on the battlefield."

Tinte blinked again, and her head tilted to the right before she chuckled. "Not what I would expect a Jedi to say."

"I'm not your average Jedi."

… …

… …
I stood at the back of the cockpit of the small Guardian patrol craft as it raced over the short distance between Kiffu and Kiffex. Quinlan was sitting in the co-pilot's seat while another Kiffar named Maritan Kas was at the helm. The Guardian hadn't spoken a word to me, or Simvyl and HK, since we'd boarded though he had talked in a few hushed whispers to Quinlan. Whispers that the microphones of my armour had picked up with ease, but which were all inconsequential to the mission.

Simvyl and HK were in the small craft's cargo hold, giving their armaments one final check. Normally, if I saw HK carrying the array of weaponry he was outfitted with for this mission I might ask him to leave some behind simply to avoid issues with local security forces as he looked like a one-droid wrecking crew. However, as Kiffex was a prison world, there were no Guardians currently alive on the surface, and what we were heading into was undoubtedly going to be more dangerous than I thought, then he might be slightly under-armed. The issue was he simply couldn't carry anything more, even with a full satchel on his back carrying an impressive array of spare clips for his various blasters and dozens of grenades and detonators.

To be fair, I was actually more heavily armed if I counted the array of explosives I held in my Inventory. After Naboo, Bo had helped me restock my supplies and I now carried enough explosives to take on an entire regiment of tanks single-handedly, and that was before considering what my armour contained or the fact I could command the Force.

Yet with the growing power in the darkness on Kiffex, I felt I might need every edge I had in combating it. While I felt stronger now than I had when I'd fought Maul on Naboo, and I was close to Level 32, I had yet to test myself outside of spars and training. This was going to be the first test of my increased power. Yet I also understood that the source of the darkness on Kiffex wasn't the only threat that awaited us there.

As the atmosphere of Kiffex filled the entire transparisteel window in front of us, I could sense the Force shifting violently and excitedly. Quinlan glanced my way for a moment, suggesting he felt it as well. Whatever awaited us on Kiffex felt like an inflexion point of some sort. Not just for me, Quinlan, and Aayla, but for others as well. As if how events played out on the planet would have a wider impact on the galaxy than I could currently comprehend.

My thoughts, as they often had since Sheyf Tinte had granted us permission to head to Kiffex, turned to the A Change in Path quest, and how events that were soon to happen might drastically affect the path Quinlan and Aayla walked. However, I wasn't going into this thinking about how I could manipulate events to my benefit, or at least not as a major factor in my reasoning. Focusing on the future at the expense of the here and now was a great way to get yourself into trouble or killed.

"We're approaching Kiffex," Maritan said, stating the obvious as the ship began to vibrate as we were buffeted by the winds of the planet's upper atmosphere. "When we are near the outpost, I won't land but hover. You and your team must jump out before I accelerate upwards."

Maritan spoke to Quinlan, working under the misconception that his fellow Kiffar was the one in command. I was willing to let it go as it wasn't a point worth explaining to the low-level grunt, but it still irked me to be so summarily ignored and dismissed by someone beneath me.

Still, the fact Maritan was unwilling to land was a hint of how seriously the Guardians were taking whatever was wrong on Kiffex. That was something I'd sensed from him and other Guardians on Kiffu before we'd departed and made clear how unusual and concerning whatever was happening was to them.

"Until we receive a clear signal from one of you, with the correct codes, no one will come to collect you. Is that understood?"

"Yes. "Understood." Quinlan and I replied together to the Kiffar's question, and I used that as a signal to leave the cockpit and gather in the cargo hold for a combat deployment. However, as Maritan spoke again, quieter this time, I slowed as I passed through the door of the cockpit.

"Quinlan Vos," the Guardian all but whispered though my armour easily picked up his words. "We… We were not able to collect the bodies of the fallen. We cannot honour them as we should. Do you understand?"

Even though my back was turned, the HUS recorded Quinlan placing a supportive hand on the man's shoulder. "I understand, Maritan Kas."

I exited there and waited for Quinlan to leave the cockpit as well before I spoke. "Rituals for the honoured dead?" I asked gently as we walked the short corridor to the cargo hold.

"Yes."

I nodded in acceptance of that and knew not to pry anymore into whatever ritual the Guardians had for those who fell in service. Entering the hold, I carried out a final check on my armour. Every addition to my gauntlets reported in the green while, unlikely to be needed as it was inside the armour, the extra features of my mechanical arm also reported as fully functional. At one hip rested my lightsaber with my beskad on the other while blaster pistols were also secured on the belt as there was always the chance that they might offer me a better option than my blades or the Force, though it was unlikely.

I closed my eyes and reached out into the Force, seeking the familiar presence of Anakin on Kiffu. Along with Fenrir, he wasn't happy about being left behind but had accepted that I wasn't going to change my mind. As penance for leaving him behind, I'd arranged for him to train with potential Kiffar Guardians and promised him that we'd enter a hyperspace race he'd seen on the Holonet that he felt Raven could win.

At the time of his request to enter the race, I'd accepted simply to appease him, yet with a day to think on the matter – at least when not planning for the mission – I'd changed my stance. I knew I wasn't that brilliant a pilot, nor did I have the natural inclination for flying that Anakin and others, such as Saesee Tinn, held, but I couldn't deny the idea of testing myself and Raven against others wasn't appealing. I didn't expect to win the race, but I was sure a kriff going to try. Even possibly using the Force and the depth of my bond with Raven to attempt to claim victory. However, for now, my thoughts were focused on Kiffex and finding and saving Aayla, so after sending a last impression to Anakin through the Force that I missed him and would be back soon, I brought my entire focus back to the cargo hold, those with me, and the mission.

After a day to prepare, we were as ready as we'd ever be, yet at the same time, I felt that only I could challenge and take down the source of the darkness that was growing on Kiffex. I was now certain that it was a sentient, possibly a Dark Jedi or another who used the Dark Side without being any form of Sith, and that they were powerful enough to be a threat.

I had no proof of it currently, but I was sure this figure had exploited Aayla's rage at Quinlan and her lack of memories of her training to control and manipulate her. I felt we could break that hold once the Dark Sider was dead, but I hoped for Quinlan's sake that none of the Guardians at the fortress had died due to lightsaber strikes. Even if Aayla never chose to return to the Jedi, the Council would not allow her to wander the galaxy after striking down so many in anger.

The intercom clicked to life. "Get Ready," Maritan's voice echoed in the hold as I felt the craft slow.

Behind us, the hatch opened, and the dusty surface of the planet came into view. HK jumped first with me a half-second behind. Simvyl came down next followed by Quinlan, and as his boots struck the ground, sending up another blast of dust, the craft pulled away, sending more dust into the air around us, I looked around and groaned at what the HUD was reporting.

"So much for dropping us at the fortress," I muttered as the sensors confirmed we were a good five klicks, up a rather steep hill that lacked dirt covering it from the fortress.

Now, the location was great as it granted clear lines of sight of anyone approaching, at least on days when there weren't sandstorms and the like, and there was only one clear path to the fortress. However, that meant that, in theory, we'd have to hike up that path, exposing ourselves to anyone who might be in the fortress, or watching from elsewhere for anyone approaching the location.

As we started moving, and the HUD provided secondary routes to the fortress that while more direct weren't exactly easy if one couldn't call on the Force or powerful servomotors in their mechanical legs, I felt a shift in the Force. Whoever was behind the situation on the planet, and the one influencing Aayla, was aware of our presence, and a familiar tingle, that of us walking into an ambush, slithered down my spine.

"Something wicked this way comes," I whispered to myself, ensuring the words didn't carry over the Battlenet or out of my helmet.

"You feel it too?" Quinlan asked quietly, drawing my attention. "What does it mean?" He asked after I nodded in confirmation.

"That we're walking into a trap," I replied with a chuckle. "So how about we spring it and see who's waiting for us?"

… …

… …
A/N: For those who are aware, this 2-chapter arc is based on events from the Darkness arc of the Star Wars Republic comic.

...
This story is cross-posted on Fanfiction.net, Archive of our Own, and Royal Road.
...
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May the Force be with you. Always

USSExplorer · Feb 18, 2025

A/N: As always, a huge thank you to those helping with lore and planning for this and my other stories.

And again, this chapter was released to those of sufficient rank on the story's Discord (it pays to talk) about a month ago. For those who support my writing, then it was released between 1 to 4 months ago (and those supporters can also access chapters that far in advance).

If joining the Discord or supporting my writing interests you, there is a link at the end of the chapter for how to do so.
A/N: The training arc is over, now onto missions.

3:11 The Lost Apprentice 2
… …

I was a step behind HK as we reached the main doors to the Guardian's fortress when HK stopped and looked over the doors.

"Observation: These doors were pulled from their frame by hand, Master. Whoever attacked this place was unusually strong for a meatbag."

I moved closer, noting what the HUD displayed about the deformed metal that had once been blast doors for the complex.

"Or a group of them worked together," Simvyl added as the HUD confirmed that there were multiple impressions of fingers on the doors.

The HUD reported they were generally humanoid, but the degradation caused by the weather prevented it from getting a better read on what species might have been behind the attack. The only thing it was certain of was that those who attacked were of average height based on the residual markings of their hands.

Even though the signs of battle here were old and cold, my lightsaber was in my hand though unpowered as I took the first step into the silent fortress. The Dark Side was swirling around the place and while I didn't feel that the one behind the chaos on this world had been here, I was sure that it was linked to him.

"None of them are carrying weapons," Quinlan commented as he followed me inside, repeating something the HUD had already alerted me to. He moved forward and knelt beside the body of one Guardian, a female and his hand hovered over her. "I… I feel as if I knew this one," he said gently.

"There's no clear sign of death," I remarked as the HUD processed what it could from the various sensors in the armour and what HK transmitted through the Battlenet. While none of the bodies bore obvious marks regarding their cause of death, each wore an expression of fear and pain that suggested whatever had killed them had not been pleasant.

"Commentary: There are no blaster marks on the walls, Master, suggesting the meatbags were overwhelmed before they could respond."

I looked around, trying to get a sense of what about this all felt off. I mean, beyond the fact the Dark Side had been a raging inferno when the attacks here had taken place. It lingered still, hints of the residual chaos and terror of the attacks easy to sense within the Force even if nothing about this felt natural or honourable.

"HK, hold station at the door. I don't think we're alone as we perhaps should be," I said slowly through the Battlenet, not wanting whatever was lingering at the edges of my senses to know I was aware of its presence.

"Musing: I do hope you are correct, Master. I am eager to test my latest calibrations in a live-fire situation." As he responded through our secured comms, to which Quinlan was connected via an earpiece and vibrational microphone over his throat, I continued to look over the data the HUD was reporting. Nothing about this situation made sense nor was it becoming any clearer as to how these Guardians – thirty-seven by the HUD's last count – had died.

Wanting to test a theory, though I was uncertain if it would help, I looked down at one of the bodies and activated Observe.

Korlosan Votes
Race: Kiffar
Level: 0
Health: 0% (Drained of life)
Age: Dead
Force Potential: Dead
Threat Potential: Dead
Reputation: Dead
Affiliation Loyalty: Dead
Emotional State: Dead
...

I grunted at the expected, but not welcomed, lack of any useful intelligence. Yes, learning that the body had been drained was something, but it was not particularly helpful as the Interface didn't say how or what it meant by that, nor offered any obvious indicators of who had drained this Guardian of their lifeforce. Still, there were only a handful of weapons and races that could do such a thing, which was at least a small step towards unravelling thi-

"Observation:" HK cut into my musing. "I have movement, Master. Several dozen… Correction, I am observing over a hundred meatbags converging on our location, with that number steadily climbing."

"Defensive positions!" I called out over the Battlenet even as the faint but comforting roar of my lightsaber igniting was picked up by the armour's microphones. My other hand remained free, ready to draw my beskad or summon the Force if needed.

HK slipped back inside the ruined entrance, his legs locking into position as a makeshift barrier to any that tried to enter past him while Simvyl's twin blaster pistols scanned the room, moving with his eyes in the hunt for targets. At his hip, the large blade that had belonged to his fellow Ranger, Kekda Zarkos, hung ready to be used if things got a touch too hairy.

Yet, even as I slipped into a ready stance, the HUD alerted me that Quinlan wasn't responding. Instead, he remained bent over one of the dead Kiffar. "Quinlan!" I called out again through the Battlenet. However, before he could respond or not, the HUD – fed with data from HK's sensors and those from my armour – alerted me to dozens of figures. Some were coming through the door and HK was already engaging them, but the majority leapt through the overhead remains of transparisteel that had provided natural light to the fortress when it had been active.

"Shab!" I cursed as I realised we were dealing with Anzati, which explained the life force being taken from the Kiffar. Yet as my blade swept forward, slicing through the first to dare invade my personal space, I frowned. I'd met and trained with Anzati, and while these were the same species, this group seemed less… civilised.

My feet were moving, avoiding the claws of the next Anzati to rush at me, and they paid for that by losing both arms at the elbows. The wound, however, didn't slow the attacker down and I was forced to use my free hand and toss them away, causing them to crash into another Anzati that had been trying to attack me from behind.

As I removed the head of three that came at me next in a single graceful move, I understood why these Anzati seemed different. They were attacking like animals instead of intelligent creatures, and based on the way the thin tendrils extended from their faces, it was clear all of them were desperate to eat the soup as they called it – the lifeforce or luck to others – from me, Simvyl, and Quinlan.

My blade moved with me as I slid away from the grasp of two more Anzati, their movements faster yet less controlled than what I'd trained against only a month ago. My free hand came up, the Force bending to my demands and the pair of rabid Anzati were blasted back, slamming into more of the pack.

Before any of that group could recover the blaster in my gauntlet took them out with precision fire as my feet kept me moving, adapting to attacks from all sides. This was the greatest weakness that Makashi possessed, but one I was happy to see the adoption of Ataru footwork into my style was helping to counter. A point proved further as, with a sweeping arced move, my lightsaber tasted the flesh of five Anzati even as I avoided their grasp so well that not even the cloak I wore was touched.

The HUD reported other Anzati falling steadily as HK and Simvyl exterminated the threats with intent. HK's actions were mechanically perfect while Simvyl moved with polish that showed his training over the twenty-odd months was paying off. His pistols sang out, taking out Anzati with timing and precision ensuring that no bolt was washed. That said, given the mass of creatures flooding into the fortress, it was hard to hit anything but flesh.

"OFF!"

Quinlan's shout, along with the flood of anger that roared into the Force was accompanied by a powerful Force blast that sent dozens of Anzati that were surrounding him flying backwards. One such creature slammed into my side, though thanks to the Force and the HUD, I was aware of the Anzati and was already turning with the collision before it happened.

My free hand came up, and using the Force and the strength of the motors in the gauntlet, I crushed the creature's throat, and as my movement ended, threw the husk at another of the swarm. Even as my lightsaber flicked out, slashing another Anzati in half, through the Battlenet I was alerted that while HK had easily held his footing, Simvyl was knocked back as one of the dead Kiffar crashed into his side.

A trio of Anzati rushed at him, hoping to take advantage of his stumble. However, before they or another other beast could reach my friend, the trio were pushed back; the Force bending to my will and slamming them into the wall hard enough that they splattered their blood and brains over it.

Even as I saw Quinlan lashing out, his blade swinging almost wildly as the hate he felt for the Anzati empowering his actions, I was moving. One foot slid back, causing the Anzati that had been about to strike me to claw nothing but air. Before it could recover, my blade came up, severing its head and one arm from the rest of its body.

More of the creatures rushed at me, drawn to me as pulled the Force into me, using it to strengthen and enhance myself. That drew attention away from Simvyl, which he used to quickly gun down four Anzati near to him. My blade flowed around me as I slipped around any incoming attack, yet for each Anzati I took down, the HUD reported two more surging into the fortress seeking to overwhelm us.

As much as I wanted to eviscerate every one of the beasts with my blade, to watch what little of their intelligence remained fade from their eyes, I knew that if this continued the sheer weight of numbers in such an enclosed space was going to overwhelm us.

While I and my blade danced around the Anzati, avoiding their futile attempts to grapple me and my blade flicked and swished out to mortally wound or kill any that came too close, my empty hand closed into a fist as I summoned the Force to my aid while warning Simvyl and HK to take cover.

My hand flicked open and every loose object in the room was suddenly airborne, swirling around me. Chairs, datapads, cups, random pieces of junk from the first attack on the fortress and even the bodies of those killed by us or the Anzati flew around, striking anything that moved.

Piles of Anzati were knocked over, causing cascading collapses in the still-continuing stream of them that were rushing into the fortress. I realised the sounds of bone shattering and blood exploding from bodies as a gory mess was created by my tornado of carnage. Yet, as the blast died down, clearing the area for the moment, I knew it was only a small opening before the creatures recovered, but enough of one that I could…

"AWAY! GET AWAY FROM ME!"

A second scream in a matter of moments from Quinlan was accompanied by a tsunami of fury rushing through the Force. One so strong and unexpected that I had to close my eyes to momentarily re-centre myself. With that done, and as HK and Simvyl resumed thinning the herd of barely sentient Anzati, I started cutting a bloody path to Quinlan, watching as his blade struck any Anzati it could find without a hint of grace or style.

He was attacking them with the same mindless rage and bestial fury they were using as they continued trying to swarm-rush us. The green of his lightsaber cut a bloody, brutal path of devastation through their ranks. It was working for now, but I could feel Quinlan sliding into the depths of the Force as the Dark Side gained a foothold in his mind to drag him to the pits of insanity that awaited those unable or unskilled enough to resist its siren-like lure. What made it worse was that with each move he made, with every Anzati that fell to his blade, I could see mistakes creeping into his patterns, and the sheer mass of creatures pulled towards him as he drew on the Dark Side was quickly overwhelming his defences.

"NO!" He shouted as one Anzati touched him as I moved towards him, my blade slicing one of the creatures in half. "NOO!" Quinlan screeched again as more grasped his robes.

I rushed toward him, cutting a path through the creatures as HK and Simvyl were slowly thinning the ranks of any Anzati entering the building. Yet before I could reach Quinlan, I felt the Force shift around him.

Pulling the Force into myself, I braced against the impending explosion and gathered the Force to me for what I could sense coming. I then watched as more than a dozen Anzati that had been pulling on Quinlan's robes were sent hurtling away; the Force erupting outward from Quinlan in an instinctual wave of power.

As the Anzati were airborne or colliding with others in the pack, I thrust out my hand, and tendrils of dark, malignant energy sparked forth. A grin spread across my face as I watched the lightning race through the air and strike the Anzati. They screamed in terror under assault, and as I ended my attack a second later, the bodies that struck the ground were smoking and charred: all either dead or close to it.

"Quinlan!" I snapped out, pushing the Force to enforce my words. "Get a hold of yourself!" I took another step towards him, my blade flicking out and slashing the face of an Anzati who made the mistake of entering my range. "You are in control, not your anger," I added as my free hand clenched shut, causing two Anzati to crash to the ground as the Force crushed them. "Harness and focus it instead of drowning in it!" I snarled, pivoting on my heel. The two Anzati I had been crushing were sent flying into others while my blade made quick work of three more of the deranged creatures.

Quinlan took a stumbling step forward, the way I was using the Force to empower my words slamming into his Force presence with all the subtlety of a hurricane. The look of confusion that engulfed his face, followed by the shake of his head barely registered with me as I savoured pulverising another Anzati against a wall with a Force Push. Yes, these creatures were beneath me, but after months of nothing but training and sparring across the galaxy, it was nice to finally let loose and remind the galaxy what I was capable of.

"Focus!" I shot at Quinlan as I kept moving towards him, gliding through the carnage like an angel of death. My lightsaber and the Force ensured that nothing came close to touching me. "Focus or fail Aayla."

His head snapped to me at the mention of his lost Padawan, and I saw the stupor he was experiencing fade away. With a snarl he stood, his blade exploding outwards, slashing through two Anzati that had been rushing at him. His face was still a mask of fury, but I sensed the hints that he was channelling that rage outward with basic control. It was far from perfect, but it was enough that I no longer had to worry about him falling to these pitiful creatures, and I returned my full attention to them, intent on wiping the lot of them from the face of the galaxy.

Yet just as I turned to face the remains of the herd, I felt a faint shift in the Force. Slowly at first, then within a few seconds on-mass, the Anzati turned and fled anyway they could. The four of us exterminated those that lagged, but only a few seconds after Quinlan gained control over his anger, the fortress was again empty save for us: and the mass of dead Anzati that littered the now chaotic battlefield.

"HK, Simvyl, secure the main entrance and pick off any stragglers that you can." As the pair moved to obey my orders, I turned to face Quinlan.

His face was still a mass of rage, yet I could feel the power of that blaze slowly dying with the reason for his anger. As I neared him, I powered down my lightsaber and clipped it to my belt. Both because I didn't need it now, and to show Quinlan that, if the red mist of anger still blinded his vision, I was not challenging him. As he was now, I could take him with ease – something I'd proven in the dozen or so spars we'd taken part in since Ord Martell – but there was no reason to risk a confrontation here and now if I could avoid it.

Once close enough, I grasped his shoulder firmly, though I made no move to force him to turn and face me. His head snapped up, the blade of his lightsaber coming around towards the potential threat only for me to grasp the blade with my mechanical hand. While the inside of a regular gauntlet would not be able to do that, I'd had mine altered slightly so that the palm of the beskar-coated replacement limb was exposed. It was a small risk to do so, but it allowed me to do a few things that I otherwise couldn't. Such as grasping the plasma of a lightsaber's blade without fear of losing my hand.

Quinlan blinked as his blade was held in place, and he then shook his head. I felt the pressure behind his weapon ease as he regained control over himself and as his shoulders slumped, I let the blade go. "I… I'm sorry," he said softly, looking as if he might collapse to the ground even as the lightsaber powered down. "I… it's just…"

"You hate the Anzati," I guessed which drew a nod. "Why?"

"I… I don't know," he growled in annoyance. "I… I have images of them in my head. They're attacking someone, they're attacking me," he sighed and looked away, "but it's not me. I don't understand it."

I gently squeezed his shoulder. "Once we find Aalya we'll work on a way for you to understand those memories and others, if that's what you want," I said softly.

He stared at me for a moment before nodding. "Thank you," I added as a weak little smile came to his face, yet in his eyes, I could see confusion and anger warring for control of his focus.

I returned his nod and then removed my hand from his shoulder. "I think we know what happened here," I said, gesturing at the mess around us. The HUD was reporting over a hundred and seventy dead Anzati in and around the fortress, with two more joining that list as HK gunned them down while they were nearly a kilometre from here. "Though it creates more questions than it answers," I added as I had the HUD mark out the bodies of the Kiffar for whatever ritual was involved in honouring the dead.

"Yes," Quinlan agreed as he took a step away from me. "If there are Anzati on Kiffex, why did no one know? Many are wearing torn clothing, suggesting they've been here for some time but how could the Guardians not know about this?" he spoke slowly, measuring his words as I felt the storm that raged within him slide away over the horizon of his Force signature. It wasn't gone, but for now, at least it was contained.

"I suspect that the answer might well be linked to the darkness that is slowly engulfing this world, and which seems to have ensnared Aayla." As I spoke, I knelt beside one of the dead Kiffar. "For now, we should handle the funeral rites of your people, and then see if there's anything of value the fortress' computers can tell us before heading out."

The HUD alerted me to Quinlan nodding in agreement, and then that he moved to another of the dead Kiffar. It was a gruesome thing to have to sift through this chaos for the bodies of the dead Guardians, but I would help Quinlan honour the customs of his people before we headed out. Just as I would expect others to honour those of mine whenever it was my turn to become one with the Force.

… …

… …
I examined the data coming into the HUD regarding the settlement if one could call it that, as we hiked toward it. The walls, while high, were bolted together from whatever large sections of scrap the inhabitants could find while the peaks of buildings inside had the same ramshackle appearance. "Yeah, this place looks fun," I muttered as we moved closer on our second day on the planet.

We had spent the night at the Guardian fortress as moving out during the night, with the remains of the Anzati pack no doubt still around, and whatever else existed on this world, was an unnecessary risk. Quinlan had not been particularly happy about our delay in heading out, but by the time the funeral pyres for the dead Guardians were ablaze, the sun was already beginning to set over Kiffex.

While the burning of the bodies was the main part of the Kiffar's ritual for the dead, along with some words Quinlan repeated without fully understanding how he knew them, he had also taken their badges. Once we found Aayla, killed whoever was behind the chaos here, and returned to Kiffu, those would be handed over to Sheyf so the Guardians could add them to their logs of remembrance.

During the night at the fortress, while we tried to rest in a place where less than half a day earlier we'd fought the Anzati, Quinlan told me what he knew of Kiffex. While it wasn't much more than what I'd learnt from the Holonet while we'd travelled to this system, and then the very brief warning Tinte had given us about the inhabitants, it still filled in a few blanks.

Kiffex was the sector's maximum-security prison, with any form of weaponry being illegal on the world. Contact beyond the planet, never mind to other systems, was meant to be impossible, but the Guardians had reported many messages going to and from the planet over the years. From those, and with their standard patrols, they aggressively targeted any vessel that approached the planet. Most of the time when a vessel came near the planet, it withdrew when challenged by the Guardians. Others, like the ship Aayla that had hitched a ride on, attempted to run the blockade around Kiffex were shot down, and any survivors were left to fend for themselves on the planet.

That was a brutal approach to security enforcement, but one I could see the logic for. However, the fact that the Guardians were so strict about anyone coming or going from Kiffex had me wondering if perhaps some of the prisoners here weren't as dangerous or worthy of spending the rest of their natural lives on Kiffex as the Guardians might otherwise like the rest of the galaxy to believe. That feeling had grown ever since we'd spotted the settlement.

We'd not initially intended to head toward it, as while it was recorded in the computers of the Guardian fortress, it wasn't along the path the Anzati had taken when they had run from the Guardian base. However, by late morning as the tracks the Anzati had made had grown fainter, they had angled towards the settlement before we'd lost the tracks altogether. The dust storms that ravaged this section of Kiffex removed any evidence that a pack of creatures had passed through here the night before.

With no tracks to directly follow, and suspecting we might not find anywhere else that could offer shelter tonight, we'd decided to approach the settlement slowly, taking our time to get a read on the place. Since the planet was inhabited by prisoners, of varying levels of crimes but all sentenced to live without the possibility of parole on Kiffex, the odds the inhabitants would be friendly were slim at best.

While we had moved today, I had also spoken with Quinlan again about his anger towards the Anzati. Beyond repeating what he remembered from the images in his head, he couldn't offer anything new. Since he wouldn't be able to let go of his rage towards the species, and as I felt it gave him an edge if he could harness it properly, I gently guided him in a few techniques that while not exactly approved of by the Jedi, weren't the domain of the Sith.

The teaching of the Matukai and Shapers about channelling one's emotions and the Force in and outwards was explained in a brief overview. I'd taught him the most basic meditative techniques of those sects in the hope it might help him focus for when we next encountered Anzati or found Aayla and the one behind the chaos on this world. Underlying that, however, was the continually growing belief that when the source of the darkness on Kiffex was found, I would be facing it alone. As if the Force had decided that this was a challenge to test if I was ready for what lay further down the path I was walking.

"Analysis: The walls of this location are, while seemingly chaotic, apparently stable, Master. I have already positively identified components from a dozen various starship models used in the construction. Addendum: I would add that while not intended for this purpose initially, the usage of these various sections of hulls would provide acceptable protection against most creatures and animals that might threaten the meatbags in the settlement. The wall is also sufficiently high that few meatbags or beasts could easily scale them."

"There'd better be a gate we can use," Simvyl remarked with a hint of disgust. "Otherwise getting inside might be a problem."

"Oh, we'll get inside," I replied with a chuckle. "The question is how much it costs those manning the walls to stop us."

Even as we slipped clear of the rocky outcropping we'd used to get closer to the settlement, I was already reaching out into the Force seeking answers on the number of beings on the walls, and those further inside that might rush to support those manning the defences if we were forced to fight our way inside. Now, since everyone on this world was meant to be a hardened criminal, then I had little issue with ending their sentence earlier than they might like, but we'd have to see how things played out before I drew my lightsaber.

… …
"Halt!" A voice called out from the wall when we were about thirty metres from it. "Who are you and what do you want?"

The Force had already provided me with the information that four beings were manning this section of the wall, which was less than the other gates that were possibly within reach this afternoon, and why we'd moved to approach from this location. What was interesting was that thanks to the HUD, I could see the Weequay male who had called out to me was carrying a blaster. That was odd as there should be no such weapons on the planet. Not unless they'd come from a ship shot down by the Guardians that had tried to break through the blockade around the prison world.

I stepped forward, drawing the attention of the speaker on the wall and those with them. "I am Cameron of Clan Shan of Mandalore," I started, though the need to state I was Mando'ade was a little redundant given my armour. "We are on this pitiful excuse for a world because the Guardians felt that the relatively minor infraction we committed was worthy of life imprisonment."

Through the Force, I could sense some amusement from those on the wall, though the Weequay was more cautious than those with him. "If the Guardians captured you, Mandalorian, why did they not remove your armour before sending you here?" the alien asked, and I moved my hand slowly toward my lightsaber. I would prefer to not waste the time having to fight our way into the settlement, but I could already sense the shifts in the Force suggesting that was the most probable outcome of this interaction.

"The only way the Guardians would get me to remove my armour was over my cold, dead body," I replied loudly, letting some rage slip into my tone. "While I would be happy to see their pathetic attempts to take my armour, and would enjoy sending many of their ranks to their deaths, they sadly chose to employ sense and allowed me to retain the armour.

"So why is the Cathar and droid armed?" The Weequay responded and I cursed the fact we seemed to have drawn an at least semi-intelligent guard. "The Guardians don't allow weapons on Kiffex."

I laughed loudly. "Says the one pointing a blaster rifle at my head," I fired back with a growl making clear I didn't like the gesture. Yes, the blaster he was using wouldn't even leave a mark on the beskar, but it was the principal of the thing. "And the others with him who are also armed. We found the blasters in a wrecked starship about three days north, and if you think we're just going to hand them over to you, you've got another thing coming."

I heard the dirt at my right shift before Quinlan whispered, "Are you trying to start a fight?"

"You think playing nice like a Jedi would work here? Or that they'd not shoot us the moment they realise you're Kiffar?" I replied quietly to him.

"Musing: It would at least end this pointlessly tedious waste of my time, Master. Please allow me to expedite the matter." HK's comment came through the Battlenet so those on the wall didn't hear it, yet it drew a grunt of amusement from Simvyl, and I felt a smile creep onto my face.

"What if we take them, and your armour from your cold, dead bodies?" A new voice on the wall called out as through the Force I sensed movement from behind the wall.

"You can try, but all that will get you is a quick and painful death," I responded bluntly as my hand slowly unclipped my lightsaber from my belt. There was a small growing warning in the Force of approaching danger, but even as I sensed dozens more sentients moving to reinforce the section of wall before me, I remained calm. There was the chance we could avoid pointless violence, but if there was to be a battle, I wouldn't mind as I knew I could take every one of these thugs with only slight effort, and that was before considering those with me.

"You're not getting in." That came from a new voice, which I believed had been in the group who were gathering to support the beings on the walls. "Gorto Zaga says none can enter after the gates shut and the sun starts to set."

"I want to speak to this Gorto," I shouted back, though I could sense the Force shifting around us as if hinting there was little chance of resolving this issue peacefully. "Bring him to me or I'm going to come up there and find him myself."

That drew a round of chuckles from those on the wall, and the HUD reported several leaning over the ramparts, aiming their blasters at us. "You've got guts, Mandalorian," a Human said, allowing me to place a face to the new speaker, "but there's no wghk."

The man's words trailed off as he grasped his throat, trying to understand why he was suddenly struggling to breathe. A moment later, I used the Force to pull him over the ramparts and as he fell face-first to the hard ground near my feet, I leapt, the Force empowering my limbs so that the seemingly massive walls were scaled with what appeared to be insane ease.

"Exclamation: Finally."

HK's words through the Battlenet arrived just as I landed amongst a group of nearly thirty confused thugs, pirates, and whatever else had gotten them sent to Kiffex. My blade had ignited as I leapt, and was already moving as I landed, slicing the chests of two sentients while I drove the elbow of my other arm into the face of a third thug.

Quinlan landed a split second later in the chaos and added his blade to mine while HK and Simvyl opened fire from below, picking off those on the rampart who'd turned to face myself and Quinlan. As my blade swooped through the neck of a Rodian, I turned to face the next target and saw a massive Gamorrean, easily twice my size, rushing at me with a large makeshift axe held over his head.

The alien fell to his knees a few moments later, shock and confusion on his face as he looked down at the remains of his axe and his arms on the ground beside him. A quick flick of my wrist caused the tip of my blade to slash through his spine as I moved past him, ensuring he would die a slow, painful death while I dealt with his brethren.

Two more fell to my blade before the chaos on the wall ended. As one would expect, even armed with blasters thirty-odd prisoners were no match for two Force users with little need for restraint, never mind when supported by a war droid and a trained Cathar.

I turned to one prisoner who was running away and summoned the Force to my command. The alien gave a startled yelp as they were lifted into the air. They struggled to escape the invisible restraints I placed upon them and then whimpered as I turned them around and brought them back to my side.

"Stay," I said to the alien – a rather pitiful-looking Snivvian – before moving to the outer edge of the ramparts. HK landed a few metres from me, the advanced actuators in his legs making the leap easy for him. Simvyl grunted in annoyance as I lifted him with the Force and then onto the wall beside me.

"I hate when you do that," he muttered once his feet touched the metal of the ramparts. "I could've gotten up myself," he added even as I turned back to the Snivvian.

"I know, but my way's faster," I replied only to snarl as I saw the Snivvian was not just still where I'd left them, but had soiled themselves. The way Quinlan lifted his hands to cover his face as I heard Simvyl cough, I was glad the helmet filtered external smells. Not wanting to deal immediately with the now stinking Rodian, I cast my gaze over the settlement, confirming it was as ramshackle in its construction as the walls had been. Nothing matched those beside it, and everything about the place was, while a testament to the prisoner's survival skills on this shit hole of a planet, an abomination that needed to be blasted out of existence if the opportunity presented itself.

"If you want to live, answer my questions," I said to the Snivvian, taking slow, measured steps toward it. It nodded so quickly and violently that I hoped it didn't kill itself before I had finished learning what I wanted to know. "What is this place?"

"Deadend."

I grunted at the unoriginal but appropriate name for the settlement. "Figures," Simvyl muttered through clenched teeth, the smell of the Snivvian still bothering him.

"Where can we find Gorto Zaga?" I asked the alien, ignoring Simvyl's comment.

"Th-the Black Hole Cantina."

"And where is that?" the alien shivered and looked down at the ground; almost as if it were more sacred of Gorto than me.

"Advisory: I suggest you answer my Master, meatbag. He can be quite creative in dealing with those who fail to appease him."

The Snivvian seemed to shrink in on itself at HK's words, though I could feel through the Force that the threat had worked. A moment later it turned and pointed at the largest building in the settlement. One with a large domed roof along with what appeared to be an antenna on the roof and was located almost at the very centre of the place.

"Thank you," I said to the Snivvian before waving my hand in front of its face. "Now sleep." The alien fell to the ground as if its strings had been cut, and a second later a loud, slightly irritating snore came from it. For a moment, I considered shooting it simply because of how annoying the sound was, but in the end, I decided against it simply because it wasn't worth the time or effort to do so.

"You realise that when it wakes, it'll tell everyone here what we did," Quinlan commented as he reached my side, and we walked down the steps into the settlement proper.

I took a moment to consider Quinlan's Force presence before I answered. The storm was still there, though it hadn't risked an appearance as had happened with the Anzati. Still, I could feel that it had enjoyed Quinlan's willingness to kill in battle. That was something I was going to have to keep an eye on in the following days as we sought out Aayla, and then once we found her. Unless I was massively wrong, her anger towards Quinlan revolved around the – in my opinion, entirely justified – death of her uncle Pol Secura. There was no way to know how she might react to his presence, or how he would react when she tried to kill him. Yes, there was the A Change in Fate quest to consider, but that was secondary to my desire to ensure both of them survived the confrontation that was coming.

"By which point either we'll have come to terms with this Gorgo, or I'll have been forced to assume control of this settlement," I replied with a grunt. "Neither of which is particularly appealing, though I suspect the latter is more likely given our appearances."

A slightly dark chuckle came from Quinlan and the idea that the prisoners here would want to talk with a Kiffar or a Mando'ade. "Fair enough," He said as we descended into the settlement. "I just hope this doesn't delay us in finding Aayla."

"You and me both."

… …

… …
My foot slid back, shifting my weight so that, as I deflected the trio of bolts coming towards me, they returned to their senders. As those thugs with quick enough reactions ducked to avoid being shot by their own bolts, my other arm came up. The blaster in the gauntlet sparked to life, firing away at other points in the room, ensuring the beings there remained unable to fire upon me.

A quick pivot and my blade came down, slashing a Weequay who'd been trying to sneak up behind me across their chest. As they fell back, hands reaching for the fatal scorch mark on their chest, a flick of my wrist had the blade arcing around. The blade clipped the face of the Weequay as it fell and then swatted aside bolts from another location in the large chamber.

"This is your idea of asking nicely?" Simvyl snapped as he took cover behind a large column near the door through which we'd entered about ten minutes ago.

"No," I began to reply as I kept moving, my blade bisecting a Human male that had, in a demonstration of stupidity, tried to attack a Mando'ade in full beskar with a vibroknife. "This is pest control," I added as I kept moving, dancing gracefully through the chaos that now engulfed the chamber. "If I was asking nicely, I'd have said please."

"Observation: You did say please, Master," HK remarked, his heavy blaster rifle obliterating a table one group of thugs had foolishly thought would provide cover from the dangerous droid. "Right before the Aqualish meatbag rejected your request and ordered his men to attack."

I waited for a moment to respond, focusing on using the Force to time my moves so that I slipped between the dual attacks of two thugs that came at me with vibroblades. The beskar could easily take the hits, but I wasn't going to allow scum like these to even touch it. The amount of the Force that I was drawing on to ensure this battle flowed around me was barely above what I'd learnt to channel with the Matukai, yet it was more than enough even with upwards of a hundred thugs in the room when the battle had started.

Kriff, even with the Anzati attack on the fortress I'd barely needed to delve into my reserves of the Force. The only time I'd truly displayed my power had been when I'd summoned Force Lightning to barbeque the Anzati Quinlan had tossed back with an anger-fuelled Force blast. At this point, even ignoring my armour, I could probably take every thug here while wearing Force suppression cuffs.

My blade swept around low, severing the legs of the two who'd just tried to attack me just below their knees. "Okay fine," I said, finally replying to HK as the blaster in my gauntlet shot the two thugs missing their lower legs in the chest, "this is how I go about pest control nicely," I finished as I caught sight of Quinlan moving, his blade slashing through a Rodian before removing the head of a rather large and wide Nikto.

I glided forward, my blade flicking out and slicing through the barrel a Human female was awkwardly wielding before a roll of my wrist had the tip of my lightsaber rush upwards. The tip scorched her face, causing her to fall back screaming as her hands reached for her now missing nose and eye. Yet as I turned, I sensed an approaching wave of trouble; one masked in darkness. And within that, a familiar if distorted Force presence.

"HK, Simvyl, finish this," I ordered as I turned and moved toward the door to the cantina. Quinlan rushed past me, the fact that Aayla was outside – or soon to be – overriding any other thought he had. After this was over, I'd be speaking with him about the dangers of such single-minded focus like that, but for now, I let it go. As I followed him out, my lightsaber lazily redirected a bolt back at the sender just before I crossed the threshold.

Outside was pandemonium. A flood of Anzati was rushing everywhere, attacking anyone moving. "AAYLA!" Quinlan called out as he rushed through the nearest pack of Anzati, ignoring them in his desire to get to his Padawan. Yet the way she glared at him, and the unrestrained and barely focused wave of rage that radiated from her through the Force, I could already tell their reunion wasn't going to be a peaceful one. Not when her anger reminded me so much of how I'd felt after Anakin had been taken by the Trandoshans. At least until I'd learnt to harness and focus that rage properly from Adas. I wouldn't deny that the desire to skin every Trandoshan in the galaxy alive was still within me, just that it no longer risked overriding my mind.

"YOU!" Aayla roared back as she pushed her way through several of the Anzati near her. "You killed my uncle!" she snapped as she moved to clash with Quinlan, and I noted the Anzati around her not only chose to get out of her way but that these Anzati appeared even more bestial than those that attacked the fortress.

I summoned the Force to me and moved to intercede between the pair. However, it seemed my action drew the attention of every Anzati nearby and the HUD snapped out an ever-increasing warning count of approaching enemies.

The Force called out a warning before the HUD could and I slid to one side, avoiding some sort of gooey mass that was ejected from the chest of a nearby Anzati. The HUD quickly processed that the substance was some sort of restraining method; akin to those used by energy spiders to cocoon sentients for feasting upon later. Coupled with the deranged looks on the faces of these Anzati, and the fact there was no hint of sentience behind their eyes, it seemed this was what happened to the species when they went too long without feeding or devolved. Regardless of which was the case, the now over three hundred creatures the HUD was reporting inbound for my location were an issue that I had to handle if I was to get to Quinlan and Aayla before one of them hurt the other.

The Force flowed through me, empowering me as it bent to my demands. My blade howled in delight as it swept through the air, slicing any creature that got too close. A quick pivot of my feet and hips, along with a shifting of my wrist as a single swipe slashed five of the creatures.

My feet shifted, the footwork of Ataru keeping me in motion as I danced around outstretched claws and avoided web blasts. My lightsaber flowed through the air, removing the heads of two beasts in a single effortless stroke while my other hand pulled my beskad from its sheath. Blood soared into the air as the weapon savoured its first taste of flesh today, as I cut my way through the onrushing horde.

Every so often I caught sight of Quinlan and Aayla, their green and pink blades clashing against each other. Yet, each time I tried to move towards them, more of the feral Anzati came at me, delaying my approach. At one moment, Quinlan was forced back by Aayla's rage, and she moved in for a killing stroke. Before it could land, I pushed the Force through my hand and along the blade of my beskad.

The pair leapt back, avoiding the explosion as the Force slammed into the ground where they'd been standing, but it was enough to ensure that Quinlan didn't fall. He was holding back, I could feel it in the Force, and from the glances I could grab that Aayla had altered her style. Or more likely the one who'd taken control of her and manipulated her rage had taught her new velocities.

The Ataru she had focused on was still there, but more aggressive and dangerous Juyo angles of attack were in use as well; her rage towards Quinlan granting her the strength and power needed to truly use Juyo the way it was meant to be harnessed.

As another attempt to slip through the mass of feral Anzati slipped away as they continued to gang-rush me, I felt my control slipping. These creatures were wasting my time, and the longer I delayed, the more chance one of those I was here to help would be injured or die.

Generating a few metres of room, I dove into the depths of the Force, calling forth the full capacity of it that I was capable of summoning. Instead of the fractional gathering and focusing of the Force through my body that I learnt with the Matukai, I was removing the filters and allowing the full depth of my potential to let the Force flow into me, and it was glorious.

Time slowed to a virtual standstill as I felt the Force rushing through every muscle, pore, and sinew in my body, galvanising every fibre of my being. The HUD continued to report new threats coming toward me, though the count was moving slowly as if trapped on the event horizon of a black hole. I could see the movement of every muscle on each beast near me as if they were trapped in some form of time distortion and I gasped as I understood, for the first time, the true potential I held within the Force.

I grinned as, knowing I was as ready as I would ever be, I let go of the walls I'd built around my presence in the Force, letting the full breadth of my power flood over the battlefield.

Around me everything stopped, the eyes of everyone – be they beast, prisoner, or Force user – turned deliciously slowly in my direction as they all tried to understand what they were experiencing. My grin turned into a smile that would freeze the blood of my enemies if they could see it as I started moving, intent on destroying everything that dared to even look at me wrong.

The first flickers of fear appeared in the eyes of the feral Anzati as they understood they were standing before an apex predator and that they were now my prey. Yet even as that flicker of understanding sparked in their minds, plasma and beskar were cutting a vicious, visceral swathe of devastation through their ranks.

The beasts closest to me barely moved a muscle before my blades struck them. Blood and smoke rose painfully slowly into the air as I danced through their ranks. Those after my first strikes moved more, their claws turning to either strike at me or offer submission. I wasn't in the mood for either, and as the blood from my first strikes continued its upward trajectory, more of the creatures tasted my fury and, before they even understood it, began a slow, creeping fall to their deaths.

Limbs, heads, and entire torsos separated from the rest of the body they should be attached to, moving apart slowly with the only links to the slowly unfolding chaos the streaks of red created as my beskad moved from one target to the next. Flutters of smoke rose from cauterised wounds showing the path carved out by my lightsaber as it also unleashed destruction on the beasts.

To the Anzati and the others, everything would be engulfed in streaks of red and black as my blade and armoured form moved so quickly through the ranks of the feral beasts that it would appear as if they'd been engulfed by a storm of malignant intent. The only ones who could, in theory, track my swathe of destruction would be Quinlan and Aayla, though they were again more focused on each other than me.

The pair were moving slowly, though nowhere near as slow as everyone else. Streaks of pink and green brightened the air, adding colour to the darkened aura my weapons and I created as I tore a path through the savage creatures towards the pair of force users. Aayla's entire visage was consumed by rage, by her need to make Quinlan pay for killing her uncle, whereas Quinlan had lost that edge his fury had granted him; now he was little more than an untrained Jedi barely surviving under the onslaught of one in the grip of the Dark Side.

As I neared, my blades still turning anyone and anything nearby into more pieces of the symphony of carnage I was creating, I reached into the darkness around Aayla, to both find a way to break through it so we might speak and to see if the one responsible for her actions and the mind behind the primitive Anzati was present. It took but a mere moment to find the other's presence in the depths of Aayla's mind twisting her thoughts and desires to suit his purpose.

This was the source of the same growing darkness that I'd felt ever since we'd begun to approach Kiffex. The same one who'd hidden Aayla's path from me when I'd demanded the Force reveal it to me. There was age and experience to this presence, power too. Yet at the same time, it felt weaker than it should: as if unable to fully grasp the power it should be able to wield. That was both comforting as it meant I should be able to overpower them when we met, and disappointing as I feared they would not be the challenge I wanted them to be. However, as Aayla's assault on Quinlan grew more violent, I pulled back from her mind and again focused fully on the battle taking place in Deadend.

My trail of carnage through the Anzati had almost drawn me to the pair, and it was clear that Aayla, no matter how in theory weaker and unskilled compared to Quinlan, was winning. Her strikes were ferocious; empowered by her fury and desire to kill her former master. The Juyo she was using was enhanced by her rage. Quinlan, his body knowing how to move even if his mind did not, was struggling to keep pace.

I could sense his desire to not harm Aayla, to help her. While noble it was costing him the fight, and as he was driven to his knees by Aayla's elbow, she readied her blade to finish him.

Her blade came down, a scream echoing around the settlement as she channelled every ounce of her anger into her strike, and I sensed Quinlan accepting his fate. I, however, did not and before the pink of her blade could sever his head from his body, it was blocked by the red and black of my lightsaber's blade.

Aayla blinked, her anger-enriched mind taking more time than it should to process what was happening. She continued to push down, trying to drive my blade back into Quinlan's face yet I remained firm. As her eyes shifted to me, the haze of her fury lifting enough for a faint flicker of recognition to spark there, I pushed my other arm forward, using the Force to drive her back.

She leapt with the blast, gracefully landing a few metres away from me. The move was slow to me however, and I pulled back on the power I was using so that I might try and break through the cloud engulfing her mind first before trying more aggressive methods.

"Who are you?" She snarled, her mind a jumbled mess that exposed so many weaknesses that if I was forced to fight her, I knew the battle would end whenever I wanted it to. Against Quinlan, with his past lost to him, and drawing on what her new master had taught her, Aayla would emerge victorious. However, against one as comfortable in his training as I was, and with the Force at my complete command, she was nothing more than a bug waiting to be flicked aside whenever I wished.

"Have you forgotten me as well?" I replied, making sure the voice modulator was turned off even as the HUD reported the mass of Anzati I'd just cut my way through falling to the ground dead. "Quinlan said you forgot who he was, but I had hoped you might remember me from our time at the Temple," I added as the HUD tracked the number of Anzati I'd taken out and the reactions of those who'd been far enough away to be spared the whirlwind of bloodshed I'd unleashed on the others.

For a moment, I considered removing my helmet to let her see my face in the hope it might trigger a memory. However, the faintest shifts in the Force alerted me to the folly of that idea, and how this wasn't the time to attempt such a move. Her grip tightened around her blade, both hands holding it ready to unleash a powerful strike at me.

"Jedi!" She hissed out before the Force accelerated her toward me. I stood there, watching her move, impressed with how well she channelled her fury into empowering herself. Her new master had taught her well. However, after only a few steps, I recalled the Force to me, bending it to my will and as I watched her pace slowed down remarkably.

A sliding of my foot, followed by the gentle shifting of my hips and a flick from my lightsaber was all I needed to deflect her attack and move far enough away that her secondary strike missed while remaining in place to cover Quinlan as he slowly pulled himself to his feet. "It's been over a decade since you last beat me in a spar, Aayla, and while you have skill – including what your new master has taught you – you remain woefully unprepared to engage me." My words, as intended, fuelled her rage and she moved to engage me again, the faintest hint of a flaw in her attack easy to spot.

I could if I so wished, end this duel with that flaw, but I didn't. No, I wanted to try and break through the hold the Dark Side and this unknown master had on her mind. My blade came up, the barest of movements enough to push aside her lightsaber even as I kept my beskad back, showing I didn't need it to engage her. "Search your feelings, Aayla," I said softly as my blade again pushed aside an attack from the Twi'lek. "You know and trust me."

Her blade came crashing down from overhead, seeking to slash through my skull, which showed she had no understanding of beskar and what it could do. My blade came up, deflecting the strike down and away before a roll of my wrist had my blade pressing against hers, forcing her to take a step back as I easily overpowered her stance. "Use the Force and look at me."

Through the locking of our blades – which I was only holding for my attempt to reach her – I saw her blink. The Dark Side shifted around us as the presence of her master grew fractionally weaker and in her eyes there was a faint flicker of passing recognition.

Before she could say or do anything, she stumbled back, a hand coming to her temple. "Don't listen to him," I said as I remained where I was, sensing her master trying to assert domination over her fragile mind. "Trust your instincts and search your feelings," I added as I reached into the Force, using a portion of the power I controlled to find in an attempt to sever the connection between this hidden Dark Sider and Aayla. "We're friends, Aayla. I don't want to hurt you, but I will if you leave me no choice."

Aayla looked at me again, that flicker of understanding and recognition growing stronger. However, before she could act on it a massive wave of power slammed into her mind. I stumbled back, driven from her thoughts by the actions of the one controlling her. They were strong, and I suspected, skilled in the more mental aspects of the Force. That was something I'd have to be wary of once I found them, but for now, as Aayla reset her stance, I concentrated on my friend. "No!" She snapped, her rage flooding her mind and driving away any other thoughts. "I must serve my master," She added with a snarl before charging towards me.

I sighed, though no one but me heard it because of the helmet, even as my mind analysed her form and spotted several avenues to counter. Most would result in her losing at least her hand, which wasn't what I wanted, and I dismissed those selecting another option.

A gentle shifting of my wrist and my lightsaber flicked out, pushing aside her attack without any concern for the extra strength her rage provided her. My beskad fell from my grasp as I moved my hand forward and grabbed her arm before she could counter my defensive stroke. "Sorry," I whispered as I activated a feature of the gauntlet.

"AARGH!" Aayla screamed as enough energy to down an enraged rancor surged into her system. She twisted her arm, trying to slip free, but my grasp was solid. Her blade fell into her other hand alone and she swung it as best she could, intent on severing my arm. Not wanting her to hurt herself when the blade bounced off the beskar, my lightsaber came up and clipped her attack before it was close.

With a rotation of my wrist, her blade was driven down, and I moved the tip of my blade down hers, close enough that the heat brushed over her knuckles. "Ah!" She shouted at the new burst of pain even as her blade fell from her grasp.

She fell to a knee even as her now free hand came around. I pulled my blade back, not wanting to cost her a limb and let her ineffectually punch my armour. The HUD reported the strength of her strike was more than her body weight should be able to produce, yet well within the tolerable range of the beskar to withstand.

I pushed any feelings that surged in me as I saw the pain rushing over Aayla's face from my mind. This was hurting her, yes, but it was for her own good. At least I hoped she would see it that way once free of the one manipulating her. Her hand slapped almost pathetically against my armour: each strike slightly weaker than the last.

The Force shifted and I felt the presence of the Dark Sider grow stronger in her mind. Infuriated at his need to try and control her even as she flailed in my grasp, as well as angry at him for using my friend for whatever his purpose was, I pushed back. With every ounce of power I had, I slammed into the mental probe they were using to influence Aayla; not even slightly holding back on my power, nor on what I was capable of.

The presence of the Dark Sider reeled back, and I savoured their shock and the faint hint of terror that I sensed from them before they severed the link they held with Aalya's mind. If the person was here, they might be able to keep the hold over her mind, at least if they weren't dealing with my attacks. However, they weren't, and I was, thus the control they had over her mind shattered as I blasted it away with the full breadth of my power.

"Ugh," Aayla cried as her other knee crashed to the ground and if not for my grasp on her arm, she would've fallen over. The combined weight of the charge surging through her nerves, coupled with me driving the presence of the Dark Sider from her mind broke through her rage, dismissing most of her unnatural anger towards Quinlan.

I stopped the flood of energy into her system, and she looked up at me with blurry eyes. Her mouth opened but no sound came from her lips; the combination of the energy surging through her body and the lingering presence of her temporary master being banished from her mind robbed her of her voice for the moment.

I placed my hand gently on her shoulder, causing her to tense. Yet when no surge of energy slammed into her, she relaxed. "Sleep," I said gently to her, using the Force to overwhelm her weakened mind and ensure my command was obeyed.

Aayla slumped to the ground, only my grasp on her shoulder stopping her from falling too quickly. I knelt, guiding her down as the HUD confirmed she was sleeping. Yet before I could attempt anything else it alerted me to the approaching mass of feral Anzati.

I stood with a growl, letting my power flow outward. "You shall not take her," I snarled, daring any of the beasts, or the master that commanded them, to challenge me.

As before, the Anzati froze, understanding they were facing off against something far higher on the food chain. What remained of their minds understanding that to challenge me was to invite death. I took a step forward, causing the dozen near me to, almost as one, move back, forcing those behind to move back as well.

A second later, Quinlan's blade ignited as he moved to my side, adding his presence to mine. It wasn't needed as I could already sense the growing fear in the pack of creatures; something that spiked further as the few remaining inside the cantina rushed out, blaster bolts from at least a dozen shooters forcing them to retreat.

That was the trigger as first, from the back of the pack a handful of the creatures slithered back, heading towards the walls of the settlement seeking to return to their master. Some had cocoons of captured victims on their backs, and while I could've moved to free them, I didn't. Not only did I know – via the Force and the Battlenet – that Simvyl was not among the prisoners, but those that had been captured were, in the grand scheme far less important to me than Aayla and while few deserved the fate of having their life force drained by an Anzati, they were on this planet for crimes that elsewhere might carry a death penalty. Their removal from the galaxy would only benefit everyone else.

More of the ranks of bestial Anzati crept back and then turned tail, their desire to live and escape my clutches overriding their master's demands to bring Aayla back to him. I stayed where I was, watching the pack retreat. Yes, I had an objective to eliminate as many of the creatures on the world as I could, but that was minor compared to keeping my friend safe.

Quinlan and I stayed where we were, even as HK and Simvyl led the remaining thugs from the cantina out, blasters firing at the retreating beasts. I only relaxed my stance once the last Anzati leapt over the walls, disappearing into the night, and the Battlenet confirmed that they'd gone.

At that point, I powered down my lightsaber and then after attaching it to my belt, bent to pick up my beskad. "Get her into the cantina," I said to Quinlan before continuing through the Battlenet to speak to HK and Simvyl. "Secure the area around the cantina for now. If any of the locals give you trouble, remind them as forcefully as you need that if not for us they'd all be Anzati food."

"Exclamation: It would be my pleasure, Master."

"What are you going to do?" Quinlan asked as the HUD reported him kneeling next to his Padawan, checking on her condition.

"First," I began as I walked into the field of carnage I'd caused, "I'm going to ensure that none of the beasts here are still alive. After that, I'll check in with you in the cantina in case we need to keep Aayla secured or sedated, but I won't be staying long. You can stay here with her, but I'm heading out. The one responsible for Aayla's turn to the Dark Side and these packs of feral Anzati is still alive, and I intend to correct that oversight."

… …

… …
The speeder I'm on raced forward, barely a metre above the stream I'm using as a path through the jungle I'm now in as I follow the rough directions I took from Aayla's mind before I departed Deadend towards her master: Volfe Karkko. With me, a few dozen metres back, are HK and Simvyl; the pair having chosen to accompany me instead of staying with Quinlan as he watched over a slumbering Aayla.

After securing the settlement, I'd headed to the cantina and spoken with Quinlan about her. He had wanted to wake her immediately so they could talk as he retained the belief he could get through to her without combat. I was less confident about that approach, and after debating his idea for about an hour that evening with him, I'd managed to convince him to wait.

Using supplies that I'd brought with me, I'd injected Aayla with a sedative that was meant to work even on those strong in the Force and left instructions with Quinlan to keep giving her regular doses to keep her under. In theory, he could do that for about two weeks based on the amount of the drug I'd left behind, but I felt I'd be back at Deadend within a few days.

As I needed intelligence on who I was facing and where they were located, I'd reached into Aayla's mind via the Force and, as gently as I could, extracted that information. Her mind was to be blunt, more jumbled than the most insane puzzle I'd ever imagined, which was no doubt a side effect of daily doses of glitteryll that her uncle had pumped into her in an attempt to keep her docile. The fact he had needed to do that, while Quinlan had seemingly only needed a single dose to forget everything about the last two decades suggested that the lekku of Twi'leks offered some protection against the worst effects of glitteryll. However, until either I or members of the Order spent time with Aayla to help her, I couldn't be certain if my idea had any validity to it.

Still, even with her mind being a jumbled mess, I'd managed to gather enough intelligence that I could set out the following morning – it was now approaching midday – to hunt my prey. While the exacts of where the exact location of the base wasn't given over – it seemed even sedated that Aayla was resisting, or that I wasn't as skilled as I needed to be at using the Force in such a way – I had gained a name and species of who I was now hunting.

Volfe Karkko was an Anzati fallen Jedi who had been imprisoned on Kiffex centuries, if not millennia ago, by the Order. It wasn't clear when exactly he had been imprisoned, and with Aayla's mind a chaotic muddle she couldn't confirm dates to offer any help, but I was leaning towards either not long after the Russan Reformation or before the New Sith Wars.

For the former, if it was any more recently, then I suspected I'd recall reading about an Anzati Jedi Master during my time in the Temple. Yes, it was possible the story of Karkko wasn't taught to Initiates and Padawans, but that was unlikely as the names of others who had fallen were mentioned in passing when various Jedi spoke of the dangers of the Dark Side. Dangers that while valid if one let the Dark Side overwhelm you, weren't entirely true once one learnt to take control of yourself and the Force around you.

As for the earlier date, if Karkko had fallen during the nearly one-thousand-year period known as the New Sith Wars, the odds were good that the Jedi would've hunted him down and killed him as they did for countless other Dark Jedi and Sith. What also added strength to that idea was that the prison complex created to house Karkko had, from the images I'd pulled from Aayla's mind, been overgrown by a tree that wouldn't look out of place on Kashyyyk. A tree that, even now possibly hundreds of miles from it, I could already see rising above the rest of the jungle and wondered if anyone had ever travelled there before Aayla freed Karkko as it would be something akin to a landmark on the otherwise barren planet.

My thoughts on when he was imprisoned were unlikely to be useful to me when I faced Karkko, but they'd help pass the time as we'd raced towards him on the speeders we'd taken from Deadend. What was, and what explained the presence of so many devolving Anzati, was that Karkko was an Anzati himself. From what I could pierce together from the memories I'd drawn from Aayla; he had resisted the urge to feed on the soup of others until one day deciding that a single drink wouldn't hurt and that he could resist further temptation.

To say that failed was a massive understatement as, from one of the more concise memories I'd drawn from Aayla's mind, he claimed it had taken most of the Jedi Council at that time to defeat him. Yet instead of killing him, or placing him in a secure prison designed for Force users – assuming those existed whenever all this took place – they had chosen to imprison him in secret on Kiffex.

That was, given the fact the planet was probably inhabited at the time, an insanely stupid idea, but it did prove that it wasn't just the Council of this era that made mistakes that they probably shouldn't be making. It also explained the presence of the other Anzati, all in stages of mental regression to more primitive states, on the world. They had been drawn over the years by his presence in the Force, and after becoming trapped on a planet with few sentients to feed upon, de-evolved into savage beasts. Those that had attacked the Guardian fortress must've been recent arrivals, drawn by Karkko's more powerful call once he was awoken by Aayla, with them attacking in their need to feed.

"Observation: The creatures continue to watch from a distance, Master. I believe they are ensuring we head towards their master so he might attempt to kill us."

I smirked under my helmet at HK's remark as he moved behind and to my left. The HUD was tracking the movements of dozens of feral Anzati as they tried to remain hidden in the jungle around us. As HK said, they were keeping their distance, but not all of that might be by design. I wasn't reigning in my Force presence as much as I normally would, and those who had been involved in the attack on Deadend would recall that presence and choose, regardless of what their master commanded them to do, to stay back. Animals they might be, but they weren't mindless automatons.

If I wasn't concerned about the mass of beasts that might remain under Karkko's sway, I would've left Simvyl and HK with Quinlan to retain command of Deadend until I dealt with Karkko. Hells, I had initially asked them to remain behind anyway, however, neither had accepted the instruction. HK because he knew I was heading into battle and wanted to participate, and Simvyl because he understood that I'd need others to deal with the Anzati while I fought Karkko. Throw in the objective to kill as many of the de-evolved Anzati I as I could, and taking them along had been an easy decision.

"They know that coming any closer means their death," Simvyl commented, giving words to my earlier thoughts about why the beasts were staying back. "After what we… well, you really did in Deadend, those that remain understand not to challenge you."

I grinned at the comment. "What can I say? I was inspired to take out the trash," I replied with a chuckle. The final count of dead Anzati in the settlement had been a touch over five hundred, with me personally being responsible for about half of that number. HK had taken care of about fifteen per cent of them while Simvyl took out another ten per cent.

"Evaluation: Your performance last night master was worthy of myself. The way you carved a path of carnage would have drawn the Creator's praise."

"Why thank you, HK," I responded with a smirk even if I knew he meant Revan when he had been a Sith Lord and not the man who'd married Bastila Shan. Or at least, that was what I assumed. "However, I think the beasts are also staying back because Karkko wants them to. He wants me to come to challenge him; seeing like I do as a test of his might. He thinks he can defeat me, and then feast on my Force potential to finally have the power to take his army of Anzati to Kiffu. It's all bantha-poodoo mind you, but it's what's guiding his logic."

"You're sure that's his goal?"

I grunted at Simvyl's question. "He hasn't struck me as anything more than your typical Dark Jedi. He wants power and expects to use force to get it. For that, however, he needs to be stronger and that's why the Anzati that attacked Deadend took victims instead of feeding on them there and then as they tried to do with the outpost.

"That attack was designed to take out the Guardians: The only threat to him on the planet. Deadend was expected to be a feast for him to regain his power. However, we kriffed up that plan and so now he's turning his focus to me. If he escapes Kiffu the Guardians can't stop his army of beasts, to say nothing of one as strong in the Force as him."

I looked forward, my gaze drawn to the tree that marked the location of Karkko's command centre. That he had turned his prison into his base made sense as it was located deep in the jungle, surrounded by Anzati he'd easily bent to his will even while imprisoned, and hard to approach from almost every angle.

Closing my eyes for a moment, I reached out into the Force, checking that I could still sense Karkko ahead of me. He was there, and as had been the case since this morning, seemingly growing stronger with each passing minute. No doubt that was because he was feeding on anyone his army of creatures had brought him in preparation for facing off against me. I suspected that if not for my approaching presence he might've held off on feeding on every sentient he had imprisoned, but there was little I could do to help those poor souls, even with a Quest objective to try and save as many as I could. Even if I hid my Force presence as fully as I could, he would know that I'd be coming for him and feast on the life force of those he held in his command centre. The sooner I reached him, the more chance there was that some of the prisoners might survive, but I wasn't expecting to find any alive once we…

I frowned as, unexpectedly, I sensed a subtle shift in the Force. One so slight that if I'd not been reaching into the Force to confirm Karkko's presence was still where it should be, I'd have likely missed it. I slowed my speeder and gently reached out into the Force, but not towards where Karkko was but to my sides seeking to find the source of the odd shift in the Force. It was just about familiar, yet at the same time it was clear that whoever was here was trying to hide their presence; seemingly wanting to approach Karkko without him or the beasts under his command being aware of what was happening. If only I could…

There.

My head snapped to my right as I felt another faint shift in the Force; enough that now I was looking for it, I not only had the rough location of the source, but I could determine it was someone I'd met before long enough to become familiar with their Force signature. "Shab."

"What?" Simvyl asked, suggesting my curse carried over the Battlenet. Or he was just wondering why I'd slowed down.

"We've got company," I replied as I used the HUD to mark the rough location of the person I'd sensed on a map for others to see. "There. A Jedi," I explained as a mark about fifty kilometres to our right appeared.

"Isn't that a good thing? I mean, someone else to help with facing this fallen Jedi."

"Contemplative: Based on how the Master has fought so far, the powers he has displayed and might need to use against this Dark Jedi, I speculate that the Master is reluctant to have a Jedi nearby to observe his actions."

"About covers it," I responded to HK's answer to Simvyl's question. "That's T'ra Saa," I explain as I track her movements through the Force cautiously, not wanting to draw her towards me. Through the HUD I can spot a few dozen feral Anzati near her rough location, but none seem to be aware of her which is an indication of how well she's masking her presence, and how lucky I was to be able to be at the right moment to sense her presence without giving away mine.

T'ra Saa stopped and I felt the faintest of probes reach into the Force from her. I pulled back fully, locking down my Force connection to the best of my ability so that, if all went well, she'd be unable to sense me. For a moment I wondered how, if she felt my presence, she didn't know it was me but then I remembered that when I'd met her around eight years ago, the Interface had been filtering my Force signature, making me appear distant and weaker than I truly was. While I'd changed dramatically with my training since Naboo, it would be the loss of the Interface filtering the Force that would be causing her the greatest difficulty in determining who I was. However, I knew that wouldn't last, particularly if she was nearby while I fought Karkko. If that happened, and as HK said, I was forced to use everything I knew to defeat the Anzati, then she'd know I was drawing on the Dark Side and report it to the Order. That would cause all sorts of problems that I'd rather avoid for the time being, so I needed a way to…

"HK, I need you to divert and delay her," I said as I realised I had the perfect method to, if not kill, then at least hamper a Jedi. Now, I didn't want T'ra Saa dead, not unless I had no other choice, but I understood that if she were there when I fought Karkko then as soon as he was defeated she would turn against me. While I was powerful, I wasn't ready to take on a Jedi Master; particularly not one with centuries of experience who could probably fight to a standstill, if not defeat, many of those who sat on the Council. "Don't try and kill her, or get close to her. I don't want to risk losing you for that. Just… do whatever you have to, from a distance, to ensure she doesn't get to Karkko's location until after I kill him and Simvyl and I leave."

"Assurance: She will not cause you a problem, Master. Addendum: I am looking forward to testing a Jedi of this era to see what their capabilities are."

"T'ra Saa is one of the best in the Order, so if most things don't work don't take it personally."

HK scoffed. "Indignation: I am a droid, Master, not a weak meatbag. If my methods are ineffectual, I will simply be forced to craft more ingenious solutions to countering Force users." With that, he angled his speeder and moved off. Not directly toward Saa, but on a vector that would ensure he could cut her off without actively engaging her.

As I watched him vanish into the jungle, I looked back at Simvyl. "Are you okay with this?" I asked him. Yes, he had sworn himself to me, but the Antarian Rangers worked with the Jedi, and with this action, I was making it clear to him that my path wasn't going to remain linked to the Order's for much longer.

He was slow to respond, the conflict inside him easy to read after so many years travelling together. Loyalty to the ideal of the Rangers warred with the oath he'd sworn to me. "I… I understand why you're doing it," He eventually said slowly. "You've never been what one would expect of a good Jedi," I chuckled in my helmet at hearing that again, "and I've long since understood you don't intend to stay with the Order for much longer. I don't regret swearing my claws to your side, it's just… this feels like actively working against the Jedi and the Republic and that this point is coming sooner than I expected."

"I'm the same, and by having HK delay her, we might be able to keep our goals aligned with the Order's for a short while longer. However, I think I've known deep inside, perhaps since before we ever met, that my path wasn't the one the Order currently walks. I've never been able to be the sort of Jedi the Council and others wish me to be. For a time, I had hoped to just become something of a rogue or grey Jedi – as in one who, while still a Jedi, follows the will of the Force or their own path instead of the orders of the Council. Yet after Naboo, I knew that wasn't possible." I turned back and grasped the accelerator of my speeder. "I'd just hoped that the separation wouldn't come this soon," I finished as I twisted the accelerator, causing my vehicle to rush forward as fast as it could. "And that it didn't have to happen like this."

… …

… …
As the former prison but now command centre for Volfe Karkko came into view, buried as it was under the massive roots of the tree that had overgrown it, I whistled. "That's older than I expected."

The HUD was scanning the structure, and while an exact date wasn't forthcoming as it couldn't be certain of the effects of ageing and weather erosion that had afflicted the building, its rough estimate was a little over two thousand years old. That certainly aligned with the sight of a tree overgrowing a multi-storey building with its roots while the rest of the tree stretched up far above the jungle and confirmed my feeling that Karkko predated the New Sith Wars was accurate. Why the Jedi Council of the era hadn't chosen to kill Karkko, or at least lock him in a proper prison designed for Force users, I couldn't say, but it seemed I was now forced to correct their mistake.

I slowed my speeder as we reached a large open expanse in the swamp; one covered in a muddy bog, cautious that there might be a threat hidden within. Skirting the edge of the bog, we neared the temple, it and the tree that had grown over it looming larger with each passing second.

"They're getting closer."

I didn't need to look back at Simvyl to confirm his words, the HUD reporting the same thing as the feral Anzati moved around us, blocking off any chance of escape we'd have without having to fight our way through their ranks. Given the HUD had failed to discover more than a few hundred at any one time, I suspected that if needed I could handle all of them by myself. However, that wasn't why I was here.

"Hardly a surprise," I say as we race around the edge of the bog. "Their master wants us here, and unless I miss my guess, they want us to head up that big, wide-open set of stairs."

"You mean the one with no cover, and from which they could swarm us from any angle?"

"That's the one," I say as we finish passing the bog and enter the last few hundred metres to Karkko's command centre. "Which is why we're not taking it," I said as I angled my speeder towards a smaller entrance the HUD had located. "I'm using that one." That entrance was barely wide enough for more than two people to enter side by side, was a point the feral Anzati seemed to be coming and going from, and for which not much of the inside was known. Either from the HUD or from what I'd pulled from Aayla's memories about this place.

"That's better," he replied as he followed behind. "Much easier to defend. The only issue is the Anzati gathered around it, and no doubt inside as well. They're going to want us to head to the main entrance."

I chuckled darkly. "They're welcome to try and stop me going where I want."

"Stop us."

I slowed my speeder and looked back at Simvyl. "I'll be facing Karkko alone," I said slowly but firmly.

Simvyl laughed. "I know that. I'm not stupid enough to think I can take on a Force user when they go all out. Kriff, I can barely keep up with Anakin at times when he really gets going and sinks into the Force. What I mean is that while you face Karkko I'm not staying outside and dealing with these feral Anzati. I've not got a death wish."

I grunted as I realised I'd overreacted for a moment. "Fair enough." Simvyl was a capable warrior, one that had grown stronger over the last few years, but he at least knew his limitations. Oh, asking him to hold a position, even one as seemingly defensible as the cave entrance we were heading for against hundreds of Anzati was going to be a challenge, but it had better odds than him facing someone like Karkko. "Once we're inside you'll find a point to bunker down while I push on, hopefully removing any of the beasts that might try and sneak up on you, and take out Karkko."

"What about any of those taken from Deadend?"

"For now, there's nothing we can do," I replied as our speeders slowed further. The Anzati around us were growing restless, not liking that we weren't heading toward the entrance their master wanted us to use. "Karkko's getting more powerful by the minute, no doubt feeding on any prisoner he has. Once he's dead, if there's time, we'll look for others but I'm not expecting much luck with that. If you find anyone, leave them for now. I don't want you exposing yourself to attack trying to help them."

"Understood."

I stopped the speeder and slipped off. The beasts moved closer, massing in a feeble attempt to stop me from entering the complex where I wanted to enter. I smirked under my helmet, as I drew my blade. The faint howl of the lightsaber igniting was accompanied by me releasing some of the hold I kept on my Force signature.

Many of the beasts shuddered, and a sizable number took a few steps back. Those were the ones who survived Deadend and understood what I was capable of. I'd likely have to remind them and teach the others, to gain entrance to the passageway I wished to enter from, but I knew they'd not be able to stop me, or even really slow me down.

They weren't the target, just bugs on the windscreen that needed to be swatted. However, the more I took out now, the less I'd have to try and find afterwards, if time allowed, for the linked objective of the Lost Apprentice quest. Plus, even if as I suspected I couldn't take them all out, thinning the herd would make them less of a threat to the Guardians once they returned to control the planet and monitor the prisoner population.

It only took a few minutes, and around another hundred dead feral Anzati, for Simvyl and I to reach and then enter the passageway. I reached out with the Force, wanting to ensure no creatures were hiding inside in an attempt to flank my friend as he held our escape point. A few were found, and those close enough to be dispatched were efficiently taken out with either my blade, the blaster in my gauntlet, or judicial use of the Force.

With the area cleared, I turned to Simvyl, watching as he pushed crates and boulders together to form a temporary foxhole. I quickly assisted him by moving several larger objects, including sections of the complex that had broken loose over the years because of plant growth or damage done by the Anzati, so that he had a readily defensible position to await my return.

"Here," I said to the Cathar as I pulled a pouch from my belt and handed it to him. "Place these around at any weak points you find. I'll do the same as I move ahead," I explained, knowing the pouch I'd just given him contained about a dozen thermal detonators. While killing Karkko and as many of the feral Anzati, and then rescuing any prisoners were the goals here, I had no intention of leaving this place standing after we left. It stank of the Dark Side, but not in any way that might be considered natural or healthy. No, this place was a vile corruption of the Force that needed to be expunged.

Simvyl placed the pouch down beside him as he moved into the created cover, though his focus remained on the entranceway we'd just come through. As I moved deeper into the complex, I heard his blasters open fire, the Battlenet reporting the fall of a trio of the beasts that had tried to assault his position. He would have to work to stay safe, but I had faith in his training and ability to handle the challenge.

Slipping into the next chamber beyond the one connected to the entranceway, my blade flicked out and bisected two Anzati on either side of me in one elegant, flowing motion. As their bodies fell to the ground, the HUD scanned the array of cocoons in this chamber. Most had the heads exposed, allowing the HUD to link many to faces it had scanned in Deadend; however, none were moving, and I could feel the Force's revulsion at how they had died. Instead of being allowed to return to the Force, their life force had been drained, preventing them from returning to the cycle of life as it was in this galaxy.

Moving deeper, I passed through two more chambers, each as full of lifeless cocooned corpses as the first. The handful of creatures that were in the chambers bore my wrath for their part in the abomination that had happened here while I placed explosives as I went, trusting the HUD to mark potential weak points in the structure Perhaps I was using too many detonators, but I had over fifty in my Inventory and wanted no part of the complex to remain after Karkko was dead.

Eventually, I reached a fork in my path. One route led deeper into the caverns under the complex, with more cocoons inside, the other led upwards into the former prison, and to where I knew Karkko was waiting for me. Reaching into the Force I tried to sense if anyone in the next chamber was alive, but felt nothing. With a sigh, I took a handful of detonators from my Inventory, placed them around the chamber, and then tossed several more into the next chamber.

With that done, I began my ascend towards the Anzati Dark Jedi above, my mind and body ready for any threat. As I ascended, I felt something twisted brush against the defences around my mind. I growled and enhanced them, ensuring that Karkko couldn't slip into my mind and learn something he might use against me. However, I didn't unfurl the entirety of my power. No, that reveal, even if he'd felt it remotely when I'd taken out his horde of feral beasts and freed Aayla from his control, I wanted to wait until I could see his face before I let him understand just how outclassed he was.

The stairs were in better condition than the chambers I'd just come through, and the signs of degradation and overgrowth by the tree became less prevalent the higher I climbed. It seemed that even while in stasis Karkko had generated enough of a residual twisted presence in the Force that it interrupted with the natural growth of the jungle. As the climb continued, I wondered why the Jedi who had imprisoned Karkko had gone to this extent to create a prison for him. It made even less sense than the decision to imprison him on Kiffex and then forget about him, or at least made things more confusing as the lack of logic involved here was staggering.

Soon I emerged at a door, and I knew that he awaited me on the other side. The door slid open slowly, the ravages of time causing the system controlling it to take a few seconds longer than ideal to react to my presence. The chamber that greeted me as the door slid open was one filled with smoke, though not enough that it in any way impeded vision even if I wasn't in my armour.

Stepping into the large chamber, one that reached at least three stories in height – again, another odd design choice for a prison – I saw large pipes, each easily the thickness of my thigh, running towards a central round platform. On that platform, using a chair that clearly wasn't part of the original decor, sat my target.

Volfe Karkko looked like any healthy Anzati should, though the beard he wore was straight out of the handbook for stereotypical villains. Now, perhaps it was fashionable during his era, but to me, it reminded me of those worn in many older action movies from my former life.

I walked towards him slowly, my hilt in my hand but not yet powered, studying the man through the HUD and with Observe.

Volfe Karkko
Race: Anzati
Level: 37
Health: 95%
Age: 132 (2300 linearly)
Force Potential: High
Threat Potential: High
Reputation: None
Affiliation Loyalty: Volfe Karkko (100%)
Emotional State: Intrigued/confused.
Volfe knows you are the one who took Aayla Secura from him, and while that angers him, he is intrigued by the power he senses within you.
He had expected Quinlan Vos to arrive with other Jedi, yet you fight with the brutal efficiency of a Sith, and he wonders if you might be a better apprentice than Aayla.
However, he is unsure what to make of your arrival while wearing armour that, while unfamiliar to him, is similar to that worn by Mandalorians in his era.
...

"You are the one who took my apprentice from me," Karkko commented as he sat on his chair on the platform, leaning forward slightly with a slight frown as he looked me over. The platform was, based on the device in the ceiling, where he had once been imprisoned, and I assumed he was using it as his throne to mock the Jedi who had made the Force-awful decision to imprison and then forget about him millennia ago.

"She was never yours," I replied softly, keeping my feelings out of my voice. I could have the HUD modulate my voice, but it wouldn't matter as any emotion that slipped into my tone would be sensed by him through the Force. I took another few steps toward the platform, cautious as something felt off about this entire encounter. As if I was being allowed to approach far too easily by someone who had to consider me a threat.

Karkko leaned his head on one hand as his eyes roamed over my frame. "You are the one I felt take her from my control and defeated my legions. You have power child, the likes of which I admit I have not felt before, yet it is clear both by your actions and your choice of attire confirms that you are no Jedi." His head tilted and I felt him brush up against my mental defences again. "Your armour is of Mandalorian design, is it not?"

"It is, though I suspect it's different from what you remember," I replied calmly even as I reached out as subtlety into the Force as I could, trying to put a finger on what felt off. There was no great warning from the Force or immediate danger, nor a reaction of Danger Sense to an imminent threat, yet I couldn't escape the feeling that something was amiss.

Karkko chuckled, the large nose that was semi-common of his species shifting oddly as he did so, and then leaned back in his chair. "Interesting."

He stood slowly, moving carefully to not appear a threat even if I knew he most certainly was. "Interesting," he remarked as he gently leapt down from the platform on my side yet still a good ten metres away from me. "Your power is far beyond that of the Twi'lek," he continued as he moved closer yet angled to my right as if trying to slowly circle me. I turned with him, keeping my front aimed toward him so it would only take the slightest of shifts to get into a duelling stance. "I can taste the Dark Side within you," he said as he unclipped his lightsaber from his belt. "Yet you chose to free the Twi'lek from my control instead of simply killing or breaking her as I would expect." His head tilted to his left. "Who is she to you?"

"A friend," I replied honestly.

Karkko nodded, though he already seemed disinterested in Aayla. I watched as he paused. "Ah, but where are my manners," He said before giving a very regal-looking bow. "As you are no doubt aware, I am Volfe Karkko. Formerly a member of the Jedi Council until I saw through the lies of the Order, and you find yourself in what was once my prison but is now my inner sanctum."

"Cameron Shan," I replied, not bothering with any more details.

"Shan?" Karkko repeated slowly before tapping his chin. "Ah yes, I recall that name from the Twi'lek's thoughts; some that were unbecoming for a Jedi I might add," he continued with a chuckle. "How deliciously ironic that in freeing her from my control and coming here to confront me, you have denied yourself the chance to see if she might now act on those desires now that the false teachings of the Jedi no longer afflict her thoughts." He paused and chuckled. "Well, not unless…"

"Unless what?" I asked, already suspecting where he was going with this. "Not unless I join you and take her as my slave?" I grunted and shook my head. "Sorry, but if I was ever going to learn from a Dark Sider it wouldn't be some pathetic fallen Jedi such as yourself."

Karkko's lips thinned before I felt a mental probe brush against my mind. "Ah, so the Sith are still active in this era. How interesting."

I was glad my helmet was on, masking the momentary shock that he had pulled something from my mind, despite my best efforts to shield it.

"The Twi'lek was unaware of this, but that is hardly a surprise. The Sith would never show an interest in one destined to be a slave when far more powerful and delicious potential apprentices exist." His lightsaber ignited with a snap-hiss.

"Before I drain you, I will pull your knowledge of the Sith and the galaxy from your mind."

"If," I said gently, my blade igniting. The roar of its energy filled the chamber, its colour drawing Karkko's gaze—and a flicker of surprise.

"If?" he asked, cautious now as I eased into a Makashi opening stance.

"If you defeat me," I clarified with a smirk he couldn't see, but one I let him feel through the Force. "Which, from what I've seen so far, is about as likely as the Jedi welcoming you back to the High Council."

Karkko's lips twitched, his only outward reaction, but I felt a ripple in the Force—and then he was upon me.

His blade swept in a wide arc toward my arm, a strike meant to test rather than kill. A flick of my wrist guided it past, deflecting with minimal effort. He rotated, his blade flowing seamlessly into another strike, this one faster, aimed at my ribs. I stepped back, letting the tip burn through empty air.

He was testing me, as I was testing him.

A third attack came, faster still, a sweeping cut toward my shins. My blade dipped low, catching his and guiding it up and over my head in a controlled arc. He had power, but I had precision. I remained in Makashi, giving no hint of the other forms in my arsenal.

Another attack came, flowing from the missed stroke before. This one moved even faster; a low sweep designed to bait a reaction. With a flick of my wrist, my blade dipped low again, guiding the attack up and over without allowing him an opening. While his moves were crisp, they lacked the sheer aggression and deadliness of Maul's strikes, which reassured me. Karkko was powerful, but he was no Sith Lord.

He leapt over me, flipping midair in a flawless Ataru velocity. I pivoted, blade rising just enough to deflect any errant strike. As he landed, he shifted into Juyo, drawing upon the Force to augment his speed and strength.

"You've been trained well," he admitted. His stance coiled with barely restrained aggression. "However, I can see the flaws in your stance and know the weaknesses of your style. Which I will use to defeat you and then feast upon your soup."

I stayed silent, weight balanced, waiting.

He lunged. A feint. I sensed it before he moved, remaining still, waiting for the real attack. His blade drove forward, seeking a decisive strike. I turned, one foot sliding back, guiding his blade away with a minimal flick of my wrist.

His attacks intensified. Strength. Speed. Ferocity. But Makashi was built for this—for control, for counters, for precision. A subtle pivot, a shift in weight, and his strikes found only air.

Another opening appeared, and I took it, though this time only the edge of his robes were burnt by my blade. Still, another moment of proof that I was the better combatant which only fuelled the desperation that I felt growing within Karkko.

Sensing he was losing, Karkko roared, infusing the Force into his scream. I braced and was driven back a few meters by the power of his rage, yet even as he sought to use that, I was ready.

His blade came in, bound for my heart. Guiding it away was easily doable, but in the time that would pass between the beats of a butterfly's wings, I saw another path.

Karkko's eyes widened as my hand first moved towards his blade, and then grasped the heated plasma with ease, stopping his momentum in an instant. His lips shifted, and confusion echoed in the Force but before he could ask how I'd grasped his blade, my lightsaber drove forward, burying a good third of the blade in and through his gut.

He grunted at the sensation, which turned into a pained moan as, with a flick of my wrist, my lightsaber rose, searing a deadly arc through his chest and then out his side.

His lightsaber slipped from his grasp, though for a second before it turned off, it remained secure in the grasp of my mechanical hand. As it fell, I stepped forward, catching the hilt in my hand and then igniting the blade.

Karkko stumbled back, the hand that had been grasping his blade moving to the long, fatal wound on his side. He slumped to a knee, looking at the wound in shock. As his head rose, and his eyes saw me, I moved closer, both his blade and mine ignited and in my hands.

His lips moved, and the arm came up. Whether in a desperate plea for mercy or some final act of defiance, I didn't care. My blade flicked around, severing his arm at the elbow before, wanting to ensure he was gone, I used his blade to remove his head.

The body slumped to the floor in a heap as his skull, shock and fear forever locked on his face, bounced off the ground and rolled away.

I stepped back, depowering both blades and smiled at the headless body at my feet. He had dared to think he could be my master, that he was in some way more powerful than I. That failing, along with what he did to Aayla, ensured this was the only outcome that befitted him.

I stood there, the Force shifting and bowing down to me, savouring the moment of victory. Of the proof that all my work since Naboo had been worth it. Yes, I wasn't ready to take on most Jedi Masters, to say nothing of the Council or the Banite Sith, but I had my proof that the path I had chosen and the choices I'd made had been the right ones.

As the moment of relishing my victory passed, I knelt, wanting to see if Karkko kept anything of value in his robes. At the same time, I sent a signal to Simvyl that Karkko was defeated, and that we'd soon be moving out.

Finding nothing of worth on Karkko's corpse I stood and moved what the HUD suggested might still be working computers in the chamber. The process that the Jedi of that ancient era had used to imprison Karkko while old might hold some value, and there might well be files there that could be of use. I'd also be making sure the systems were purged so that, if T'ra Saa arrived and had time to examine the complex before it exploded, she'd not find any recordings or sensor readings of anything I'd done since I'd come into range of the complex.

As I walked away, and after clipping both lightsabers to my belt, I called upon my training with the Shapers, and then the fury that burnt within my soul. Pushing one hand back to Karkko's body, the HUD reported it being engulfed in flames fuelled by the Force which would again, if she arrived with time to spare, further prevent T'ra Saa from knowing what had happened here. The flames shifted to the Anzati's head and then arm, reducing everything to ash.

As I used my gauntlet's system to access the complex's ancient computer systems, I reached out with the Force, hoping to sense anyone who was not an Anzati still alive in the place. However, I felt nothing beyond the faint hints of the various Anzati that had served Karkko, in all their stages of de-evolution, ambling around unsure of what to do. The more bestial one of them had become, the harder it was to sense them within the Force, even when drawing on the darker elements of it for help.

It was as I pulled back from that search, the minimap of my Interface marking as many of the feral Anzati as I could locate, that a signal came in from HK through the Battlenet. He had been forced to pull back from delaying T'ra Saa. The Neti Jedi Master had finally slipped through whatever delays and distractions HK had deployed to keep her from my current location and she was now moving at great speed towards the complex.

Understanding time was of the essence, I ordered Simvyl to get to the speeders and then, with the Force surging through me, raced around the chamber and elsewhere in the complex, deploying thermal detonators at points the Force felt would ensure the maximum amount of destruction.

By the time we left, this complex would have but seconds of existence left, and the threat it had created to the prisoners on Kiffex, and to the Guardians who monitored said prisoners, would be gone. Along with, I hoped, most of the Anzati that had been drawn to Karkko's prison and service.

The threat he posed was over. It was now time to check on Aayla and Quinlan, contact the Guardians then leave this planet. Hopefully forever.

… …

… …
This story is cross-posted on Fanfiction.net, Archive of our Own, and Royal Road.
...
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A New Player in the Force (SW/Lite Gamer)

Doing what's necessary, even if it causes chaos

Doing what's necessary, even if it causes chaos

Doing what's necessary, even if it causes chaos

Doing what's necessary, even if it causes chaos

Doing what's necessary, even if it causes chaos

Doing what's necessary, even if it causes chaos

Doing what's necessary, even if it causes chaos

Doing what's necessary, even if it causes chaos

Doing what's necessary, even if it causes chaos

Doing what's necessary, even if it causes chaos

Doing what's necessary, even if it causes chaos

Doing what's necessary, even if it causes chaos

Doing what's necessary, even if it causes chaos

Doing what's necessary, even if it causes chaos

Doing what's necessary, even if it causes chaos

Doing what's necessary, even if it causes chaos

Doing what's necessary, even if it causes chaos

Doing what's necessary, even if it causes chaos

Doing what's necessary, even if it causes chaos

Doing what's necessary, even if it causes chaos

Doing what's necessary, even if it causes chaos

Doing what's necessary, even if it causes chaos

Doing what's necessary, even if it causes chaos